My Three-Year Journey to Publication

Guest Blog by Jennifer Lee Rossman

I started this book three years ago, almost to the day. It feels like so much longer, but at the same time, it all happened so fast.

Three years ago, I was extremely depressed. I'd almost died from "female issues" a few months before, and I had no purpose, no direction, no idea what I was supposed to do with my life. I'd never been published, never even finished a short story that I thought was good enough for people to read.

In the three years since I thought "what if I put superheroes in space?", I've learned that I'm autistic. I've learned that my body doesn't like having many female hormones. I've learned that it's okay to admit that you're struggling.

The person I was three years ago did not believe she would have a book published. I don't think she even thought she would be alive today.

She was an angry, miserable, lost person, and I'm thankful every day that I don't have to be her anymore. Being treated for ADHD gave me the confidence to write this book, and everything else I've had published in the last three years, which in turn gave me the confidence to make friends, find my true self, and -- most importantly -- tell my doctors that I thought something was wrong with my hormones.

At the same time, though, I love me from three years ago. She didn't think she could write and she felt like the world was collapsing on her, but that girl wrote a dang novel anyway. And a pretty good one, people tell me.

My book is about freaks, and about finding the people who love and care about you even when you can't love yourself. I've had my share of those people by my side since I started writing Freakshow -- family, friends, doctors, editors -- and I think I can finally add Current Me to that list.

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Jennifer Lee Rossman is a disabled and autistic freak, and proudly so. Her work has been featured in many anthologies and her debut novella, Anachronism, was published by Kristell Ink in 2018. She blogs at jenniferleerossman.blogspot.com/ and tweets @JenLRossman.