Encouraging Signs from a Hard Season

2023 in Review

This was a hard year, but there were encouraging signs along the way, moments that made me feel I must be in the right place at the right time, or I’m at least headed in the right direction, even if it doesn’t feel that way. I looked through my golden notebook (more on that soon!) and was amazed to see how much I accomplished in the midst of chaos, illness, and heartbreak. In 2023 I somehow:

• Worked with more writers I ADORE! (Coaching and critiques are open again in 2024.)

• Started editing children’s books for Storey Publishing and Compendium—whenever I get a new client, it feels like a vote of confidence!

• Launched the first Query Club! Should I do another round this year?

• Offered new masterclasses and repackaged several classes as workbooks (You can still use the code NEBULANOTEBOOK to get 15% off anything on helloheidifiedler.com!)

• Got a new agent and revised my book proposal to be IRRESISTIBLE

• Published Love in Translation, my first personal essay in a literary journal

• Wrote two board books, two picture books, and three work-for-hire books

• Took Katie Reilly’s class on pitching your work to publications

• Recorded nearly 20 podcast interviews

• Spoke at the Women in Publishing Summit and The Children’s Book Mastery Summit

• Joined the WMG and ABPA

• Gave a workshop for the lovely ladies at Exhale Creativity

• Appeared on a We Need Diverse Books panel

• Wrote lots of guest posts (This round up of alternatives to SCBWI was the most popular post on my own website.)

• Applied for grants for the first time

(If you’re reading this and thinking DANG GIRL, how did you do this? It’s not too late to do your own year in review. I am SURE you did way more than you think too! I certainly couldn’t call this all to mind if you stopped me on the street. That’s why I created Reflect on Your Story. It walks you through the process of taking inventory in a really gentle, inspiring way, and it helps you plan your next steps. You can use NEBULANOTEBOOK to get 15% off this workbook too.)

All of this happened against the background of so many health scares and mysteries, long talks, two (!) car accidents, and late-night worries. We also had some life-changing wins with our son’s medication, and we are so relieved and excited to see him feeling more comfortable at school this year. Daily life feels thick with decisions, work, and frustrations. But even when life was at its most unpredictable and messiest, there were moments that felt impossible to interpret in any other way than the universe saying “You’re on the right path. Keep going.”

Our son fell asleep at 4:00 and slept through the night exactly one time this year: on our anniversary, which meant my husband and I got to eat alone together for the first time in forever.

My mom gave me a copy of a wintery book by a favorite author, the day before the publisher of that very book emailed to say “Will you work on this author’s next book with us?”

Within the span of a couple weeks, I pulled a snake card during a major transformation. I also learned that, even though it’s natural, snakes find shedding their skin painful. And my husband found a snake skin outside our door!

When my agent described my latest picture book as being about the process of rewilding, I made a note. Then a week later when I was searching for a comp title in my cart, I saw I’ve bought almost 50 books with the word “wild” in them and discovered a theme I that has inspired my work for the last 15 years.

I’m also noticing that our house plants are thriving.

I finally feel ready to get back to weight lifting.

I’m wearing jewelry again, even if I’m just wearing sweats.

These may or may not be signs from the universe, but they feel promising to me! Life is intense, and publishing is hard, so I will take any encouragement I can get.

Do you notice these kind of signs too? Share them in the comments below, so we can celebrate them with you too!

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