Hi Readers
Welcome to learning about my journey into becoming an author and self-publishing.
All About Me
I was born in a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in 1999. Growing up, I read books from time to time but never thought much of it. During my teenage years, mental illness hit me like a ton of bricks. While I was struggling through school and my mental health, books captured me in their pages and took me to another world.
The reading platform Wattpad became an obsession between my friends and me. While sitting through class, I found myself sneakily reading stories instead of focusing on class.
At fifteen, I decided to attempt writing my own book. From the age of fifteen to eighteen, all I could do was read and write. I had dropped out of school due to my mental health, lost friendships, and became a shell of a person. But books were always there for me to escape my own life.
Through the darkness of my mind I had found my passion in life and it was in the form of books.
Trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life was easy enough, something to do with literature. Realising I would battle mental health for the rest of my life, writing seemed like the perfect job for me.
At eighteen, things started picking up for me. I began working a nine to five job and even began studying. I pursued a certificate in freelance journalism to learn different aspects of the written world. But becoming a published author was always my goal.
It's been a hard journey, so many ups and downs, continuing to fight my own demons, but at twenty-two, I became a published author.
Self-Publishing Journey
Traditional publishing seems to be what every author wants. To get the email from a publishing agency saying they want to publish your book sounds great. But I figured that was a long shot. Vanity publishing was another way to go but I couldn't afford that. So I decided to take a different approach. I knew self-publishing would be hard work but I was willing to do it.
From editing and proofreading ten times over, formatting, cover design, marketing, I'm proud I can say I did it all myself. As much as I'd love to become a famous author, I can honestly say personally I do feel successful already.
To anyone who wants to write, my advice is keep writing. That may sound obvious but it's true. My writing now compared to when I was fifteen is much different and improved.
Experience is key!