Why I've Decided to Independently Publish a Book

A jaded author takes matters into her own hands

Yes. I’m joining the millions of indie-published authors out there, entering a slush-pile of books, no question. But my experience as a traditionally published author has been hardly any different, to be completely honest. So after a lot of consideration I decided there was literally nothing to lose.

Except this story I love if I didn’t bring it to life myself.

There’s Something in the Corn Art by Corina Alvarez Loeblich

I’m tired of shoving my work in drawers. Especially when I know there’s merit. I know because editors give me wonderful feedback, yet for some reason it’s a no. Or because a piece wins a prize, yet somehow it’s a no. Or when it almost gets through acquisitions but just can’t squeeze past the last gatekeeper. Almost. So many almosts, my friends, I can’t even count anymore. After a while it just isn’t enough; it’s exhausting. After you’ve written as many novels as I have (close to twenty), and received favorable reviews and awards and notes from happy young readers, and your butt is in the chair doing the work almost every single day, yet so many of your projects sit in a computer file collecting cyber-dust, you begin to wonder:

Is it me or is it the industry?

I’m willing to concede that it may be both. But after seeing so many arbitrary decisions over years of my hard, deliberate, and beloved work, I’ve decided it’s true—there are many ways to skin a cat.

Gross. But true that there are many ways to reach a goal. In my case: to create.

I hope you’ll follow this journey with me and share it with people who will appreciate it. After several months of being unable to produce creative work because I was so consumed with my husband’s cancer diagnosis, I finally picked up this manuscript I had written in 2020 and decided to bring it to life myself. I realized there are so many ways for me to create.

Why should I always wait for others to do it for me?

So here comes this pandemic baby I love that no one wanted (well, one editor did but failed to get everyone else on board), a story that was sparked from a conversation between me and my soulmate during a time when none of us knew what the future held. We were all asking questions and we couldn’t get all the answers. Some of us sought facts. Some prayed to God. Some fell into conspiracy. Some were okay with watching, and waiting.

Science. Mystery. Art. The Unknown. That’s what this book is about. All that uncertain beauty that for some reason we have very little tolerance for right now. Sometimes there is no answer. Sometimes life is simply too big to understand.

And that’s okay.

Title Art by Corina Alvarez Loeblich