I am now officially calling it…I am going to be an indie author!!! (insert excited squeal here).

I didn’t necessary want to be an indie author. Yes, I did try to find an agent and go through a traditional publishing house. After my most recent ‘this is good, but not good for us’ rejection, I realized a few things. And these things are making me very, very excited about being an indie author.

I don’t have to wait!! That’s right. The book is done, been edited again and again and again. It’s ready. By not going the traditional route, I don’t have to wait for editors, cover designs, specific release dates,etc. I control all of this. The best part—you don’t have to wait either!!! Yes, my book will be available by the end of the year. Hopefully, mid-November and I’m planning to release the sequel six months later. Which leads me to my next point…

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to go traditional is because I didn’t want to have to worry about book covers, formatting, promotions, and all that time consuming stuff. I wanted all of my free time for writing. What I’ve found—now that this is on me—is I like planning all of it. I am lucky in that I have extremely talented friends and family willing to step up to help when my attempts fall pathetically short.

Speaking of family, right now my husband is my agent! Yes, this is awesome. I can’t think of anyone more passionate about my writing than he is. He’s also pretty brilliant at marketing and even volunteered to help format my book. The downside is that now he thinks he can boss me around (he’ll learn).

Now my three little kids…they can and do control me! They’re top priority and with my schedule and deadlines being my own, they won’t have to ever feel like they come second to my writing.

All in all, I think the most rewarding part of being an indie publisher will be taking people by surprise. For a long time indie books weren’t given as much credit as traditional books. This is defiantly changing and I have fallen in love with some amazing indie author’s works this past year. I hope people will read my book and be rewarded with something above expectation—something that is as good as (maybe even better) than many traditionally published books.

So begins the next chapter in my author story. I hope to add many, many more and that you’ll enjoy reading and being a part of them as much as I enjoy writing. Thanks for all the patience and support, my friends. The wait is almost over!!!