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The Hardest Part of Being an Independent Author


A stressed author hunched over a laptop
The trials of being an independent author

I once believed that writing was the hardest part of being an author. I’d work long into the night, striving to hit that 2,000 words target, unsure if anyone outside of my immediate family would even read what I wrote. Or worse, I’d stare at the cursor blinking in the top left corner of a blank page, waiting for inspiration to hit.


I self-published my first novel in December 2023. It’s called False Ransom, and you can find it here if you’re interested.


 No pressure, though. I’m not trying to sell it to you.


 One thing I’ve learned since False Ransom’s launch is that writing is a doddle compared to persuading people to buy your work. Many writers are introverts who go to great lengths to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Self-promotion is something from which they naturally shy away. For them, the prospect of putting themselves out there, inviting strangers to evaluate something so precious to them, can be terrifying.


 Competition to get noticed is fierce, and customer interest wanes the moment you take your foot off the pedal. Before you even get to that stage, however, you must become proficient in using the tools of the independent author. You need to learn how to build a website; set up automated emails; find a way to deliver your advance copies and reader magnet; set up social media accounts and learn how to advertise on them. All of this takes time which, if you’re like me, you’d rather spend writing. We have worlds to create and words that demand to be written!


 Like it or not, though, it’s what all successful independent authors have done. I don’t mean to discourage aspiring authors when I say that. If you’re committed to becoming a published author, you’ll accept the challenge, regardless of what I write. If you’re not… well, you’ll have stopped reading by now, anyway. You will, for a while, forget the stress and hassle you endured when you hold a copy of your novel in your hands. It will all seem worthwhile. And you can’t unlearn what you’ve learned, so, from that point onwards, it can only get easier. Right?


 One purpose of this blog is to allow writers a few steps further back on their journey to learn from my mistakes. There's a lot of guidance and advice on the internet, but publishing your debut novel still feels like you’re stumbling around in the dark with a dying torch. Hopefully, these posts will allow you to sidestep the unanticipated obstacles that await.

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