Alexa Shay's Blog: Author Alexa Shay's Blog

Reflecting on The Shield's Launch and What's Next

The Shield officially launched on February 8th and I think it was a wild success! You can watch a short video of the in person event here. I had my launch party at The Dusty Shelf in Enumclaw, WA and it was everything I'd ever dreamed of. I'm so grateful for everyone that came to support me and for those who helped me make my dream a reality.

It's been almost two months and my head is still spinning from how many people showed up. I sold 58 books at the book launch alone and have sold 137 total as of writing this email. I can't even believe it. People are buying my book, reading it.... and they like it?!

Thank You for Reviewing!
I very much appreciate every single review that I've gotten so far. Reviews are critical for all authors, but especially indie ones. They drive sales and help us grow as writers (I currently read all of my reviews). These are the numbers so far and I'm honestly on the verge of tears seeing them.

Amazon: 4.7 Stars
StoryGraph: 4.25 Stars
Goodreads: 4.06 Stars
Barnes & Noble: 4 Stars
Fable: 4 Stars

So... What's Next?
Book two is what's next! I've already started working on it and am about five chapters in. I'm not ready to share specifics, but I'm really pleased with the progress. It'll be darker than book one as our heroes grapple with the fallout from everything they went through.

I'm pretty sure I've got the title figured out and I know what I want the cover to look like. I am beyond excited to share it with you all once I have more figured out.

I've also been studying some writing craft books so that I can improve and planning some more in person events. I post on social media and my website about any upcoming events, in person or virtual. So stay tuned!

Thank you! - Alexa Shay

Ten Days Until my Debut - Is This Real Life?

Is this just fantasy?

I can't believe in just ten days I'll finally be a published author. It's nuts to think about the dream I've fostered since I was a child finally coming true. I'm so proud of myself. I made this happen. I obviously had a ton of help and support from lots of people, but still. I did this. I started this. I didn't give up. I'm doing it.

I'm obsessively checking every single speck of my online presence to make sure it's perfect and constantly checking on the stuff for my author table just to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. I even designed a new freebie sticker that will be here on the 5th. Hopefully. I'm not allowing myself this many stickers again- I'm at SEVEN Shield stickers. I can't be stopped.

I'm also having trouble sleeping due to the excitement, but that's okay. This is the pinnacle of my achievements thus far. This is everything I've been working toward for years. I think a little bit of stress is to be expected.

I came up with the idea that would become The Shield in 2003. I finally started working on it in 2017. I'm publishing it in 2025. Let me be the inspiration that shows you it's okay to take your time. You can achieve your dreams on your own schedule and at your own pace.

Trust me, it's worth it.

The TikTok Ban

I'm sure many of you don't care about the TikTok ban, but I am absolutely gutted. TikTok was the ONLY platform I could get any real traction on for my book. It was where I'd built a community of fellow authors and readers, people who really supported me on my journey. I've made friends there. I've learned and grown there. I was so excited to celebrate my launch with everyone I met there and now it might just all be... gone.

I know people who are losing their livelihood because of this. I know tons of indie authors like me who will lose so many opportunities because of this. BookTok brought reading back into the mainstream whether you acknowledge it or not. So many people have shared how BookTok got them back into reading, how it's helped them.

And now it's just going to disappear for no good reason.

I'm Really Proud of Myself

At least once a day I think about how proud of myself I am publishing my first book myself.

Being self published is wild. I'm currently in the process of setting up my business checking account (I was approved last night!) for my personal publishing company- A. Walter Publishing Company. That sentence was a bit redundant, but I stand by it.

I can legit call myself a business owner. Soon I'll also be a published author on top of being a content creator, marketer, and publisher. I just keep tacking on titles and it's wild. Wild is the only word that keeps coming to mind.

In 22 days, my wildest (there's that word again) dreams will be coming true. I'll be a published author. I've been almost obsessively making sure I eat well, sleep enough, and am working on being more active to make sure I'm healthy (my area is having a nasty cold/flu season) for the in-person launch party.

No matter what happens, my book is coming out on February 8th and I am just so proud and excited and happy!

Being an Author is Hard, but Worth It

Publishing a book is NOT for the faint of heart! I'm not sure about trad authors (simply because I'm not one), but as an indie author, this is a LOT. I assume trad authors have their own struggles.

I'm 24 days away from my book's launch and it feels like every single thing that could go wrong, has. Thankfully, I was able to fix many issues on my own and for those that I couldn't, I have an awesome team of professionals who have helped me. I've learned an insane amount for the next book, at least.

When you're an indie author, you have to do everything yourself or hire others. Building a good team is one of the most important things you can do if you're publishing, indie or trad.

When I think about my book's launch on February 8th, I get so nervous and excited that I almost can't function. I've wanted this for decades, so it's hard not to put a lot of pressure on it. I just try to remind myself that I've done all I can and, if the big in person event is a disaster, it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to be a published author. That I achieved my dream.

If you've thought about writing and publishing a book, go for it. The sense of fulfillment and joy I've gotten from this experience is worth all the hassle and stress. It's everything I ever wanted and more. I can't wait until I walk into that bookstore on February 8th (where I'm having my launch party) and proudly introducing myself as a published author.

Oh, and this is my book:The Shield