Teacher becomes a published author and celebrates every step of success with his students
A teacher shared each step of his success toward becoming a published author with his beloved students.
Nothing can replace the pure joy of working hard and achieving one's dreams as a writer. Even though many writers struggle for years to get their works published, the joy of seeing your work being finally celebrated is unmatched. Similarly, Marc J Gregson, a teacher–who goes by @mjg_write on TikTok–wrote the New York Times Bestselling book, "Sky's End," had a challenging journey as a writer. He shared a video on TikTok, highlighting two of his best moments as an author. The video has garnered over 720K views and 1702 comments on the platform.
In the video, we can see Gregson standing on a stage, his face brimming with excitement. The text overlay reveals how he is about to reveal the cover of his book to his students. As it comes up, Gregson begins to shed tears of joy, having happily shared the moment with his beloved students. The video cuts to reveal the cover of his book. We can then see him unwrapping a physical copy of his book and holding it up proudly.
The author looks at his book with happiness and admiration. He provided a detailed explanation of all the challenges he overcame in the caption of the video. Gregson wrote, "It's been a twenty-year journey. Took me six books before I got an agent and a book deal. I was turned down hundreds of times. But I kept writing." Over time, he kept improving and began writing new books.
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His life took a turn once he began working on "Sky's End." The teacher fondly recalled how he had been teaching a class during the 7th period when he got an email from his agent that Peachtree Teen, a publishing company, made a formal offer for his book. Gregson did not waste any time and immediately informed his class as he broke down with tears of joy. As the year passed, the same students who had celebrated with him were going to graduate from high school.
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Gregson wanted them to see the cover of his book. However, his publisher told him the cover would only be revealed online on May 31. His school ended on May 26, so he asked if he could get the cover early to share with his students. He wrote, "My publisher agreed under one condition: I see the cover for the first time with my students." The teacher thought it was a "wild idea" but went ahead with it and was glad that he did because the moment turned out to be "pure magic."
People were deeply inspired by his journey and put down words of support in the comment section. @missamynae said, "What an unforgettable experience for you and your kids! Congratulations! Adding your book to my TBR. It looks awesome!" @br3ntg commented, "Added to my TBR! Way to go, man! Super pumped to read this and support a newly published writer!" @brpoudpagan expressed, "Congrats! Here's to realizing your dream. I very much look forward to finding this on the shelves and reading it."
@mjg_write I'm finally getting published! It's been a twenty year journey. Took me six books before I got an agent and a book deal. I was turned down hundreds of times. But I kept writing. Kept getting better. Kept putting books away and writing new ones. Everything changed when I wrote Sky's End. I was in the middle of teaching 7th period when my agent emailed me to tell me that Peachtree Teen had made a formal offer. They wanted Sky's End! I announced it to my class, and they burst with celebration. I broke down. A life changing moment. A year later, those students were preparing to go to high school. And I didn't want them to go without getting a chance to see my cover. My publisher told me the cover reveal would go online on May 31st. Problem is, school was getting out May 26th. So, I emailed and asked if there was any way I could share my cover early with my students, and if I could show it to them at the final assembly. My publisher agreed under one condition: I see the cover for the first time with my students. It was a wild idea. And I wasn't sure I could wait, but I had to. And I'm so glad I did because the ensuing moment shared with my students was pure ... magic. Sky's End is coming January 2nd, 2024 from @Peachtree Teen and it is the first book of a trilogy. It has Hunger Games and Attack on Titan vibes. Pre-orders are open. Consider adding it to your TBR. This video is based off the one my wife made. 😀 #feelgood #booktok #celebration #happy #author #books #newbooks ♬ الصوت الأصلي - THE_MILLIONAIRE_SUCCESSFUL
You can follow Marc J Gregson on TikTok and Instagram to follow his writing journey.
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