Self-Publish Frenzy

Hi folks. It’s July and I’ve already had to double check to make sure I haven’t dropped the ball of writing a post at least once a month! However, this time it isn’t entirely because I’ve been stressed out running around. Actually, I’ve been running around and enjoying the beauty that summer offers. The days are long, the trails are endless, and the sunsets are beautiful. The majority of my free time has been dedicated to being outside in some way lately, and despite the mosquitoes leeching my sweet diabetic blood, I couldn’t ask for more. Especially when I’m indoors all day at work. While making more time to be exploring the outdoors, most free time I have is focused around writing. That being said, there has been a lot going on with writing lately.

Aside from the fact that I’m almost always working on one plot or another throughout the day, I have been hard at work in recent weeks. Having recently decided to pursue self-publishing, which I haven’t the slightest clue about, I have been doing a lot of research. Companies to publish through, what each offers, typesetting, editing, cover art, formatting. The world of self-publishing is intricate and full of details. It is overwhelming at times, which makes the perfect opportunity to take a break and hike. Yet in all of what feels like last minute desperate efforts to just finally be published, I’ve learned more than I anticipated. Of course, the biggest lesson was just how expensive it can be to self-publish, but I feel as if I have become more confident in my decision to publish through myself. I get to decide what gets cut from my final product, or if nothing at all gets removed. I decide on the cover art (I could even make my own cover if I’m feeling whimsical enough!). I say what the inside of the book will look like, and whether I want to purely release eBooks, physical copies, both, etc. The fact I play a direct hand in the final product makes me so much happier and comfortable with releasing it. Of course, that also means I have to be responsible for getting it ready for release. As I said, publishing is expensive, and I have limited funds. I can hire an editor for one service, but then I don’t have to money to hire a professional for another. It has become a mean game of give and take. But that’s okay. Whenever I get too overwhelmed, I switch gears and start working on another project for a few days, or paint something. Or try a new hobby (recently I decided to take up whittling). In all, I’ve been hard at work with little free time. To those who come to my little corner of the internet, I offer thanks for your patience.

I’m currently wrapping up my final edits and reviews of Fate of Shadow’s manuscript, so after that it’s on to finding a self-publishing company to work through. The thought is unreal. And scary. But that’s fine, I’ll just figure out how to whittle before I figure out how to deal with reality. More updates to come!