Holy shit...Bloodlines has accolades! I'm still buzzing and screaming with excitement.
Over the past year, I've had to make tough decisions in what to do with my books to advance my indie author career. As much as I love the community here, and will always value my readers, I also have to pay my bills and sadly it wasn't in the cards for my stories on this platform.
I branched out to multiple serial platforms and leaned more heavily into Kindle Unlimited and other major retail marketplaces. Most recently, I started a Patreon so that I could give exclusive content to my closest supporters that have changed my life. It's still growing, but the more I can lean into Patreon, the more stories I'll be able to share for free, here on Wattpad, and for my readers on Inkitt, Radish, and Royal Road.
So a massive thank-you to everyone who has subscribed, please hug my Patrons for they are badasses!
Another emerging platform I joined is Laterpress, which is a fully indie model where you can sell subscriptions, serials, or straight ebooks in your own personal store. I joined the author working group and tested out the software, experimenting with my books on there. I'm looking forward to web site integration where I can sell my books direct from my web site and blog.
Another feature of their launch was a massive fiction contest. I entered Bloodlines Vol. 1 on a whim, since I already had my books on the platform, and it was eligible.
Yesterday, I got a ping from Pixie Stormcrow on Discord, screaming congratulations. I had no idea what she was talking about. Then I found her sharing screenshots in the Hurricane server, and burst into tears.
Bloodlines Vol. 1 might be a little novelette, a deep dive character study, a silly little dystopian romp...but I've always been super proud of it. It's got some loyal excited fans, but never really gained traction anywhere, nor was it accepted to any programs I applied for.
To have this company and panel of judges read it amongst a veritable sea of talent and have it win...it still just doesn't feel real. My mind is reeling like crazy, and I can't stop reading the judges' feedback.
Anyway, the point of this whole long-winded thing is to thank you, my readers, those of you who loved Bloodlines from its inception and pushed me to keep writing and posting every day. You constantly give me the confidence to put myself out there, to believe in myself, that my dreams are valid and achievable. Thank you for seeing me, for engaging with me, and for being so supportive and fun and coming on this roller coaster.
And also, to my fellow struggling indies, working around the clock writing books and building web sites and socials and marketing and designing and doing promo and interviews and guest posts and planning launches and publishing and networking and trying desperately to cultivate a living from the scraps that big corporations leave us...when you think it's not achievable, it IS.
You're still valid even though you're indie. Your books are still valid even when nobody can see them under the thumb of shitty algorithms. Your dreams are still valid, and if writing books is your passion then keep at it and you will get there, you WILL reach where you want to be, however you measure your success. Just make sure to stop and celebrate the small ones along the way.
This one might seem small to some, but to me it is fucking massive, that a panel of somebodies read my little novelette and enjoyed it enough to give me a prize. Daphne is puffing out her chest like a boss right now. XD
I'll put the link in the comments to the winners article, please please check out all of the finalists' stories! Some of them sound so amazing, I can't wait to dive in. <3
YOU ARE READING
The Beginning of the End || Bloodlines Vol. 1 ✔️ Complete
ParanormalDaphne Rhodes would tell anyone: being 'the one' sucks. At least, she would if there was anyone left to tell. She's the one who'd survived. The one with the magic immune system that saved her. The only one left on this whole miserable planet. Daphn...
