Dreams of Song Times - An explosive fantasy of love, loss, and redemption. A mermaid full of secrets, on the run, and ready to risk everything for a future she never saw coming. Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Kobo

​Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
I chose to self-publish Dreams of Song Times because the novel defies easy classification by genre, which makes it more difficult to place with an agent or an independent publisher. It’s a coming-of-age story with elements of magical realism mixed in with politics, social justice, and violence. Hmmm, what shelf does that book belong on?

By self-publishing, I could define the story and its place in the literary marketplace on my own terms. I did have concerns and doubts about doing this. Chief among them: Would I market the book adequately to generate sales? Would the book garner positive reviews, especially since I didn’t vet it through traditional channels?

What did you like best?
Once I’d published the book, I came to appreciate having full control over the marketing strategies I pursued and being able to offer discounts for promo purposes. What I appreciated most, however, were all the positive reviews the book received that directedly reflected all my hard work. There was no intermediary editor or beta reader. I really just put it out there (after many rewrites and much consideration). So the positive feedback was validating.

What was the hardest part? 
I believe self-publishing has some real drawbacks—or at least, let’s call them trade-offs. There’s no validating organization behind you to promote the book or tell the world that someone besides you believes in it. Many respectable reviewing outlets still will not review self-published books. Bookstores are not keen to promote in-store sales or readings of self-published books. And marketing has been, as I suspected, challenging, even though I’m active on all major social media platforms.

There is still a whiff of stigma, or suspicion, around self-published fiction—that it’s not as good as other books, or that self-publishing is a vanity endeavor.

Would you do it again?
​I don’t plan to self-publish again—or at least, not in the foreseeable future. My goal is to secure an agent or another traditional publishing contract for future work.
 
What advice do you have for authors just starting?
First-time authors who plan to self-publish should begin with an open-minded exploration of the full publishing landscape. It’s easy to fall back on the assumption that having complete control over your book is the best option—but that is not always the case. A traditional publisher, even a small one with a good reputation, can help a writer with professional formatting and cover design, obtaining an ISBN, doing some publicity, brand-building, and supporting future work.
 
New authors should embark on self-publishing with their eyes wide open. It’s important to get educated on all the time and money that goes into self-publishing in a reasonably professional way, ranging from cover design to scheduling cover reveals and giveaways, developing marketing campaigns, and finding readers and reviewers.
 

​Amy L. Bernstein writes stories that let readers feel while making them think. Her novels include The Potrero Complex, finalist for the 2020 Petrichor Prize; the award-winning The Nighthawkers; Dreams of Song Times; and Fran, The Second Time Around. Amy’s poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies and she is a regular contributor on Medium. She is an award-winning journalist, speechwriter, playwright, and certified nonfiction book coach. Amy also teaches workshops on various aspects of the craft of writing. She is a frequent guest on podcasts to discuss writing, publishing, and creativity. She lives and writes in Baltimore, Maryland, which often inspires her poetry and fiction. In addition to Baltimore you can find Amy at https://amywrites.live

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All I'm Asking - Dedicated teacher Naomi loses sight of her family & risks her job due to hyper-involvement w/her students. When she joins a candy-loving, online book club, they’ll help show Naomi how to save her job & transform her soured family relationships back into sweet ones.
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​Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
I queried four different manuscripts over the course of about ten years. One of them (the second manuscript) did lead to an agent, but we were unable to sell the book and her interest in my next book was not enough to stay with her. After the fourth manuscript--one I loved and thought definitely had market appeal—didn’t lead to where I originally hoped, I paused to evaluate my goals.

My goal had never been to become a bestselling author. My primary goal was that I simply wanted people to read my words. When I landed on that, I realized that self-publishing was worth the effort and I left all doubts behind at that point. Once I was in, I was all in.

What did you like best?
Self-publishing is not easy and involves a lot of different decisions. One of the aspects I love best is the total control over the process. Cover-content-where to sell-price-release date…I get to choose all of it!

I truly enjoyed the learning process, too. It can be intimidating, but wow, I’ve learned so much about publishing and it’s truly valuable knowledge.

What was the hardest part?
My debut is an epistolary—it’s written entirely in emails, text messages, forum posts, etc. The hardest part was formatting the book to accommodate the myriad structures of modern-day communications. Formatting the interior pages of a book is something one can hire out, but it can also be another expense and expenses can add up quickly when you’re doing it all yourself. Once again, though, it was worth the effort to learn a lot of the ins and outs of this part of publishing.

Would you do it again?
I absolutely will.

What advice do you have for authors just starting?
Honestly, the first and most important bit of advice I’d offer is ensuring you know why you want to self-publish. I think many authors consider it a “fallback” option to not getting an agent and I think that’s totally okay, but then look at your goals so that you can make a plan to achieve those goals. Otherwise, the result might be a lot of money spent and a lot of disappointment.
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Next, do the research. A great source that I often recommend and also gave me a nice Big Picture look at how to move forward is Jane Friedman’s “Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book”​

Bella Toscana -Though she dreams of more, the ever-practical fifty-year-old Toscana Blake has settled for a "nice" husband and a "comfortable" marriage. There's no magic. But when she travels to Italy for Rome’s chocolate festival, she’s startled by visions at the Temple of Vesta and an unexpected meeting with Flynn Harris, a young history professor, who feels strangely familiar.
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Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
Shortly after I completed my first novel, I attended a writer’s conference and submitted my first chapter to a Los Angeles agent. The meeting went well. She told me she liked my writing and was interested in seeing the full manuscript, and she asked me to email it to her. I was so excited about this favorable turn and did so promptly, patiently waiting for a reply. After 3 months, I emailed again. Nothing. After 6 months, I emailed again. Nothing.
 
Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. Several months went by and a friend, who loved my book, suggested I try again. I diligently queried agents, editors, and publishers over a period of about a year. About 125 of them. A handful of agents asked to see the full manuscript, but none of them responded more favorably. The reply was always, “Thank you, but it’s not for us.” After that, I put the manuscript away (on a closet shelf, I think) and decided that was that.
 
Some months later, I was involved in a collaborative nonfiction book with over 20 other authors. Not only did I submit a chapter, I was also hired to edit the entire book. I’d been a freelance editor for years with my own company, Words of Passion, but I had only edited one author at a time, never such a great mix of writing styles. Working with so many authors was eye-opening and a wonderful learning experience. The woman who managed the project was also a graphic designer and created the book cover. When the book was ready to go, she published the book on Amazon.
 
With my editing experience and my partner’s graphic design skill, I decided I could do the same thing she did. The following year I launched a collaborative nonfiction book project that involved 14 authors (including myself) and published the book on Amazon. After the successful publication of that book, I realized I could self-publish my own novel and took that step. I’ve never looked back.
 
What did you like best?
I love working with other authors, newbies to professionals. It's always thrilling to guide an author on the publishing journey, to see a book go from draft to polished manuscript, to see a cover design unfold, to receive a proof copy from a printer and hold the finished product in my hand, to hear the excitement from the author when they do the same, and, ultimately, to see that final product on a retail site (like Amazon or Barnes and Noble).

What was the hardest part?
There haven’t been any doubts about the professional quality of the books that I publish. But I do lack experience in marketing and self-promotion. When I hear about other writers securing agents or publishers for their book, I often think that they’re better off because they’ll have more marketing. A champion. Someone who believes in them. Self-promotion is hard. I’m happy to promote someone else, especially a book I love. But doing it for myself is like pulling teeth. I have lots of doubts and hesitation.
 
Would you do it again?
I’ve been self-publishing since my first novel came out in 2015 and I just published my fourth novel last year in December 2022. The routine is fairly easy now since I’ve done it for myself and others so many times, but there is still a certain amount of hair-pulling and frenetic energy on launch day. Yet I like the speed at which you can self-publish vs. the almost 2-year wait with a traditional publisher. And I like being in control of the decisions about the layout and cover.

What advice do you have for authors just starting?
Research the market and see where you stand. There are numerous independent publishers out there that are hungry for authors. You don’t have to go with only the big traditional publishers. On the other hand, if you feel that self-publishing is a possibility, go for it. The royalties are much higher, you’re in control of all the decisions, and there are ways to cut costs.

Nanette Littlestone is an award-winning author, editor, and publisher. As a writer she loves to explore relationships, curious about why people do what they do. Her stories focus on love (what we always strive for) and forgiveness (what we always need). Her books include F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II, the historical novel The Sacred Flame, the contemporary sequel Bella Toscana, the underwater fantasy The Heart of Everything, and the Irish romance For the Love of Brigid.

​The Heart of Family is an emotional story where guilt, forgiveness and the power of love will make you cry and laugh as two middle-aged sisters tackle life's obstacles with grit and determination.
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Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
I stared self-publishing in 2014. Yes, I had doubts but wanted to try something new. I also felt that the long haul to go the traditional route, which can often only pick books based on trend, wouldn’t work for me. I was writing nitty gritty young adult novels at the time and new I’d probably try another genre later on, and that’s exactly what I did. In the last few years I’ve been working on writing women’s fiction and if I had gone traditional that would have limited my voice.



What did you like best?
I actually liked the control over the entire project. I liked learning the new genres I was writing, learning the marketing aspect and controlling the end product – from story, cover to distribution. 

What was the hardest part?
​Learning all the tech stuff – not simply the uploading to Amazon, but how to format your book from e-book to print, how to do the marketing, and juggle all that with writing. Time management is key and I was dealing with a lot of family issues, like becoming the primary caregiver for my mother and that fine balance for writing, being creative and getting the book to the right audience was stretched thin. To be honest, it’s still stretched.

Would you do it again?
​I’m still doing it - so yes. I feel like publishing, especially with all the AI stuff taking place is going to change again and fast. Authors didn’t need to have social media channels a decade ago and now publishers and agents won’t even look at you until you have dedicated followers. You spend so much time building that audience why should you give that away to a third party? Publishing is going to always change so I think it’s good to be involved and be aware of what’s taking place in the industry.

What advice do you have for authors just starting?
​Join a writing group, local or online and be aware of what’s taking place on the tech side of things when it comes to publishing.
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Renee is an award-winning Canadian author who writes a variety of genres. The Heart of Family is her first women's fiction novel. Renee started writing this novel as she also began the journey of being a caregiver for her mother who suffers with dementia. Writing was her way to escape.

Renee also writes romance for HQN Spice Briefs and sensual paranormal romance, and new adult novels. Her first romance novel, Rapture, in 2008 received an EPPIE Award for Best Paranormal/Fantasy Romance for an e-book. 
Renee loves to hear from fans. She can be reached by email at [email protected].
For more information on her writing check out her website at https://www.reneefield.com/
 

​Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
 I decided to self-publish after I had the experience of publishing with my literary agency after they couldn’t find a publisher to take my book. They had a new program where they were publishing all the books they couldn’t sell. Throughout the process, I could see that I could do the same thing without having to give them any royalties, so for my next book, I did it myself, and I’ve been doing it myself ever since. I love the gratification of choosing elements, like my cover artist and graphic design, on my own.  

What did you like best?
Being able to choose the cover that I liked best.

What was the hardest part?
Marketing! It’s really hard to get people to take a chance on a completely unknown author. And many traditionally published authors, no matter how I approached them, would not grant me a blurb.
 
Would you do it again?
Yes, in fact, I’ve done it eight times already!

What advice do you have for authors just starting?
Patience is key. Knowing you will get better is key. Asking for help is okay. Have fun with it whenever you can.

Perfect All The Time Longtime friends Elyse and Janet are in awe of their focused and accomplished children. Maddie is Ive League-bound and Chip, a superb athlete, is headed to play football for a top-tier school in the South. On the cusp of their adult lives, what comes next are not just college acceptance letters, but two pink lines.
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Judy Mollen Walters is the author of nine self-published novels with a tenth slated for later this year. She writes about strong women trying to conquer difficult problems, either personally or within their families. Her latest novel, Perfect All the Time, features two best friends whose teenage children, also best friends, create a pregnancy.
 

Armed with a firm belief in alternative health, faith that she is responding to her calling in life, and the encouragement of a few supportive people, Georgina strives to balance family and career while becoming the healer of her childhood dreams. A Heart for Healing
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​Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
I have no doubts about self-publishing because I didn’t want to wait for a traditional publisher to accept my manuscript. I’ve heard it can take years and a lot of rejections and I wanted to get my story out. The higher rate of royalties from self-publishing was another perk.

In 2015, I self-published a non-fiction book on health and nutrition (You Can Be Well), so I had some experience with the process. I needed help with formatting the book for uploading to Ingram and Amazon. My husband’s computer/internet savvy came in handy.  

For my 2022 novel, A Heart for Healing, I went with a self-publishing company that helped with formatting, book cover design, distribution, and a promotion plan. Their editor came up with a good book title, too. There was a support person to guide me in finishing the manuscript in a timely manner—1 ½ years. I couldn’t put off writing, editing, and proofreading because there was an expiry date on the contract. Having an end date prevented me from dragging out the process, otherwise I might still be writing and editing today!

What did you like best?
I enjoy the freedom to craft my storyline. Some of my readers like the story because it’s unique. A traditional publisher might have wanted changes to my story because I address some controversial issues in mainstream medicine and holistic health.

What was the hardest part?
The hardest part with self-publishing is doing my own marketing – deciding on strategies and acting on them.

For my first book (You Can Be Well) my promotion was entirely local – speaking at events, stocking the book where my intended readers would go. And I knew little about online promotion at that time. The book has sold online, and continues to sell in limited numbers, but with minimal promotion on my part.

For my novel, A Heart for Healing, I learned about many marketing strategies from the self-publishing company but find it unclear which ones to choose—social media, podcasts, local events – they all work but so much depends on individual goals and the book’s genre. My promotion plan was to start locally by attending events and book fairs. I am still learning the art of social media promotion to a wider audience. After going through my friends, family and acquaintances, sales are slow. But I know it can take a while to get the word out.

Would you do it again?
Yes, I am currently working on a sequel to my first novel. I will self-publish again but without hiring a self-publishing company, because of the expense and because I believe I have learned enough to publish on my own. Also, when using a self-publishing company, the book is not eligible for KDP special pricing and giveaways. That promotion method has not been available to me.
 
What advice do you have for authors just starting?
First, find writing coach(es). There are online coaching communities with tutorials and workshops on all the aspects of writing, including the promotion. Unfortunately, I found Women Fiction Writers after I completed my novel. The community I joined was for-profit with a $250 annual fee. The training was valuable especially because I was new to creative writing, but there are less expensive options such as Women Fiction Writers to which I now belong.  

Second, find a writing buddy. I have a weekly video call with a woman I met in a writing community. We encourage each other in our projects, share ideas, review each other’s work. There is also accountability to keep going. 

Third, find a local author’s group for support and shared learning about the local market. Through this group, I have learned of local events to promote my book. We share in the cost of renting a venue or a table and serve as advance readers and reviewers for each other’s work.

Fourth, I subscribe to Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise. This daily habit triggers ideas and inspiration. It really works as she says.

Writing is a learning process. Anything you can do to keep learning will help.

​Ruth Thompson has been in private practice as a holistic nutritionist since 2004 and, prior to that, worked in social work and community development for twenty-five years. She is also the author of You Can Be Well: The Holistic Nutrition Guide to a Healthy, Balanced Life, self-published in 2015.
Thompson lives in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada with her husband Derek of thirty-nine years, and their five-year-old doodle, Kermit. She has two adult children, a stepson, and five grandchildren.
 

​Nancy Christie has been making up stories since she learned how to write, and she plans to continue as long as her fingers can work the keyboard. Reinventing Rita is her sixth book and first novel. Nancy is the host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and founder of the annual "Celebrate Short Fiction" Day. She's a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Women's Fiction Writers Association, and the Florida Writers Association. For more about Nancy and links to her social media profiles, visit her website at www.nancychristie.com.

Why did you decide to self-publish? Did you have any doubts?
I decided to self-publish when I felt my opportunities to secure a literary agent and traditional publishing contract for my first book - Giving Up Grace - had been exhausted. I decided that taking control of my author career at that time would be the best way to prove myself and possibly open up doors to traditional publishing for subsequent books. Of course I had doubts, because I’d never done anything like that, and I knew to produce a quality book with only my own skills to draw from would be a challenge.

What did you like best?
Having complete creative control over the project was what I liked best. I learned so much, and I believe that I never would have had the chance to grow as a writer in the same way had I been given a traditional publishing deal for my first book.

What was the hardest part?
Editing and marketing are the areas where I struggled as an indie author. Knowing how to promote my book beyond those first few months of sales has been difficult.

Would you do it again?
I would absolutely do it again, and I will if I’m not able to land an agent in the next few months for my next book. I’m already working on a third novel, and I wouldn’t hesitate to self-publish again. I know that it would be much easier now that I know some of the secrets to getting the book ready to launch and how to format different platforms for publication.

What advice do you have for authors just starting?
I think it’s important to know what your goals are for being an author. If you want to quit your day job and make tons of money from writing, you need to get some guidance and consider what that might look like. If you want to write as an enjoyable and rewarding way to spend your time, then go for it! It’s been one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done, but it isn’t a lucrative endeavor unless you get really lucky.

Christina Edgar Olds has been writing contemporary women’s fiction for more than ten years and self-published her debut novel, Giving Up Grace, in 2022.
She holds a B.A. in Communication and has taken a novel writing course under Leslie Schwartz as part of The University of Iowa Endless Summer Writing Festival. She is also a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
After leaving her day job, Christina now enjoys the opportunity to be a full-time author.