OMG! I am an author!

Last year I was a very sad woman. My boyfriend had been diagnosed with a chronic disease and my reality was gloomy and painful. Back then I hadn't discovered my...ability to put fantasy into words. Because the constant distress was almost unbearable, I tried discovering a way to occasionally escape and reinvent a new version of myself, a stronger one and hopefully a more optimistic one. In May I started writing my very first short story, a fantasy one obviously, and I sent it to numerous publishing houses in USA and UK. I have received lots of rejections, but also a significant number of encouragements, appreciations even proposals for a novel based on this short story. Here are a few:

"Thank you for submitting Lost int he Seven Worlds to Candlemark and Gleam. You've done some fascinating preliminary worldbuilding, and the core concept of your story and fantasy world are intriguing. Unfortunately, we are currently only accepting finished novel-length manuscripts, rather than short stories and book proposals. If you choose to expand your work to novel length, we'd be pleased to have you resubmit for consideration.""Thank you for your interest in Brighton Publishing. Your manuscript at the time is too short for us to consider, however when you have finished the novel, I would be interested in reading it. We wish you the best in your writing endeavors".
"Thank you for your interest in placing LOST IN THE SEVEN WORLDS with Silver Publishing. We are interested in this story, but would need to see the expanded, full novel version in order to make a decision. The story premise is quite interesting and your writing, in general, is descriptive and engaging. The attached evaluation checklist offers some specific feedback that basically explains what we look for in the fiction we publish, and what would be needed in this case. Although we can't guarantee a contract, once the story is completed we would be happy to review it  We would also be happy to review any future manuscripts as well"."The staff and I found "Lost in the Seven Worlds" an imaginative fantasy tale. However, it is a bit on the long side for a short story. My question to you is, how do you feel about paring it down to, say, somewhere below 4,000 words? I ask this question because this is clearly a tale rich with characters and places. However, it feels as though it's on the verge of becoming a much, much longer story (such as a novel). If you would like to send us a more focused and concentrated version of this story, I would like to entertain it. Isotropic Fiction"

"Dear Petronela. Your manuscript grabs your interest. Rogue Phoenix Press would be interested in reading the entire novel when it is finished.""Hi Petronela,Thanks for filling out the forms. I do like what I’ve read and would like it to be longer if you do plan on making this into a novel. I only contract full manuscripts. If you want this to be a tease book before the novel…why not make it a free read. How long will it take you to complete the novel and polish it for contracting? We could also put this only on KP purchase sites for $1.50 due to the length of the book. Mary Keith Publishing"."Dear Petronela,Thank you for your submission and your interest in working with us.I have read the first 12 pages of your manuscript and think that the beginning of your book sets a good basis for an exciting story. The fictional world seems to be well-crafted so far, and the characters have spiked my interest. There are one or two minor punctuation issues but all in all, your story could make a nice fantasy book. Thanks for your mail and I hope that my feedback is somehow useful to you. It would be my pleasure to have a look at the final version of your book, in due time.Best regards, Miriam."
"Dear Petronela,I LOVE your short story and would love for it to be part of the Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly collection. I am attaching a contract for your review, please let me know if you have any questions.We will work together with our graphic artist for a wonderful cover and help put together a blog/book tour with you also, if you decide to accept our offer.Thank you so much for considering CHBB".

This last email came from an astonishing writer and publisher, SJ Davis (Sarah Jane Davis), who is the founder of Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and who turned my dream into reality. I am one of Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing authors, my short story "Lost in the seven worlds" will be published in late winter. I wanted to share my humble story because I owe it to myself, to the older version of myself who believed in nothing but misery and hopelessness.