Being an author is not easy. Being an indie author is even harder. We create worlds and characters and scenarios that we hope will find their way into the hands of others who will love them as much as we do. Most days, though, it feels like we’re screaming into the void trying to get our books noticed. So, on the rare occasions we hear from readers ‘in the wild,’ it makes the struggle worthwhile.
Between my poetry, fantasy, children’s books, and romance novels, I’ve been publishing since 2023. I currently have ten books out across two pen names. Still, I feel like I’m invisible most days. This year, however, two moments reminded me that I’m both seen and my work is being enjoyed.
In March, I attended a book festival for the second time. Halfway through the day, a woman rounds the corner and comes running up to my tent with a huge smile on her face. “You’re here!” she screamed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here.” Last year, she’d come through in the pouring rain and bought two of my romance novels. This year, she’d made a special trip to 1) tell me how much she loved my stories and 2) buy any new ones I might have released. Not gonna lie, tears were shed that day.
A few weeks ago, I received a notification of a new message on my author facebook page. Normally, I cringe when those notifications come through because they’re often bots or scammers. In fact, I’ve considered closing my messages completely, but I’m so glad I didn’t. In my inbox was a short note from someone who said, “I bought your book Love with a Vengeance at a book fair a few weeks ago and gave it to my wife. She’s loving it!” That was it. That was the message. Again, tears fell.
So, here I am, in the middle of drafting what will be my 11th release, my 6th romance story, and those two events, those two moments are what I keep in mind when I feel like putting it all away. They remind me I’m not invisible, and I’m not the only one who loves my stories and my characters. It’s the moments that keep you going that matter.