Taking a big step

An announcement regarding my publishing journey

The Swedish Death Cleaning Sale is still going well. We’ve passed the halfway mark of our $4000 goal. Here’s my pro tip: be patient with selling things. I’m normally in a rush to remove stuff once I’ve decided to part ways, which is why I drive so much stuff over to the thrift store. This time, I accepted that these things could stay where they are until sold. Some stuff sells really quickly, but other things need to find the specific audience (parkour shoes and a light reflector for video production come to mind). There’s no harm in waiting.

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I have a bit of an big announcement: I have parted ways with my agent and agency.

I agonized over this choice for months. I waffled back and forth. I tried to imagine what my author journey would look like if I left the agency. I eventually realized the major hurdle for me to clear was my own mindset. The fear of missing out was huge and all my concerns about going fully independent were relentlessly circling in my mind.

• Will a great publishing contract bypass me?

• Can we afford to take on all the costs of self-publishing?

• Can I really do this alone?

• Is this career suicide?

Maybe. Kind of. Yes. No.

Once I made my decision, the universe delivered so much affirmation. I watched from the sidelines as the publishing industry unravelled. There were stories of agents stealing ideas, publishers shuttering their doors, and the media talking about how hopeless it is to be a debut author. On a daily basis, stories were appearing on the internet about how horrible some authors had been treated or how so many had no marketing support (🙋‍♀️). There was an air of disgust and despair from authors all over North America.

I understood this feeling. Publishing is a frustrating endeavour, no matter if you are independent, with a small press, or a big house. Selling books is tough work—and not very lucrative—for every author. Pardon my language, but I worked my ass off and spent a lot of our own money promoting SHIFT; I did the same for my self-published memoirs. No one has made any money from my middle grade novel yet; it took me two and a half years to get to the plus side for my memoirs (Spent is still in the red). This is how it is in the book world.

I hope this is accurate. Photo by Nik on Unsplash

Am I still worried about my decision? Yes, but more about the financials. My first novel that I will self-publish will be the women’s fiction I’ve been working on for more than a year. I want to get it right, so in addition to a developmental editor and proofreader, I am adding in a copy editor. I’m in the process of searching for a cover designer. I have a budget, but I know myself well enough to know that I will find the funds to pay for a cover I love.

It’s been an educational journey and the biggest lesson I learned is that traditional publishing is not for me. I despise the waiting and the long timelines from submission to publication. I like to keep things moving forward at a decent (and affordable) pace.

I’m hoping to publish the next novel in October. Stay tuned here for details about the launch, the cover, and the title.

Thank you for your continued support. Hanging out with me here on a weekly basis keeps me going and your emails always lift my heart.

Much love,

Dana

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What I’m reading

I’m about to get on a plane this morning, heading to Las Vegas. Daily highs are topping 45°C (113°F) and lows are around 32°C (90°F), so I am not planning on doing a lot of walking outdoors. I will be hanging around the pool reading Kirsten Miller’s new book. Kirsten has an impressive backlist, and she was a season 2 guest on my podcast, What Were You Thinking.