A year has come and gone, and OCDad: Learning to Be a Parent with a Mental Health Disorder is standing strong. I can still remember receiving the proofed copy of #OCDad in the mail and realizing that this project was official. It was #written. It existed. It was ready to get out into the world and do what it was going to do (whatever that was). 365 (plus a few) days hence, here's a 'Top 5' list of what #OCDad has done since its publication:
Copies of the book have sold in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. Hard copies have been the most popular medium, including several copies sold in my favourite local book stores (that's encouraging for us paperback purists, is it not?!). Sometimes the book only sold one or two copies per month, sometimes a bit more.
I've appeared on 7 podcasts to talk about #OCD and #parenting, including the CBC's #Sickboy podcast, and I've received promotional blurbs from two established authors represented by large publishing houses.
I presented at the #IOCDF's Online #OCD Conference alongside two fantastic co-presenters. Our presentation was well-attended and well-received.
I've written an additional 16 blog posts, including the 10-Part Anxious Parenting Practicalities Series, totalling about 12,000 words of extra content about #anxiety, #OCD and #parenting.
I've received several personal communications from people who attended the IOCDF conference or read my book, including one person who ended up receiving a referral to therapy as a result of reading the book. That might be the coolest result of all.
As far as 2023, I've kept my goals simple. In intentional order:
Use everything I've learned about myself and OCD to be a better #Dad and #husband.
Grow my social media following from the hundreds into the thousands (including a delve into the power of video).
Record an audiobook version of #OCDad and release the Anxious Parenting Practicalities as a free ebook.
Continue releasing content about #OCD and #family life, especially about how to help everyone thrive when a family member has OCD.
Connect with other authors and mental health professionals on more collaborative projects, including potential publishing houses.
And there you have it. A year in my life as a new #author, a young #Dad, and a #mentalhealth advocate. I was recently asked how I feel about these numbers. Do I think they're impressive? Successful? Disappointing? Honestly, I don't think they're any of those things. Quite simply, they're what I was hoping for, and they're the foundation for the many good works that I hope will come from 2023: these numbers are a good start.
Fighting forward.
Jason
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