NECROTOWN
It actually started with a text message. I sent my wife a text message of a random story idea and it was fun and I kept going. Eventually, I moved it into a Word document and wrote a novel out of the thing. I still have it. It was awful and will never see the light of day. But, I’m happy I have it and that one story gave me the confidence to keep going.
The hardest book to write was probably the 5th book in my Southern Demon Hunter Series. Up until that point, the hero had escaped most problems with his life more or less intact. But the fifth book, my friend calls it the Empire Strikes Back novel because the bad guys win & I put our hero in a lot of two bad decision type scenarios, culminating with one where he has to make a very gut wrenching choice. I dreaded the scene the whole novel and it was hard to write, but it was a good scene and made the book worth it. I think my easiest book to write was Vampire Valley, book 2 of the Mountain City Chronicles. In Necrotown, Sam was under-powered and got beat up a lot. Book 2 (Mild spoiler alert) he’s got some newfound powers and I really wanted to let Sam flex his muscles a bit. The book was a ton of fun and came out as a thrill ride.
The best thing about self-pub for me is the community. There are a ton of really great people out there and it’s awesome to see the community really thriving. Maybe it’s just the people I choose to follow, but I feel like there’s a ton of positivity out there in indie author community and it’s awesome to be a part of. The worst part is probably marketing. I love talking to people about books. I loathe trying to find people to talk to about books. Advertising is this giant black void and you have to stand up and shout “THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER” and imposter syndrome has me by the throat so I end up with a lot of awkwardness, Uhm…Hi…everyone. I wrote this book. It’s sorta funny and maybe a little scary. It probably sucks but it would be cool if you read it. It’s only a dollar.
Don’t give up. Seriously, this business is challenging, and it can take a toll on your heart and soul if you let it. Rejection is around every corner, and there are numerous days where it feels like no one is listening. But the only people who make it through are the ones who don’t give up. I’ve been through books with only 5 total sales, indie publishers that went out of business, and all kinds of bumps along the road. Don’t give up. Just keep at it.
