I'm screaming, you guys! As I write this, I am shaking with excitement. I have a huge announcement to make!

I can't help but send fuzzy, electronic hugs, to all of you, wherever you are! Times are uncertain but I do hope you all are staying strong. I hope today is a good day for you, and I hope what I'm about to say is going to make it better.

Here it goes:

I'm getting published!

I know; I can't believe it either. It feels like the biggest plot twist of my life!

A big thank you to all of you for making this possible! It would not have been possible without all the love and support you all have given to this book.

Thank you for joining me on the rollercoaster/feels ride that is Yes, I Ran Away! I love writing so much, and I'm so grateful that I have friends like you with whom I can share it with. Nothing excites me more than to embark on this new journey with you all!

As a token of my gratitude—and because you guys are the best and, therefore, deserve the best—I will be giving away never-before-seen content!

You get a bonus chapter! And you get a bonus chapter! Everybody gets a bonus chapter! I have been working on creating bonus chapters for a while and nothing gives me more pleasure than be able to share them with you all!

The book is going to be published on July 25, 2020, EST. I'm still here on Wattpad, but for copyright reasons, my publisher asked me to take down more than half of the chapters before publishing.

I know, it is kind of a bummer but it is also crucial from the point of view of publishing professionally, which requires exclusivity.

They are also setting up a website for me (I'm really feeling legit writer vibes, you guys!). On this site, you can participate in a book cover contest for Yes, I Ran Away. You can create and submit the cover you've always wanted and imagined for the story. And who knows? Maybe you'll be the lucky one to have his/her name in print on the book itself and on its cover!

You? A book cover artist? Imagine that!

The following are the things you need to know before joining the contest:

• Send the covers to my agent on or before July 10, 2020.

• Know that if we choose your cover, you will get credit on the physical cover and inside the book. If you're an aspiring graphic artist, this can be a good addition to your portfolio and might bring you future work from us and other book publishers.

• If your cover wins, you will have to fill out a form that lets us have the cover.

• You cannot use any copyrighted images. You can use royalty-free images.

• If your cover wins, we will do everything we can to use it. However, you need to know that there can be odd reasons why we might not be able to. For example, we might not be able to use the Photoshop file because of an error or we might find a copyrighted image in the cover design.

The cover must meet the following requirements:

• High-res, in JPG and PSD (Photoshop) format, so that we can use it for the paperback version of the book

• 5.5 in x 8.5 in and 300 DPI (pixels per inch)

• Must have the book title "Yes, I Ran Away!" and the author's name "Ruchika Verma" (Yups, that's my name!)

Some tips:

• The cover has to look good in Amazon thumbnail size. Attract possible readers; make them want to click on it.

• The text needs to be readable.

• Use a maximum of two fonts.

By the way, this is not mandatory. It is only an attempt on my part so you guys get a chance to get involved in the book launch because I couldn't have gotten here without you. I can't thank you all enough! I am feeling a lot of things, gratitude, and love for you all being the most prominent.

Please stay tuned for more updates. I'll see you in the next post!

Thank you once again for all the support and would love to hear what you all think about this news!

Lot's of Love!