When I first decided to become an author, I thought I understood what I was signing up for and that it would be fun, and in no time I would be rich!
I’d write my book in solitude (which is something that appealed to me. The lonely genius burning the midnight oil with a beloved pet as their only companion has been something that I have inspired to for a long time. (Haven’t decided whether this is an unhealthy aspiration or not but I digress.)
I thought, “I’ll publish the book myself—how hard could it be?” The plan was simple: build my author career on my own terms and, most importantly, maintain control over my own destiny. After all, who doesn’t crave that sense of control, or at least the comforting illusion of it?
I was ready to embrace what I imagined would be the writer’s life: peaceful isolation paired with creative independence. Little did I know what lay ahead.
What I didn’t realize was that there’s a massive difference between “writing alone” and “going it alone”. I believe as an indie authors and/or publishers this is something we all contend with at some point on the journey. Confusing the two nearly derailed my entire writing journey.
Writing Alone: Beautiful Solitude
Writing alone is exactly what it sounds like—the quiet, focused act of putting words on the page. It’s you, your thoughts, and the story unfolding in your mind. This part of indie publishing lived up to every expectation I had. There was pure creative flow. There were no meetings, no compromise, no committee decision about character motivations and no debates on whether is this or that too much.
I had complete control.
I decide when my protagonist and antagonists speak. I shape the world and whether a plot twist stays or goes. Then there’s the flexible schedule. Whether I write at 5am or midnight, in bed or at the local overpriced coffee shop is of no one’s concern but my own.
Mostly importantly there are no deadlines, except the ones that I set. Then there’s the authentic voice; the story emerges exactly as it has been envisioned without outside influence (which can be for the good or the bad; at times a fresh set of eyes are helpful, I am willing to admit).
This solitude isn’t just pleasant—it’s essential. The best writing happens in that quiet space where you can hear your characters’ voices and feel the rhythm of your prose. I protect this time fiercely, and it remains my favorite part of the entire writing journey.
But here’s the thing about illusions, especially the beautiful ones, is that it lures you in and before you know it the hooks are embedded deep.
Going It Alone: The Isolation Trap
Now here’s where expectations and reality collided. I thought the entire indie publishing journey would be this peaceful, solitary experience. I thought the process would be ordered and all I had to do was hit each step along the way and end up at this fabulous destination. I imagined myself as a lone wolf, handling everything from manuscript to marketing with quiet confidence and complete self-reliance.
The reality? Going it completely alone is not just lonely—it’s counterproductive and dare I say, devastating.
The Learning Curve
When you go it alone, every mistake becomes a costly lesson learned the hard way:
– I spent a week playing around on BookBrush, designing a cover that looked cute, artistic but didn’t signal the urban fantasy genre.
-My back cover blurb was lacking.
-I chose keywords based on what I thought sounded impressive, not what readers actually searched for when looking for books.
Each of these mistakes could have been avoided with input from other indie authors and publishers who’d already navigated these waters.
Lesson learned.
I now have a tribe (albeit small) of writers and authors that have undergone a similar journey or that have taken a different path (more traditional route) or write purely to submit to anthologies.
So, I want to know, can you relate?
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