Ever since I was little I’ve dreamed of seeing my name on a book, proudly on display on someone’s bookshelf or in a store. I wanted this dream so much, and to work with books in general, that I even studied for and obtained a bachelors degree in Publishing. But studying and dreaming does not get a book published.
You need to sit down and write. And write well – that’s the hardest part. It’s much easier to read books about how to write than to actually write, I’ve found. But at some point you need to make the decision to commit to your writing. Sit yourself down in a chair, write that horrible first draft, then edit it until it shines, and then let it go.
And, like most people do, I wanted to be traditionally published. I wanted that validation from a professional in the industry who would say: wow, you did a good job here. Unfortunately, I just didn’t have the patience for that.
My short story, Spirit Caller, was rejected by two well-regarded online publishers. Now, admittedly, two rejections are nothing. I was ready for and completely expecting to get hundreds of rejections, but then it hit me: why go through that process when the whole publishing industry has changed in the last decade. Why not just jump the gun and self-publish?
And so I did. I had a professional graphic designer design a cover for me (which I love!) and I took the plunge.
So now I’m officially a self-published author.
It’s a little bittersweet, I’ll admit. I won’t get to see my story on a shelf, not in its current format at least. But at least it’s out there and I can say I did it. It’s only a short story and not a whole novel (and I’ll get into that in another post), but I wrote something and I put it out there for the world to see, for better or for worse. It’s incredibly exciting.
Teva knows something is wrong in her village. The cold winter months approach and yet no crops have sprouted, nor have the great elk returned to roam the plains. Nothing but dust flows between the banks of the once mighty river Einuhuatl, and all the animals guarding her village have fled. Have the spirits of the earth abandoned them?
Only the Spirit Caller will know.
To save her village, Teva journeys to the forest in search of the woman who can speak to the spirits. Together, they must confront the Eater of Souls, or face the death of everything Teva holds dear…
Available on Kindle Unlimited and for purchase at your Amazon retailer of choice.
