Usually, people recommend not releasing a novel and then half-dropping off the face of the Earth.
The past few weeks, life has been nothing but hectic for me. I should’ve expected it, given that I’m halfway through the semester, but life still hit me like a truck and made me unable to properly celebrate the release of Ghosts of the Steel Road.
So, let’s start with that. Back on September 26th, I finally released my first novel, Ghosts of the Steel Road in ebook and paperback formats!
Since beginning my writing journey in sixth grade, all I’ve ever wanted to do was publish a novel. Back then, it was the dream of a big publishing house and a big check to go with it, but back then I also didn’t know about how exactly publishing worked back then.
It wasn’t until sophomore year of college that I really understood self-publishing as an actual avenue that I could take. My professor at the time was the one who convinced me, with his descriptions of how the marketing work I was so afraid of in self-publishing was practically the same in traditional publishing, if not even worse with the houses breathing down your neck.
Most of all, my professor gave me one important piece of advice: learn to let a story go.
That was part of the reason why my release happened now. While publishing as a birthday gift for my mom was certainly a bonus, I also grew to realize that at some point, I had to put the work on Ghosts of the Steel Road aside for new projects.
So, that’s what I did. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m already learning more about the craft of writing that I didn’t quite understand when I wrote the novel, and I’ll certainly put my gained knowledge to use in my next project, but it’s the story that I wanted to tell to the best of the ability I could at the time.
The marketing part, however, is still a bit fuzzy.
It’s not natural for me to market myself, and once again, getting slammed with coursework right after releasing the book didn’t help. After all, what am I supposed to say, “hey guys, I write good, you should read it?”
Again, after going through the process once, there are many lessons I’ve already learned (which will be a list for another day), but one thing is certain: it’s not natural to boast about oneself.
Like, really. My parents have done a better job boasting about my novel than I have.
Overall, though, as I reflect on these past three weeks, it’s honestly surreal to know my novel is out and people have read it. Seeing the photos of people with my books in their hands has made my heart melt.
So, I’ll end my post with this: if you do read and enjoy Ghosts of the Steel Road, put your kind words in the Amazon reviews section. Not only will it warm my heart, it’ll also let more people know about my story and maybe, just maybe, it’ll reach more eyes from there.
Stay tuned for my next few blog posts, not only for the previously-mentioned lessons learned, but also to hear more about my current and upcoming projects.
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