It's my first novel's second birthday (June 6th)!
I self-published my first novel back in 2022, publishing the second and third books in July and August of that year too. I had been working on the Castle of Skulls series for years, and I continue to love the idea. This book is everything I want to read, including witches; a sassy, bisexual, fat FMC; and creepy horror.
Is the book series for everyone? No. I wrote the book series for me and what I wanted to read.
Is the book series perfect? No. There is no such thing as perfection. Reading and writing--like all art--is subjective.
Are there things I wish I would've done differently? Always. Life is a journey, and I will continue to learn.
Am I proud of what I accomplished? Absolutely!
I published the first Castle of Skulls book three days before my 25th birthday. I had always wanted to publish before the age of 25, though I had made that goal when I was a kid. Apparently, I thought I would have my life figured out by the age of 25, and I was wrong.
After working on Castle of Skulls for seven years--including rewriting, editing, querying literary agents, etc.--I decided to self-publish this series. By doing that, I had to learn how to self-publish mostly by myself, including lots of Googling and figuring out what worked and didn't work. I still don't know or make the best choices always, but I've continued to do it.
I had to do my own editing (because editing is expensive), which I did in MLA format. (I hate Chicago style.) I had to learn how to make book covers. I learned how to make sure the formatting was right. I had to learn the ins and outs of Kindle Unlimited. (The fine print will get you.) I have had to learn how to publish. All of these things I'm still continuing to learn.
Like many self- and indie-published authors--hell, even traditionally published authors-- I've wanted my first series (or any of my books) to take off and be loved by all. I've wanted everyone to read it. Of course, it doesn't happen that way. Since publishing the first Castle of Skulls book, I've (maybe) made $100. Most of that has been from friends and family. But I still continue to be proud of my book and what I have done.
Happy birthday, Castle of Skulls!
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