Tag: writing

Building the Plane: Deciding to Move Forward with Independent Publishing

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I’ve spent the better part of the last two months being told that I am building the plane while flying it. It’s an apt metaphor that I am not unfamiliar with, but as I have grown comfortable with the notion of being in a state of forward propulsion without knowing quite what to do next, I have been moved to make a decision.

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For years, I have been of the staunch notion that I would query, find an agent, then a publisher, then publish my books. I have cobbled together draft after draft, trying to get it “perfect,” and for seven years, I haven’t really made any forward motion.

But for me, at this juncture, I want my words out there. I want people to read my writing, and I have come to a couple of realizations that I think have moved this along:

  • I want the freedom to genre hop: Not to say that you can’t do this with traditional publishing, but the truth is, it’s harder. I recently had an idea for a “weird girl lit/horror” that I am obsessed with, and I want the freedom to pursue that project if/when I get through the backlog of ideas I have.
  • I want agency and ownership over my work: Of course, criticism, constructive feedback, and notes are important to the writing process. I will be working with developmental editors, with people who can help and support what I am doing, but I want to pick my covers, market the way that makes sense to me, and keep my writing as a tether to me. And if I decide a story has to end a certain way, or that something isn’t going to work, I want to go with my gut a little bit more than I think traditional publishing will allow.
  • I have a good amount of industry knowledge from a marketing perspective: Because I have been tangentially “in” bookish spaces for a while, I know enough to know enough to cobble together a marketing plan for my books that hopefully will drive sales/reads.
  • The statistical probability of success is just as probable as failure: At the end of the day, I am just as likely to land a book deal, to find an agent, for things to go “well” just as much as things could go poorly. And I could, very well, use my time to market my book, rather than spending time tracking queries and hoping for success that way.

Now, let me be clear: Independent publishing is going to cost money, time, and energy. It’s going to require me to spend a meaningful amount of time on work that isn’t necessarily going to pay off. But genuinely, I have been waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect time, the perfect story, the perfect pitch. But I’m tired of waiting.

All of this said, timeline wise, my intention is May 2027 for my first book. It’s going to be an interesting 10 months, but I am looking forward to sharing the journey with you, as always.

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Thank you for reading <3

-M

Start Now: Why I Wish I’d Started Sooner

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On January 1st, I decided I was going to commit to myself. To my goals, my dreams, my aspirations. That I wanted to do something that mattered to me, and I was going to chase what I wanted to, no matter what anyone thought about it.

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The Road Not Taken: A Contemplation

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Contemplation is one thing, my pride is another, to paraphrase. We can look back on our own lives, and see all the ways in which it splices, how every decision begets another decision, until you are where you are. I can tell you how I got here, but I’ve found myself daydreaming the “what if” as of late.

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Multifaceted Personhood: Experience and Growth

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I started a sentence the other day, “When I was working for this labor union,” and the person I was speaking to stopped me.

“What do you mean, ‘when you worked for a labor union?'” For what it’s worth, the story had nothing to do with the union, it was a silly story about a coffee that used to be available at a local chain coffee shop. Regardless, the question got me thinking. Over the last 10 years, I’ve had 20 different jobs that I list on Linkedin, and another 15-20 random freelance things that I’ve done. What has this bredth of experience taught me?

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One Fun Thing: A Strategy For Living

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It’s April of 2024, and I’ve been working 10-20 hours every weekend for the better part of the last 13 month. This is on top of my day job.

After all, I’m trying to out run my emotions by drowning them out in being exhausted from working. I’m trying, desperately, to claw my way out of the hole I’ve been left in. And I’m exhausted.

I get a text Saturday night. I happen to have a rare Sunday off.

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25 for 2025: Resolutions for the Year

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resolutions

It’s that time of year where I make a bunch of resolutions and hope that I keep to some of them. The year this was most successful was 2021, when I set out to get married and buy a condo, and managed to acheive both. This year, my life looks a little different, but nevertheless, cultivating a list of 25 things to do in 2025 gives me a sense of acheivement to look back on.

This idea, as always, is cribbed from the one and only Gretchen Rubin, whose insights provide such value to my life. If you haven’t already, my recommendation for the start of each year is to read her first book on happiness, The Happiness Project, which provides incredible insight into building a life that you are satisfied with.

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