Not Just Stars: How a Tiny Click Changes Everything

A special kind of magic lives in the smallest moments—those quick, quiet affirmations that slip in while brushing your teeth or brewing coffee. For authors, one of those moments is the soft chime of a new book rating.

This morning, I checked my notifications and saw it: a single five-star rating for The Novice of Thanatos.

Admittedly, the book has had a slow start. I’ve learned a valuable lesson: don’t release books in early spring after an unpopular election.

Sadly, it wasn’t the huge launch of a new series I dreamed of, but it’s slowly gaining traction. I don’t get a lot of reviews. I’m an introvert with a very small family and an even smaller social circle, and even within those tight rings, I’m not the type who can beg for a rating or review. I also don’t think I would enjoy the bitter taste of paying for them either. So, each one I get is hard-earned.

And there it was. No fanfare. No words. Just a simple, glowing string of stars, and suddenly I was grinning like a fool, toothpaste foam dripping down my chin.

You’d think, after pouring hundreds of hours into writing, editing, revising, and doubting, it would take more than that to make my day. But that little burst of affirmation hits like sunlight after a week of rain. It reminds me that someone picked up my book somewhere out there, turned the pages, and felt something good enough to pause their life for a second, and click that fifth star.

It means someone saw my efforts—maybe even saw themselves in my world. It means the story landed. And that—more than sales, more than anything—is what keeps me going.

Writing can be an isolating process. You live inside the minds of imaginary people, in fictional places that sometimes feel more real than your own life. You question every scene, every line. You wonder if you’ve said too much—or not enough. And when the book finally slips out into the world, it feels a little like releasing a balloon into the sky… unsure if it’ll be seen, or just vanish into the ether (or, god forbid, choke a bird).

So when even one reader takes the time to say, “Yes, this mattered to me”—it’s everything.

If you’re a reader who leaves ratings, especially the good ones: thank you (if you leave a review, double thank you)!

You don’t just support authors—you breathe life into the quiet spaces where we often sit, wondering if what we made will ever mean anything to anyone.

And if you’re an author reading this?

I hope your stars come soon. I hope your words find their people. And I hope you let yourself smile like a kid who just got picked first for the team.

Because that feeling—
That tiny, golden ping?

It is pure joy.

And, in a world like this, we must take our tiny victories where we can find them.

Cheers!