There were three different paths I could have taken with my writing career: give up, seek traditional publishing, or go the independent route (often called self-publishing).
Ultimately, indie publishing won out, for these three reasons.
I keep control of my narrative
While writing my second novel, Jordan’s Sister, I submitted a tweet for a Pitch Fest event on Twitter (now X). I had a potential agent reach out about the story, but ultimately, it wasn’t what they were looking for. After reading a couple of books published by the company, I realized that I didn’t wish to be represented by them.
That experience further solidified by desire to stay independent. After publishing Jordan’s Sister on my own, I cancelled my contract with a pay-to-use publisher to republish my first novel, Caroline’s Lighthouse. I didn’t wish to change my stories to fit someone else’s agenda. My novels stay mine.
I get to choose the publication timelines
Traditional novels usually release on Tuesdays and can take between one to two years to publish after acceptance by a publisher. Because I do not write full time, it already takes me close to two years to write and edit a novel, so waiting that much longer to share it is too long for me.
Plus, with my own independent publishing company, I am not bound by traditional schedules. I can edit up until around two weeks before publication date. If I’m not ready, I can reschedule the release without breaking any contracts.
I set my own deadlines
While I always have a general deadline in mind for publishing my novels, the release dates are up to me. I often aim for a significant date for the actual publishing, but it’s rare to have a set day in mind to finish writing or editing.
When I send my drafts to my wonderful beta readers, I typically give them one to two months to read and give me feedback. During that time, I can take a break as I prepare for editing, which I handle myself,
Have questions about indie publishing?
Let me know if you have questions about my path in the comments section.
Thank you,
-Brandi Easterling Collins
Luminesce Publishing founder, author, and editor