A WILD AND WHISPERING CURSE
It started around 2010/2011 when I first started submitting short stories to various publications. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the British Fantasy Society Journal and Apex Magazine, which gave me a little bit of a confidence boost. I then started writing my first full-length novel. It started off a little shaky but came together after a few rewrites. At that point, I was deciding whether to submit to agents or publish it myself. After reading all about Amanda Hocking and her success with Kindle Direct Publishing, I skipped the heartbreak of rejections and went for it!
I’ve been writing psychological thrillers for the last eight years, so it was strange at times to come back to YA. I’d actually written half of the book years ago, so I was able to slip back into that tone a little easier than starting from scratch. As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, I never really think about books being too scary! I think I was desensitized from an early age. As long as there isn’t too much gore, it’s okay to be a bit dark and put the characters in some very perilous situations. But I do think there should always be some hope and an ending that’s at least bittersweet for young readers.
Self-publishing was just beginning when I finished my first book. The community was small and we all knew each other. We shared tips and sales numbers. It was a lot of fun to be in that first wave. I’ve always been heavily introverted, and the world of traditional publishing always looked like something better suited to extroverts (or at least non-socially awkward people like me!). The idea of going on a book tour or speaking at a book festival filled me with dread. Whereas with self-publishing, I could spend that time working on the next book or marketing online. I also liked the idea of being in control of my work, of how it’s titled and packaged, and what price I charge. I like being able to tweak those things when something isn’t working. I much prefer feeling actively involved than on the sidelines waiting for a publisher to make those choices.
Self-publishing is much harder now. I hate sounding negative, but it’s true. So I think the first thing you need to do is decide on your goals. If you want to make a living as a writer, then you have to write in a popular genre. Look at your bookshelves and grab your favourites. Which of these books are recent bestsellers? Could you write in the same genre and market it to the most popular tropes? There’s a sweet spot between what you want to write and what sells on an online bookstore like Amazon. Find that sweet spot and research that genre like crazy. Read the bestselling books in that genre. Then sit down and use what you’ve learned from those books to write your own.
I don’t always follow my own advice… A Wild and Whispering Curse is not a book in a popular genre. And it’s definitely not full of popular tropes. It was just a book that I wanted to write because I liked the story. And that’s okay. I’m just aware that I’m probably not going to see much profit from that particular book. I’m just happy to see the book out there being enjoyed.
If you’re like me and you find it hard to stick to one genre of books, create new pen names for each genre. Try to prioritise the books that become your bread and butter while allowing yourself to experiment with books that maybe won’t fly up the Amazon charts but that make you feel happy to write. It’s a harder way to go about writing than sticking to one very marketable genre, but it can also be really rewarding. Have fun with your writing, but always keep your goals in mind!
