My road to becoming a self-published author

I thought there was no greater feeling than having a publisher interested in my stories, than getting that response of acceptance and knowing that finally, finally someone was taking notice of all my hard work and the struggle was about to pay off. But I’ve since learned that the true bliss of publishing comes later.

Actually, for me, I get bliss at several stages. The writing itself, especially after finishing a certain scene or moment. When I complete the full manuscript for the first time. When I finish final editing. When I see the cover art. When I hold the proof copy in my hands. When I receive my first positive review. When I meet a fan.

Having a publisher give you that initial acceptance letter is great, but so many other things trump that and often have nothing to do with having a publisher.

I’ve worked with BigWorldNetwork since 2011, and they published all 4 of my books, which include The Incubus Saga trilogy that I am most known for. It’s bitter sweet that BWN is now closing its doors, but even though BWN may be ending, that doesn’t mean my work as a published author has to suffer.

I could attempt to pitch my work to other publishers, but after the hands-on personal touch of BWN, I think any other even well-respected indie publisher would just disappoint me. But thankfully, one of the things BWN has left me with is the knowledge to do it myself (and the friends to help me where I’m not as talented).

So, next month, September 2016 (final date TBD), I will be publishing my first novel as just me. I have the luxury of a great typesetter and cover designer in Mario Hernandez (and a really fantastic artist for this new book), and I know the process for everything else based on my dealings with BWN. Very little for my part is going to change, except for having full control and getting all of the revenue when I make a sale. It leaves me extremely excited to embark on this new (but not so different) journey, and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

So stay tuned for more on the new book, Life as a Teenage Vampire, upcoming events I’ll be attending this year, and my next blog post which will share step by step how I went from text in a Word doc to self-published book.