A while ago, I shared a post called Loud Cheers, Quiet Sales, where I opened up about the strange feeling of releasing a book to warm applause and then… silence. Today I want to share a bit more about the process itself. Not to complain, but to help others understand why writing a book, especially self-publishing one, can be so incredibly draining.

Because writing a book isn’t just about writing. It’s not one task, it’s a hundred. It starts with an idea that won’t leave you alone. A line of dialogue, a vivid image, a moment that plays again and again in your mind until you start writing just to get it out of your system. That’s when the real work begins.

Drafting is often romanticized, but the truth is it’s a rollercoaster. Some days feel magical, like the story is telling itself. Other days, you question every word. You write scenes you love only to delete them later. You change direction, rearrange chapters, wonder if the whole thing even makes sense. And through it all, you keep going, because something in you believes it matters.

When the draft is finally done, the editing starts. And that’s where the heavy lifting happens. You become your own toughest critic. You look at every paragraph with fresh eyes, sometimes with professional help, sometimes alone at 2 a.m. with a cup of tea and a creeping sense of doubt. You cut, you tweak, you rewrite. It’s not about fixing typos. It’s about reshaping the story until it stands on its own.

For me, that was just the beginning. After publishing the Swedish version of The Chasing of the Last Lover, many kind friends and readers said, “You have to release it in English!” So I did. I worked closely with a translator, then an editor, then a proofreader. We debated phrasing, tone, rhythm. Every sentence was measured, not just for meaning, but for emotion. We wanted the English version to feel like it was written that way from the start.

What many may not know is that I don’t do this alone. I write together with my husband, and we both work full-time jobs. On top of that, we have two small children, currently two and a half and four and a half, who keep us on our toes in the very best way. So writing isn’t just something we do. It’s something we love. And yes, it takes time. Time we could have spent on sleep, or hobbies, or just catching our breath. But it’s worth it. Because there’s joy in creating something together, and in seeing it come to life.

I still remember one night, after we finally got both kids to sleep, sitting at the kitchen table editing chapter twelve. We were tired, the dishes weren’t done, and there were toys under our feet. But the story pulled us in again. We worked in silence, side by side, and when we looked up, two hours had passed. It’s moments like that I hold onto where love for the story outweighs the exhaustion.

When the English version was finally released in December 2024, I was proud. I shared the news. People cheered. Some of you bought it, voted for it, and even told others, and I’m truly grateful for that. The book is currently ranked number two on UK Talk Radio’s Best Book Chart for 2025, right after Stephen King. And yet, something about the aftermath still feels… quiet.

There’s a vulnerability in sharing something you’ve poured your heart into. You hope it connects. You hope it reaches people. And when it doesn’t quite take off, despite all the work, it can leave you feeling a little deflated.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing it because it’s real. This is what it’s like to write a book and put it out into the world. It’s a long, intense, deeply personal journey. And by the end, you’re proud, but you’re also tired.

So if you’ve ever created something and shared it with the world, I’d love to hear what that was like for you. Did it land the way you hoped? Or did it meet silence too?

Thanks for reading 💛