Reflections on mindset, comfort, and why the work always needs to come first.
Over dinner the other night, an old work colleague asked me what my 2025 highlights had been. I froze for a second, then had to think out loud. While I’m great at identifying everything I’ve not done, (and giving myself a kicking for it), I suck at the positive stuff, which is why, in an effort to improve, I’ve spent the morning thinking about my 2025 writing highlights. They are:
· Finished then published my fourth novel
· Started this Substack in January (this is my 85th post!)
· Piloted a successful coaching programme for writers
· Sold books at 22 in-person events
And here are the bits that took some number crunching:
· Increased my book sales by 194% compared to last year
· Grew my mailing list seven-fold
· Grew my Substack subscribers from zero to 126 fabulous people (that’s YOU!)
Granted, when you start from a low base, the percentages look fabulous but I’m not going to do my usual and discount them because things really have shifted this year in a big way. Here are the three things that have made the biggest difference this year:
1) The Mindset Shift
2025 definitely marked a shift in my perspective. I went from being a freelancer who wrote fiction, to an author who freelances. The shift was subtle, but once I committed to it, I felt like I was taking off a pair of pinching shoes.
Alas, I’m a long way away from skipping barefoot through the soft, fragrant meadow of full-time indie authorship, but freed from the ‘should’ of rebuilding a consulting business that never fully recovered after the double body blows of bereavement and the pandemic, I can now focus on delivering for my clients while also pursuing my passion for writing fiction.
There is work to do, for sure. The freelance market is slower than anything I’ve seen since setting up my business twelve years ago, so I’ll be spending a chunk of the Christmas holiday hatching a plan for the year ahead, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
My takeaway: Choosing to be a writer first didn’t mean abandoning my clients; it meant showing up better for both.
2) Focusing on the Work
I don’t know any authors who started writing purely because they wanted to be rich and famous. While I’d not say no to the rich part, (hell, I’d settle for earning the living wage), I write because I have stories in my soul and ink in my veins. My goal is always to write the best book I possibly can and to make each book better than the last.
To that end, I revelled in the writing of my fourth book, The Butterfly Witch, hand editing multiple drafts and refusing to rush it. Why? Because I enjoyed the writing process. Everything else that goes along with being an author publisher, is secondary to the joy of writing itself and that’s where ninety percent of my energy needs to go.
My takeaway: When the work comes first, everything else finds its proper place.
3) Being Uncomfortable
From finding the courage to be ‘difficult’ when what I paid for didn’t meet the brief, to sending out book launch press releases to local media and lots besides, I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone this year.
Not everything paid off. One initially enthusiastic email exchange with a well-known bookshop chain ended abruptly the minute I mentioned being independent and I so misjudged the timing of my first ever reading in Glastonbury that I had an audience of just three people. Then again, it was a soft landing for my first go, so there’s always a silver lining.
My takeaway: I hate to admit that the meme was right, but growth really does live beyond your comfort zone. As I plan for the year ahead, I’ll be on the lookout for anything that makes me hesitant because it may well be pointing towards my next step.
Stepping into 2026
2025 wasn’t a breakout year. I didn’t ditch the day job and become a full-time indie author riding high on my fat royalties. I didn’t crack the algorithm or land a life-changing film deal, but it still felt pivotal. I doubled down on my commitment to this writing life, put the work first and showed up with a little more courage than the year before and slowly but surely, the graphs all began trending upwards.
I’m happy with that.
This article was first published on Substack on 24 December, 2025.