In the publishing industry, when an author makes it big with their first book, especially if they haven’t done any marketing, we call them a “unicorn.” We know what they are. We may doubt they exist until we become one or know first hand of one that exists. Well, I’m an observer of a unicorn.
Someone I’ve know for a decade published her first book. Not a novel, but a collection of short stories. Her husband had been a successful indie author. Popular enough that after 8 years of his passing, the royalties continue to come in from just one online retailer. He was active on a couple of social media sites and had a newsletter. He enjoyed live events where he got to talk to readers. His church helped him launch his first book by purchasing several copies and people in the congregation leaving great reviews. At one point, he made $30,000 a month in royalties.
His widow isn’t on social media. She has no newsletter. It took her two years to compile the stories, edit them, and get a cover. She published the book on December 31, 2024. By January 16, 2025, it was #1 in Fantasy Short Stories on Amazon, who flagged the sales page to encourage more readers to purchase the book. No pre-orders, no social media, no newsletter, no blog or podcast tour. I’m sure some in her congregation purchased the book and will likely leave a positive review, which will fuel more readers to buy. So, a unicorn.
I never feel envious of another’s success. I find their path fascinating and having to physically closing my mouth as I gape in awe at how their dreams have become their reality. Just like the mystical/mythical creature in the form of a horse with a single horn on its forehead, witnessing a debut author who just hits “publish” and makes it to the top of the charts is just as common as a unicorn.
In my corner of the universe, I continue to peck away at the anthology story. I’m not done with the second part, though I’m on the last scene. Some editing will need to happen as I’m sure to be over the word count and a few details have been dropped. Since I’ve been doing double time to get life tasks taken care of, though most of them seem to be 90% done (and I’m struggling with the last 10%), only a bit of time has been dedicated to writing. The story is there. I have a soft deadline of March 1. It feels freeing to have a to-do list with only 3 items on it. Pivoting my focus is one of my superpowers, so more minutes to pen this story is available. Are you, or do you know, a unicorn in your industry?
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