The journey of The Journal
Publishing my debut
I wanted to share a little about the journey my debut novel, and I, went on to get to publication...
4 years before, after going through the trauma that is querying publishers and agents, I was left with a lot of rejections, some lovely specific feedback from a couple of agents telling me how much they liked my writing, but no actual offers. So, I decided to put some savings down and fund publication of a few copies myself in the hope that the novel might get noticed. I put in the hard graft - I went to the local markets, sent it off to reviewers, contacted bloggers and submitted to online competitions etc. and managed to get some good reviews, sell a modest nearly 1000 copies (ebook & paperback), win a couple of awards and really enjoy the experience. The indie author community is a brilliant one - really supportive and encouraging - and I have made some great, super-talented author friends along the way. I also started to regularly buy other indie authors' books and post about reading them, as well as writing reviews of them online, in order to try and contribute my own little piece to the community.
After a few years, I had about 3 other WIPs on the go and had finished another novel, almost reaching a point where I was ready to move on from The Journal (and bracing myself for a second stab at querying) when I was contacted by a commissioning editor. I couldn't believe it initially, but soon enough I had signed a contract with my publisher.
The rest, as they say, is history, but I wanted to give this story to help remind and encourage anyone who is writing right now that there is a lot to be gained from going for it as an indie author (and if you write in any way, then you are an author, don't let anyone tell you otherwise) and it can be a really rewarding experience. There are many different paths towards publication. And if you are looking for a more traditional publishing route, then keep plugging away, keep working, keep persevering, and keep holding out for that little bit of luck because you never know who might end up reading your work and loving it.
Quotes from The Journal
