S.Z. Estavillo's Blog

Balancing Family & Creativity: Night Writing Benefits

✨ Being a #WriterMom means balance looks different every season. My daughter’s independent & extroverted, my son’s shy & needs constant company—so I’ve learned to write at night, when the house is finally quiet. 🌙✍️ … Continue reading →

The Unexpected Benefits of Writing at Night

Balancing Family, Work, and Creative Life

When my family moved to a new city this summer, we learned the after-school program for my kids had already closed applications back in April. By July, we were too late. That left us juggling new routines, with my son in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for just three hours each morning—then home for the rest of the day.

He’s bright, sweet, and endlessly curious, but he also requires constant companionship. He doesn’t like playing alone and always needs someone right beside him. My daughter, on the other hand, is the opposite—independent, creative, and comfortable filling her own time with books, crafts, or quiet play. With such different needs, my daily bandwidth is pulled in multiple directions.

Between family demands and my professional workload, I’ve had to rethink my writing schedule entirely. The solution? Night writing.

Why Writing at Night Works

1.Fewer Distractions
At night, the house is quiet. No school drop-offs, no meals to prep, no urgent requests to sit and color. My mind can settle into story-building without being interrupted every 10 minutes.

2.Mental Reset
After a full day of work and parenting, writing becomes my reset button. It’s the one time of day I can pour everything out—stress, ideas, emotion—onto the page.

3.Creative Flow
There’s something about nighttime stillness that fosters creativity. My brain shifts from logistics and problem-solving into deeper imagination. It’s when my characters feel most alive.

The Challenges of Night Writing

Of course, it isn’t without drawbacks. Writing at night means pushing through exhaustion, sometimes fighting the urge to just collapse on the couch. It requires discipline, especially after a day of caregiving and managing work. But once the words start flowing, I rarely regret choosing the keyboard over sleep.

Finding Joy in Flexibility

I’ve come to accept that balance doesn’t look the same every season of life. Right now, flexibility is my survival tool—being a writer mom means bending with the needs of my family while still carving out time for my own creative pursuits.

And while it’s tough, night writing has turned into a hidden strength. It’s proof that even in the busiest seasons, creativity can adapt. Stories can still take root and grow.

Burnout Starts Quiet: Learning to Step Away From the Screen

I’m on my computer nonstop—writing, editing, building content for clients. Once I sit down and start working, time disappears.

Next thing I know, the sun has moved across the sky, I haven’t eaten, and I haven’t left the house. No sun. No air. Just screen.

It doesn’t hit like a crash. It creeps up. Quiet. Subtle. That’s the danger.

How to Tell You’ve Been Stuck Too Long

•You can’t remember the last time you stood up.
•Your eyes are dry or burning.
•Your shoulders feel like stone.
•You’re tired, but wired.
•You realize you haven’t even looked outside.

3 Simple Questions I Now Ask Myself

1.) Have I stepped outside today?
2.) Have I moved my body—at all?
3.) Do I feel energized, or just… drained?

Sometimes just asking is enough to snap me out of autopilot.

Tiny Shifts That Make a Big Difference

•Set a timer for every 90 minutes. Get up, move, stretch.
•Drink water away from your desk.
•Step outside for 5 minutes—yes, even if you’re busy.
•Put your phone down during meals.
•End your day with a real sunset, not a screen fade.

The Work Will Wait. Your Body Won’t.

I love what I do. But I’m learning that rest isn’t optional—it’s part of the process.

So this is your reminder (and mine): move. Breathe. Touch grass. Let the sun hit your face.

Because the work will still be there. But you—you need light, movement, and space to keep going.

Why I Buy the Book and the Audiobook: How I Read with ADHD

I have ADHD, and reading isn’t easy.I buy both the audiobook and the digital (or physical) copy. It might sound extra, but it helps me focus, finish books, and actually enjoy the process. Here’s how I make reading work for my ADHD brain—no shame, no shortcuts.

The Quiet Hustle: What It Really Feels Like to Market Your Own Book

Being an author means walking a fine line between sharing your work and not sounding like you're begging. This article is about the quiet hustle behind every “please check out my book” post—and why your support matters more than you know.

The Quiet Hustle: What It Really Feels Like to Market Your Own Book

The hardest part about being an author? Walking the tightrope between “please buy my book” and “I swear I’m not begging.” It’s a delicate dance—trying to share something you're proud of without sounding desperate, hoping it lands with the right people without shouting into the void.

You spend years writing, rewriting, second-guessing, editing, and dreaming—and when it’s finally out in the world, you’re hit with the next challenge: how to talk about your book without sounding like you’re pleading.

How to promote without pushing. How to show up in your readers’ feeds without oversaturating them.
It’s vulnerable work. Not the glossy, cinematic kind—but the quiet hustle of showing up anyway.

Self-promo isn’t easy. We do it anyway.

You want the story to find people organically. You hope someone stumbles across it, feels seen by a line, and carries it with them long after the last page.

But at the same time, you want to shout into the void: I worked years on this—please don’t let it sink silently.

That’s the tension. That’s the line so many authors—especially indie and small press authors—walk every day.

We’re trying to share without oversharing. Market without pleading. Be visible without being… too much.

Sometimes it’s easy to scroll past. But maybe…pause.

Yes, self-promotion can feel exhausting—on both sides of the screen. It can be a turnoff to see post after post about someone’s book. But if you see an author, especially one from a small press or publishing independently, take a second.

Maybe pause.

We’re not backed by a big marketing machine. We’re not hitting bestseller lists on pre-orders alone. Most of us are doing this out of our own pocket, our own time, our own stubborn belief that the story matters.

You just never know what you might discover.

I think about Kill Creek by Scott Thomas. A horror novel I fell in love with—beautiful prose, masterfully written. It came through Inkshares, not a big publisher. Most of the big houses passed on it. And yet? It’s one of my favorite horror novels to this day.

Books like that are out there. Stories waiting to be found.

It’s a dance. A hustle. A quiet hope.

Every post we make is a tiny act of faith. Not in algorithms—but in readers. In you.

Because more than anything, we just want to be read.
If you’d like to support me as an author…

If you’re interested in thrillers—or just want to support a small press author doing the work—I’d be so grateful if you checked out my books.

Your support means more than you know. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here.

Recovering, Reading, and Revising

You often feel invincible—until sickness strikes. Perspective shifts, realizing that without your health, everything else fades.#WritingCommunity

Recovering, Reading & Revising

A few weeks ago, I was hospitalized for appendicitis and sepsis. The infection was so severe that they put me on a long course of antibiotics, and I’m hopefully having surgery soon to remove my appendix. But even now, I still don’t feel great. My side hurts, and some nights, it’s impossible to get comfortable.

Slowing Down, but Not Stopping

When you’re weak, tired, and not feeling like yourself, you have to listen to your body and do what you can with the energy you have. For me, that means reading. And thankfully, that’s something I can still do. I’ve been rereading my published books—not just because I love them, but because we’ve updated the covers and are tweaking the copy. If you’re with a small press like I am, you often have more flexibility to make small fixes post-publication. If you’re with a big traditional publisher, that’s a lot harder—but if you ever get the chance to refine your work, take it.

Books That Stick With You

Reading has also been my escape. The last book I finished was Kill Creek by Scott Thomas, and I have to say—it completely blew me away. I have both the physical and audiobook versions, and I was hooked from start to finish. The writing is stunning, so atmospheric, and beautifully crafted.

What really surprised me, though, was learning that Kill Creek wasn’t published by one of the Big Five. It was actually published by Inkshares. The author, Scott Thomas, shared that he tried to get it published everywhere and faced countless rejections. That was shocking to me because this book is so well written—it’s easily one of my favorite horror novels now. It just goes to show that even incredible books, the kind that stick with you long after you’ve finished, can struggle to find a home in publishing.

The Writing Hustle Never Stops

Meanwhile, the work doesn’t slow down. I’ve been fixing errors in The Serpent’s Bridge, revising The Serpent Woman, and we’re deep in editing Book Three. Writing a series is a constant cycle—you’re always drafting, revising, and promoting. But when you’re not at 100%, you have to pace yourself. The work will always be there, but taking care of yourself comes first.

If you’re going through something similar, be kind to yourself. Do what you can, when you can. And if that means getting lost in a good book, I highly recommend it.

Publishing Gatekeepers Are Not Fortune Tellers—They Get It Wrong All the Time

Not every debut is a bestseller. Many authors write dozens of books before one finally breaks through. Publishing is a long game, not an overnight success. Keep writing, keep pushing—your time will come.

Publishing Gatekeepers Are Not Fortune Tellers—They Get It Wrong All the Time

The Illusion of Predicting a Bestseller

I don’t care what anyone says—no publisher, big or small, can guarantee who will be a bestseller. They get it wrong all the time. Sometimes it’s instinct, sometimes it’s a lucky guess, and sometimes they just think they know—but the truth? Readers decide.

The publishing industry likes to act as if it has a crystal ball, as if acquisitions editors and agents possess some supernatural ability to determine what will sell and what won’t. But they don’t.

Sure, some editors and agents are experienced enough to recognize trends and patterns. Some can make educated guesses based on what’s currently selling. But educated guesses are not guarantees. And let’s be real—publishing history is full of massive miscalculations.

How Many Times Have Publishers Rejected Books That Became Bestsellers?

Let’s look at just a few examples of publishing’s biggest blunders:

• Zane Grey – Widely recognized for his influential Western novels, encountered early setbacks in the publishing industry. After facing multiple rejections, he took matters into his own hands and self-published his debut novel, Betty Zane, in 1903.
• Stephen King’s Carrie – Rejected 30 times before being picked up. The editor who finally took a chance on it turned out to be sitting on a gold mine.
• Louis L’Amour – Received 200 rejections before Bantam took a chance on him. He is now their best-selling author with 330 million sales.
• Jack London – Accumulated 600 rejections before publishing his first story.
James Joyce’s Dubliners – Rejected by 22 publishing houses before it was published.
• Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 – Faced 22 rejections before becoming a classic.
• Frank Herbert’s Dune – Rejected 23 times before becoming one of the best-selling science fiction novels.
• James Patterson’s The Thomas Berryman Number – Rejected 31 times before publication.
• Alex Haley’s Roots – Received 200 consecutive rejections before becoming a publishing sensation, selling 1.5 million copies in its first seven months.
• Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time – Rejected 26 times before becoming a beloved classic.
• Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind – Rejected 38 times before winning the Pulitzer Prize.
• Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl – Rejected 15 times before becoming one of the most-read books worldwide.
• Dick Wimmer’s Irish Wine – Rejected 162 times over 25 years before publication.
• Kate DiCamillo – Received 473 rejection letters before her debut novel.

These are just a handful of examples. The point? Publishers and agents get it wrong constantly.

Great Books Get Passed Up While Mediocre Ones Get Greenlit

For every phenomenal book that gets rejected, there are mediocre ones that make it through. Ever read a traditionally published book and thought, How did this get past an editor?

Poorly written books still get deals—books with:

• Plot holes big enough to drive a truck through.
• Flat, one-dimensional characters.
• Poor pacing—too slow, too fast, or all over the place.
• A plot twist that makes no sense and leaves readers frustrated.
• Bloated word count, stretching a story that could be told in half the length.

Why? Because publishing is not always about quality. Sometimes, it’s about timing. Sometimes, it’s about connections. Sometimes, it’s about what they think might sell—even when they’re wrong.

Most Editors Don’t Even Read Your Whole Manuscript

Here’s a dirty little secret: many acquisitions editors don’t actually read your entire book before rejecting it.

In fact, a lot of times, they don’t read it at all.

At many publishing houses and literary agencies, the first line of defense isn’t the editor—it’s an intern or an assistant. That’s right. Your book might not even make it to the person who makes the decisions.

I know because I worked in the industry. I’ve been in literary agencies, talent agencies, television studios—you name it. And I can tell you that a shocking number of rejection letters are sent based on the first few chapters alone.

Sometimes, the manuscript never even gets opened.

Instead, a 20-something intern fresh out of college—with little to no experience—skims a few pages and makes the call. That’s who decides whether your years of hard work are worth passing up the chain.

Never Let Publishing Gatekeepers Destroy Your Confidence

Look, rejection sucks. There’s no sugarcoating that. But what’s worse is letting an industry that thrives on rejection make you feel like you’re not good enough.

Acquisitions editors and agents are not gods. They don’t determine your worth. They don’t get to define your success.

Some of them will try to act like they have all the answers. Some of them will throw you a fake “we wish you luck” while reveling in their supposed authority. Some will even get a kick out of tearing you down.

But guess what? They’re just people. And people—especially in publishing—are wrong all the time.

The Only Way to Fail Is to Quit

At the end of the day, the only real failure in publishing is giving up on yourself.

❌ Stephen King? Rejected.
❌ Andy Weir? Rejected.
❌ Agatha Christie? Rejected.
❌ Louis L’Amour? Rejected.
❌ Jack London? Rejected.
❌ James Joyce? Rejected.
❌ Joseph Heller? Rejected.
❌ Frank Herbert? Rejected.
❌ James Patterson? Rejected.
❌ Alex Haley? Rejected.
❌ Madeleine L’Engle? Rejected.
❌ Margaret Mitchell? Rejected.
❌ Anne Frank? Rejected.
❌ Dick Wimmer? Rejected.
❌ Kate DiCamillo? Rejected.
❌ Zane Grey? Rejected—had to self-publish his first novel before breaking through.
❌ Dean Koontz? Rejected—wrote over a dozen books before hitting bestseller status.

Rejection doesn’t mean your book isn’t good. It just means the wrong person read it—or worse, didn’t read it at all.

The publishing industry wants writers to believe that they hold all the power, that a rejection from them is the final word. But that’s a lie.

• Catherine Ryan Hyde – Endured 122 rejections before her first short story was published; her novel Pay It Forward became a bestseller and was adapted into a film.
• Shannon Hale – Received nine rejections before her novel The Goose Girl was published, leading to a successful writing career.
• Emily Henry – Authored several young adult novels before her adult romance Beach Read became a bestseller.
• Barbara Taylor Bradford – Worked as a journalist and wrote multiple books before her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, became a bestseller at age 46.
• Colleen Hoover – Self-published her early works before gaining widespread recognition and bestseller status.
• Freida McFadden – Balanced a medical career while writing multiple novels before achieving bestseller status.
• Dean Koontz – Wrote over a dozen science fiction novels before achieving bestseller status with Whispers.

Many Authors Write Dozens of Books Before Their First Bestseller

• There’s a myth in publishing that a debut novel must be a blockbuster for an author to be successful. While some writers do strike gold with their first book, that is the exception, not the rule. Many of the most celebrated authors wrote dozens—even hundreds—of books before one finally became a bestseller.
• Dean Koontz began his writing career in the late 1960s, authoring over a dozen science fiction novels. It wasn’t until 1980, with the publication of Whispers, that he achieved significant commercial success. Prior to this breakthrough, Koontz had written extensively under various pseudonyms, exploring different genres and honing his craft. ​
• L. Ron Hubbard wrote countless pulp fiction stories and novels before Dianetics in 1950 became a massive commercial success. Georges Simenon wrote over 200 books under pseudonyms before gaining widespread recognition with his Maigret detective series. Corín Tellado, one of the most prolific authors in history, published thousands of romance novels over decades, only some of which became bestsellers.
• For every author like Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird) or Donna Tartt (The Secret History), whose debuts became instant bestsellers, there are far more who spent years—if not decades—writing book after book before they finally got their big break. Success in publishing is often a long game.

I know this firsthand. I entered my standalone novel in a contest with a Big 5 publisher, and they asked for the full manuscript. It was a moment of excitement—a chance for my book to be traditionally published. But after reviewing the full manuscript, they came back with a rejection, saying that while they enjoyed the premise and concept, they didn’t think my writing could stand nose-to-nose with their bestsellers.

And yet—many traditionally published authors never make the bestseller list until they’ve written a few books. Some never make it at all, and they still have long, thriving careers. A publisher’s opinion doesn’t determine your worth as a writer, and it certainly doesn’t predict your success.

The point? If your first book doesn’t become a bestseller, that doesn’t mean your career is over. Keep writing. Keep publishing. Many authors don’t hit their stride until their fifth, tenth, or even fiftieth book. The only way to fail is to quit.

Your Book Deserves a Shot—And You Do Too

So the next time an agent, editor, or intern rejects you—remember this:

✅ They are not the final say.
✅ They do not determine your worth.
✅ They do not get to decide whether your story matters.

The only way you lose in this industry is if you let them convince you to quit.

Embrace Where You Are Accepted

The world is full of readers waiting for books they haven’t found yet. Maybe yours is the one they’re looking for.

Not every path to success looks the same, and not every writer will land a massive deal with a Big 5 publisher. That doesn’t mean your work isn’t valuable or that your career won’t thrive. Sometimes, it’s about finding where you fit rather than forcing yourself into a mold that wasn’t made for you.

I didn’t land a huge deal with a traditional publisher—but I did secure a six-book contract with a small press. That’s a major achievement. It means my work resonated with the right people, the ones who believed in my vision and wanted to invest in my books. That’s what matters.

The truth is, there are many ways to get published. If one door closes, another is waiting to be opened.

Explore Different Publishing Paths

There is no one right way to become an author. Take the time to research different publishing paths and choose the one that aligns with your goals, resources, and creative control.

Traditional Publishing (Big 5 or Mid-Sized Presses)

• You work with a literary agent who pitches your book to publishers.
• If accepted, the publisher covers editing, design, and marketing.
• The process can take years, and competition is fierce.

Small Press Publishing

• Many small presses accept submissions without an agent.
• They offer traditional publishing benefits like editing and distribution but often have more flexibility and author input.
• Ideal for niche genres, debut authors, and those who want a more personal publishing experience.

📚 Independent & Hybrid Publishing

• Some publishers allow authors to invest in their books while still offering professional support.
• These options provide more creative control, though the financial risk is higher.
• A great fit for authors who want more involvement in marketing and production.

Self-Publishing

• The author controls everything: cover design, editing, marketing, and pricing.
• Platforms like Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital make publishing accessible.
• This route requires significant effort, but it also offers higher royalties and full creative control.

Find the Path That Works for You

The publishing industry isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some authors thrive in the traditional world, while others flourish in self-publishing. Some find success through small presses, and others take a hybrid approach.

No matter which path you choose, your books deserve to be out in the world. The key is to embrace the opportunities that accept you and your work rather than fixating on the doors that don’t open.

Success isn’t defined by how you publish—it’s defined by persistence, passion, and finding your readers.

Keep writing. Keep pushing. Prove them wrong.