Award Winning Author

For years, I entered multiple competitions with no results. Of course, I started to think my stories weren’t good enough for this market. But then readers would say how much they enjoyed the characters who stayed in their minds for weeks or months after they’d finished the book. Other authors were impressed with the story idea. Still others left glowing reviews. So, when the opportunity to submit a book to the International Impact Book Awards presented itself, I hesitated, not because I didn’t think my books were worthy, but because I didn’t want to experience yet another rejection in a very particular world. I asked my fans whether I should try. When they said, “yes,” I asked for suggestions. I submitted four books. Months went by, and I’d forgotten about it, too busy releasing two more books to focus on anything else. Then, something amazing happened. One…two…three…four books won the award across the span of four weeks. I was elated, then I doubted, then I rejoiced. So many of my friends asked how I was going to celebrate. How does one celebrate the unexpected? I danced like Snoopy. Screamed for joy in my car. Allowed friends to treat me to lunch. But the tangible way I lived out my celebratory excitement was to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, to receive the trophy in person and meet others who’d won this prestigious award. I’m glad I didn’t shrink away from submitting my books. In fact, I submitted four more books to see whether they also measured up to the rubric used by the judges. Guess what, as of February 16, 2026, two more won this prestigious award, one of which is a collection of poetry.

The Challenges of Being an Indie Author

When I was an author with a co-publisher or for a traditional publisher, I had help to market, interact with social media, get interviews, and find bloggers who’d post about my stories. The publishers also found and hired the editors and proofreaders. As an Indie Author, all of that, in addition to creating the work, falls on me, and me alone. Over the years, I’ve had to learn how to do a lot involved in publishing a piece of work.

Once I’ve finished the first draft and have fixed it up, I find a Beta Reader to help me determine whether the story has wow potential. Then, I work with a critique group to tighten and incorporate those items which enhance that desired wow potential. Depending on the work, I may also hire an editor to ensure that the plot and character development are solid. Then, I ask someone to proofread the manuscript to catch any lingering or reader-halting errors. I also proofread the manuscript aloud to see whether I catch anything that the others missed. Finding a trusted editor has taken a lot of trial and error. This person has to be able to find issues and relay them back to me in a manner I could understand. The editor also must interact with the characters in the story enough to know which suggestions would work best. I don’t expect perfection because everyone approaches stories differently, but the editor needs to maintain an open mind.

Next, I format the manuscript. Over the years, I’ve developed a look and order that I like. I create a print version (with page numbers, headers, and table of contents) and another for the digital platform (no page numbers). For the digital format, I’ve had to learn what’s required to upload a copy that the tool will accept and how to understand and apply any fixes for issues that pop up.

While I’m working on the formatting, a vetted cover designer works on the cover. This is another relationship that must be based on trust and understanding as we discuss adjustments to the initial sketches. If I’m purchasing a full cover (front and back), the cover designer will need to know how many pages long the manuscript is which is why I wait until I’m formatting the manuscript to work on the cover.

The last thing needed is what the cost of the new book will be. I pay attention to the market and the cost of other books in the same genre. I also take the size or length of the book into consideration.  I come up with a price for the paperback version and another for the digital one.

With the book uploaded, my attention now turns to heavily marketing the book. Now, this isn’t the first time the world would hear about this release. I tend to talk it up over the months I’d been bringing it closer to release. I prepare an advertisement to post the release date on social media. For fun, I’ll have a countdown via posts to attract future readers. Sometimes, I schedule an event for release day. For this, I prepare sections of the story I’ll read aloud.

However, my work doesn’t end with the release. While I’m focusing on the next manuscript, I must continue talking about the previous books. It’s a lot of effort, and when life gets in the way, the sales tend to fall.

Some authors hire a personal assistant, but with a small budget, this may not be possible.

At in-person events, I smile, speak, hand out bookmarks, and explain more details about the stories (without giving away the ending) for the readers who ask more questions.

Although challenging at times, I must admit that I enjoy the life of an Indie Author. The best part is when people tell me how much trouble they had putting down my books. Page-turners are always one of my goals with my main one being a story that can affect lives for the better.

Planning for Another Year

Now that 2026 is underway, my mind goes to the months ahead and all that’s possible. The past few years have been challenging, but with Nanowrimo 2025 behind me, I am ready to work on the newly created pieces and return to the yet unfinished anthologies and stories.

 

I would also like to pursue getting reviews for the many stories I’ve published. If you’ve read any of my books and have yet to leave a review for each one, please do so as soon as you finish this post. I would be very appreciative.

 

Over the holidays, I finished incorporating months of critiques that had lingered in file notes into a handful of manuscripts. I am grateful for those who took the time to relate how my stories could be improved, so I didn't want to forget about any of their input.

 

I'm praying for a productive 2026.