So we made an announcement a few days ago about Path2pub taking a temporary (albeit indefinite) hiatus from the start of January 2023. And so for this group post, we’ll be sharing not just what our favorite features of Path2pub have been as asked by Garlow Mark, but also what Path2pub has meant to us in this past year.
We hope you readers also join us in participating in this group post as you’re as much a part of Path2pub as we are 🙂
I can’t believe a year has flown by. I mean in other aspects of my life, the year seemed sufficiently long, but with Path2pub I feel like it was only just yesterday I was excitedly setting up the site. Now it’s already been a year with numerous Contributors and information brimming on every page.
Firstly, my favorite features on Path2pub are the Ask Us Pub Questions. I love seeing our collective and different outlooks on the publishing landscape. Then behind the scenes, I’ve also really loved putting together Roadside Cafes. It’s a lot of time and effort, but it’s also really fun gathering data from across the internet and staying updated with juicy twitter drama hehe. And the fascinating conversations that break out in the comments? Those are my absolute rewards for the effort.
For what Path2pub has meant to me—phew, it’s meant so much. Honestly this hiatus is bittersweet because while I know it’s needed, taking a break from this site might require some getting used to. Path2pub brought me out of my comfort zone and made me not just an onlooker of the processes around me, but someone who actively influenced those processes. So many people have reached out over the year to tell me how much I’ve inspired them, not just with my posts but with stepping forward (out of almost nowhere lol) to start up something that became helpful and important to people. It was also a highlight of a year that was rough most of the time. When many things felt unbalanced around me, opening the site to get to work made me feel grounded. I’m also thankful for the Contributors (both present and gone) who have taken leaps with this site, and given so much dedication to making it thrive. They never miss posting days, they always make group posts, and specials even when they’re sudden, and put their hearts into it. I still wonder how I was lucky enough to find them. Lastly, for you readers I’m thankful. We could not have had a site or the confidence to keep sharing our experiences if it wasn’t for your enthusiastic engagements! So Cheers to you all and a memorable year 🥂
—Lucia, the Fantasy Writer!
A year ago, I had no idea that I would be joining a group of talented and wonderful ladies to create something that would grow and would be valued by other writers during 2022. I remember it was almost New Year when I received Lucia’s invitation to come aboard Path2pub. Her passion and vision for the blog captured me, so of course I said yes! and I’m very thankful for this opportunity.
Being part of Path to Publication has been an honor, a pleasure, and a growth experience for me. This is the first time that I’ve participated in a blog, and so in the beginning, I was a bit nervous about finding my voice and putting me “out there” with my experiences and opinions. Thankfully we’ve had an amazing group of contributors and readers whose support along these months, has inspired me to share about me and my journey with my debut. I’m forever grateful for the kind and encouraging comments we always received in our posts. This is actually one of my favorite things about Path2pub, our interactions with our readers, whom I thank for sharing your thoughts, your questions (another favorite of mine) and your experiences. Your participation really made the blog more special and I always felt that what we shared here mattered and made a difference in others. I’m very grateful for that.
Getting to learn from the other contributors has been a true gift too. These ladies have taught me a lot with their own dreams, successes, and struggles. I admire them very much and I’m looking forward to stay in touch and to see how far they’ll go in their own journeys to publication. I wish you ladies all the best and I hope to hear the news of your book deals/agents in 2023.
Although we all know this hiatus is needed for Path2Pub, I hope that we can still be connected with our readers through social media. I’m definitely going to miss these @path2pub days and I hope that when the time is right, the blog will come back and will continue to make a difference among writers. Cheers 🥂 and all the best for this holiday season and 2023!
-Mariana, PB Writer
Wow time really flies! It honestly doesn’t feel like it’s already been a year of Path2Pub, and I’m so thankful that I’ve had this opportunity to be part of this effort to contribute towards the writing community! Shoutout to Lucia for coming up with the idea and being so dedicated and organised about everything – it’s so hard to maintain a site like this and manage so many contributors, but she did it 😀
To me, Path2Pub has been a perfect avenue for me to serve the community, to give back in return for all the generosity that I’ve been shown by fellow members of the writing community since I first ventured into booktwt in 2019. Information about traditional publishing is out there, but it’s difficult to navigate your way around when you’re completely new and clueless. Been there, done that. In the early days when I had just joined booktwt and was desperately trying to figure out how exactly I was supposed to go about getting my book published, I met some of the loveliest people who were so willing to share their knowledge and experiences with me. Without them, I don’t think I would have eventually ended up as an agented author. Path2Pub has been an opportunity for me to do the same, and hopefully sharing my experiences with all our readers has helped in some little way to shed light on this sometimes lonely publishing journey.
I’m also grateful that I got the chance to meet the lovely ladies of Path2pub, all of whom are so talented and such a joy to work with. I’ve learned so much from them, and also from the comments left by all our readers. I’m sure this will not be the last you’re hearing from us, but till next time – happy holidays and wishing everyone a wonderful start to the new year!
–Amber, YA/NA SFF!
I seriously cannot believe a year on the site has come and gone. I started reading the site when it first launched and then in the spring I came on as a contributor. In that time I have:
- Shelved a book I was querying (rip)
- Stopped writing a historical fiction book
- Had the idea for The Finley Case
- Started drafting The Finley Case
- Moved back to America
- Finished drafting The Finley Case
- Started revisions for The Finley Case
- Read a few books
- Wrote many posts on here
One of my favorite features on the site has to be Ask Us Pub Questions. There is so much gatekeeping within the community and it bothers me a lot because some people have no idea where to start. Even though we will be archiving the site on our hiatus, I hope that people will be able to come back and see our responses and learn something.
As for what it has meant for me, this site has helped me grow in confidence as a writer. I plan on re-entering the trenches in the New Year and I am hopeful that I will be more successful this round. Being on this site has helped me realize that I am not alone in the writing community either. I joined it a year ago in December officially and I have gained so many friendships over that year.
I hope 2023 is a good year for not just the contributors on the site, but also our readers. Manifesting good vibes only.
—Briana, The Mystery Writer
Path2Pub has been such an incredible experience for me. Not only have I learned helpful tips about writing & querying, but I’ve also been introduced to an incredible community. My fellow contributors have been so welcoming, supportive, & encouraging to me. I’m so thankful for you guys! Thank you for your continual support! A small shoutout to Lucia too, who has put in soooo much extra work & organizing incredible posts. I appreciate you, Lucia! Your vision for this blog & serving other writers is truly inspiring, & I’m so thankful to have been part of it for a short time.
Furthermore, I’ve also interacted with some of our incredible readers & followers. You guys are fantastic! Its been a huge honor to be a part of Path2Pub. Thank YOU for your comments, likes, & interactions. We appreciate you all, & I am so grateful to have had the chance to be part of this community & engage with you all, too! I hope the next few months go well for you whether you are writing, editing, querying, or on sub. I’m rooting for you!
-Demri, The Horror Writer
Better late than never! Path2pub has meant so much to me. It helped me interact with amazing writers and as my fellow contributors mentioned I not only learned helpful tips and the publishing industry, I made friends! I honestly didn’t know what to expect when Path2pub started, but I cannot thank Lucia enough for inviting me to join as a contributor ☺️
As a reader and a follower the site helped me improve as a writer and a querying author. Thank you all for the kind comments and words! I can’t believe a year has passed, I will miss the scheduled content but I’m looking forward to see what the new year will bring!
-Alex, Romance Writer
Path To Publication 