The Struggle of an Independent Author

Being a published author is one of the accomplishments I cherish the most. It was on my bucket list and was a promise that I made to my younger self. Of course, when you start off in any career field it's not going to be easy. This road, this beautiful rocky road, is a challenging one as an independent author.

I want to say, that this is based on my personal experience currently. Finding a publisher was one of the first things I needed in order to get my book out there. It's not like I have the tools to print off multiple books at a time, so when I got that email I was all for it. When I say it is PRICY....it is pricy. That's not something I expected. I knew it cost money to make money. I was well aware, but everything took me by surprise when I saw that quote.

Anyways, I did my part, with the help of friends and family, and I got my book published on all retail booksellers websites. I celebrated by calling everyone I knew to tell them about it and drank a glass of wine. Afterwards, I returned to work as usual.

My publicist called me to tell me that I had an interview waiting on me with a radio host. He talked about how he could get my name out there, further than Memphis, TN. It was such a huge offer! All with a price that I could not afford. It was a real moment of "thank you for NOTHING."

All in all, I was just grateful that my book was out there. I turned down the offer. I even was rewarded a literary award by my publishing company but was unable to have it stamped on my book at the time. Fast forward to the following year, after calling bookstores and libraries for an author signing event, I was told about an author festival at this huge library I went to as a kid. The event went beautifully. I got to meet so many people and other independent authors.

Then, life returned at its usual pace. I started to research for additional venues. I've been working on projects, making sure I could put my face out there again. Unfortunately, it can be tricky depending on your situation. Especially if you are not as known as other authors may be.

The good thing is, my book is out there. It's available online. It's printed and has my name on it. Before his passing, I wish I had gotten the opportunity to speak to him about how the publishing/ writing world works. I am, however, not alone.