Going Full Indie

Since 2010, I’ve had 130 short stories, 2 novellas, and 8 novels traditionally published. I submitted my work for consideration, waited weeks (or months) for a response, collected hundreds of rejections, and celebrated the acceptances. I was an active SFWA member for two years. I had an agent for a while. I felt like I was doing everything right. There were certain hoops to jump through in order to be considered a "real" author, so jump I did. And I learned a whole lot along the way.

But there came a point when I decided No more. I just wasn’t finding joy in the process. I felt like it was holding me back creatively. I tried being one of those hybrid authors for a while, publishing some things on my own while submitting other manuscripts via the traditional route. A route which, as far as my novels were concerned, left me disappointed at every turn. 

I needed to stretch my wings and go full indie, leaving the old ways of doing things behind. So that’s where I am now. No more submitting my work to publishers and waiting on them for a seal of approval. For better or worse, I’m taking care of it all myself. And I’m having more fun at this writing hobby than I’ve had in a long while. 

The rights to six of my novels are still with a trad publisher, but when those rights revert in five years, I’ll be re-releasing them with all-new cover art and maybe some bonus material. Until then, I’ll see how many novels I can write and release on my own. Already, I’ve managed to independently publish 15 books since I fired my agent and forged ahead on this road, no longer shackled by the ways of the past. 

Freedom is a beautiful thing. So is rediscovering the joy of storytelling that my 12-year-old self knew all about. Got a little lost in the weeds for a while, but not anymore. Goodbye, gatekeepers. Hello, new books, new readers, and new adventures in publishing.