The hardest part of being an Indie author is the Indie part. Independent. Individual. Rough translation: Alone. Which makes Indie Author an oxymoron, because in truth, no author, Indie or traditionally published, exists as a sole amoeba in the petri-dish that is publishing. We just don’t.
Whether we rely on editors, cover artists, Beta readers, our spouse or mother, or all of the above, we rely on someone, at minimum one other person, to make our Indie publishing dreams reality.
For example, my husband is currently the primary income earner in our family. Looking at my first year’s income as an Indie author, I expect he’ll hang on to that mantle for a while. <cough> His support is crucial to my physical and mental well-being as I tackle the crazy learning curve and emotional roller-coaster of establishing a small business without built-in administrative, finance, HR, marketing, and OHS departments. I’m Pres, CEO, COO, CFO, and CIO of a one-woman operation. Translation: I contract out. I also do a lot of self-learning.
This month I’ve signed up through Romance Writers of America for the online Romance Author Roadmap course hosted and taught by New York Times bestselling author, Skye Warren. Two lessons in, and I’m realizing for all I learned last year, this year promises to be a greater test of my tenacity, and willingness to step outside my comfort zone and ask for help.
I am notorious for wanting to do it myself. My eldest, and fourth child, come by their “I do it” personalities honestly. While they each seemed to come out of the womb determined to prove their independence, my tendency to tackle tasks single-handed is part nature, and a lot nurture.
I’m the eldest of two by four years. I was always older, stronger, and more capable than my younger sibling for the majority of our childhood. As a consequence, I suffered more when joint tasks weren’t done well. Not surprisingly, I learned to tell my younger sibling to go away while I completed the task to the expected standard, my reasoning being if I was going to be punished for something, it’d bloody well better be because _I’d_ earned it. I’m not fond of being taken to task for other people’s failure to achieve expectations even when they’re not able to, through no fault of their own (age, physical, or mental capability).
Childhood experience combined with my inherent independent nature translated to an adult who thrives in environments where success and failure is, largely, on my shoulders. Trusting others to do things for which failure to complete or achieve, results in negative consequences for me, is HARD. So I tend to do it myself. It’s safer. It doesn’t help when I do reach out or someone approaches me to volunteer assistance, and then that person doesn’t follow through on whatever it is was that was promised. That’s happened a few times, and only reinforced for me the need to do things myself. Only…
I can’t do it myself.
I repeat:
I can’t do it myself.
My success as an author is dependent on collaboration with others, whether it’s the readers who buy my books (I love you!), or the friends and readers who share or retweet my posts (I love you, too!). Professionals that aid my goal for cool covers or neat copy. Husband who shoos me into my office when I fall down the HGTV rabbit-hole. Child who encourages their friends to check out their mother’s latest book (<3). Best-selling author who hosts a free–yes, FREE–course geared to helping authors like me identify weaknesses, define dreams, set goals, and formulate actionable steps to achieving those dreams through goals. Other writers and professionals who share tips and insights on their blogs or via social media. Or people who sign up for and read my posts, and/or newsletters–people like you.
I can’t do this alone. No author can. So, my lesson for 2019 is to build a stronger support network either through professional hires, or by getting involved and putting myself out there: book readings and signings, social and business events–asking for paid or volunteer help–all things that honestly, leaves me hollow with anxiety. Fear. There’s a reason I’m a writer, not a performer or sales representative. But, as Skye Warren stated in the first lesson of her Romance Author Roadmap course for 2019:
“Everything is about to change”.
Skye Warren
Deborah
Look well into thyself; there is a source which will always spring up if thou wilt always search there.
~Marcus Aurelius
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.
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