A Moment of Reflection on My Journey Into Authorship
I don’t usually write personal posts, but I felt compelled to speak out about something that happened recently.
To everyone who's been following my journey into authorship—thank you. Your support means the world.
As I’ve been learning the ropes of becoming an author, one piece of advice I kept hearing was: build an email list. So I dove into webinars and guidance from supposed experts, including a session hosted on LinkedIn. The manual method they shared was simple enough: send an introductory message, then—if someone replies or follows your page—check their profile, find their email, and add it to your author list.
I gave it a go. I don’t send many emails (truth be told, I often wonder if anyone would care to hear what’s going on in my world—ha!), but I pushed past that doubt and sent out a couple of messages.
And then it happened: someone emailed me requesting removal from my list… and threatened to report me under GDPR.
I was stunned. I’d followed the instructions from a LinkedIn webinar, and the person had followed me back—she was an author herself, so I assumed there was mutual interest. Clearly, I misread the situation.
I responded politely, explained how she’d ended up on my list, and assured her I’d remove her details—which I did, along with any interactions or connections we’d had. But the phrase she used stuck with me: “I never signed up to this email list.”
She was right, of course. And while I’m still finding my footing with social media and outreach, I never intended to upset or offend. I just want to share my stories.
So here’s what I wonder: why has it become so common to respond with threats instead of kindness? Why not simply say, “Please remove me from your list”? We're all just people trying to do our best—and in my case, I’m just someone who’s passionate about historical fiction and excited to connect with readers who might enjoy a dual timeline tale.
If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, you’re warmly invited to download my debut novel, Joan: Put on a Happy Face—free until 22nd July to celebrate my daughter’s birthday (happy birthday, sweetheart!).
Thank you for being part of the journey.
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