The Road to Self-Publishing Begins Here

It isn't giving up, it's pivoting.

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

Close to a year ago, I decided to do something I had been dreaming about for more than twenty years. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. I stapled notebook paper, construction paper, printer paper (when it came around)—together to create my own books. When I was in high school, I started my first novel. I never completed that one—probably best for everyone—but then I started another. And another. And another. It wasn’t until 2004 or 2005 that I actually had two completed novels. Since then I’ve completed four more novels, one screenplay, a handful of short stories, and plotted out who knows how many others.

In all that time, in all that writing, I’d always dreamed of getting traditionally published. I had tried self-publishing with two of those earlier stories, but then took them down as they weren’t really ready. In the back of my mind, though, I always wanted to go traditional. Somehow, it just felt more legitimate. Like I was a real writer. I don’t feel that way anymore about self-publishing. It has changed a lot since then and so have I. So, in July of 2025, I decided to begin querying a project I’d recently finished and felt had a great chance of being the story that gets me a traditional publishing deal.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

To date, I have sent out 91 queries and received 91 rejections. Three of those initial queries were partial or full requests, but all ended up as a pass. None of the queries said I was a terrible writer and should keep my day job (sorry kids, you’re stuck with me!). Some of them said I was a strong writer but my story just didn’t resonate with them. Or they just weren’t the right fit.

Hard to believe that out of nearly 100 people, none of them wanted a teenage romance where the prickly teen medium falls in love with her ghost ex-lab partner while they’re trying to save the town from a coven of witches bent on resurrecting a soul-sucking puritan warlock.

Who wouldn’t swoon at that?

I’m only kidding—about the part where no agents want my story. It’s a fickle industry, and maybe a ghost romance is just a little too niche for today’s market. But if you liked Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake or If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun or The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston…then there’s a good chance you’d want to read my story too.

And that brings me to my point. After nearly a year of querying, I’ve decided it’s time to pivot and share my story with the world through different means. I’m not exactly sure what those means are yet, but I’m taking matters into my own hands for this story…and the sequel… and the third one.

If you'd like to follow along as I figure out this self-publishing journey—and get a front-row seat to a ghost-filled romance involving witches, mediums, and entirely too many bad decisions—you're in the right place.