Today has got to be one of the better Mondays I’ve had in a while! Purveyor of Miracles is finally live on Amazon and it feels good to get it out there for all to see. It’s corny, but true that a writer’s books can feel like his babies. This one just got on the school bus and headed out into the world on his own.
It’s been a long road. I wrote this book about ten years ago when I was about to start a new job. I wasn’t happy about the new job, but it was necessary due to bills and crap like that. In fact, I was pissed off and frustrated that I had to put my writing on hold. It wasn’t the first time I’ve had to do that, and every time I felt pissed off and frustrated. I love writing, but it is a brutal profession. If you’re a writer who never felt anything but the cool part of the job, then you’re damn lucky and I envy you.
Anyway, I wrote this book and had to put it away because I had too much on my plate to pursue my passion. So much time passed that when I got back to it, I forgot most of what the book was even about! I read it, edited it and repeated the process for another year until it was whipped into shape. I sent it off to an agent who turned it down flat and then got another agent who also turned it down. It seems Steampunk is dead. The problem is that I had faith in this story and big plans for the series. Also, I’m too old to live and die by what someone else tells me. This book is the sort of thing I would love to read. It stands to reason there are a few others out there who think the same thing, right?
I respect both of those agents and am still working with one, but I immediately decided to just put this out there on my own. After going through the process of finding someone to help with things like cover art and advertising, and worrying I was being scammed by those people, I finally made it to today. Not only is Purveyor out there, but I’ve been through the process of self-publishing so I don’t have to let my works languish on a flash drive without being seen. And I wasn’t scammed!
Will I still try to get my name out there again in the traditional publishing world? Of course! I’ve got plenty more to write. Will any number of refusals stop me from sending my babies into the world? Hell no!
As a writer, my main thing is to have folks read (and hopefully enjoy) what I write. I never was very good at the business end of things, but hopefully, with some practice, that will change.
