My Wonderful Readers in the Wild

Forest Wilderness by Shilder Andrey Nikolaevich (1861-1919)

Every new reader who discovers my books within the wilderness of indie publishing feels like magic. 

Cat the tea-drinking dragon is reading my kids-run-away-to-become-pirates tale Leirah and the Wild Man, yet the only dragons in this book are carvings on Viking longships. I would have expected Cat to choose my fantasy novel, The Grove of Thorismud, featuring the *real* live dragon Kashenkashast, Eater of Souls. But my readers keep on surprising me!

My novels are coming-of-age adventures with teen girl protagonists, and a big segment of my readers are highly educated older men. I have sold books to all sorts of women, young and mature, queer and straight, academically-oriented and pulp fiction-relishing. But it keeps blowing my mind how many men come to my signings, purchase my books at local shops, and order them online. 

The post above is by reader Bob's wife.

Scott Harris, owner of iconic local bookstore Everybody Reads, the location of my official launch, has prominently displayed and proudly pitched my hardcovers to walk-in customers for months. 

Dylan Rogers, owner of The Robin Books in Lansing's artsy REO Town, honored me with the opportunity to give his shop's first author book talk, and he stocks both of my novels in his small, exclusive collection of new books. He read Leirah himself and recommends it to customers.

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And my husband Justin, a big-beard-and-stout-beer suburban lumberjack, was my most thorough and insightful critique partner for Leirah and the Wild Man.

Speaking of fire and wildness, I love seeing readers take my books on outdoor adventures, from Lake Michigan to the Maine woods and beyond. Thanks to reader Molly for this cozy tea-by-the-campfire shot!

And I love not seeing one of my books on a library shelf because someone has taken it home!

Where in the world is The Grove of Thorismud? 

One answer to that question is Florida, where my colorful and creative mother-in-law tells everyone who will listen about its "literate and sexy" prose studded with erotic Biblical passages and even more ancient sources of pagan poetry. She is spreading the word, and copies of my books, like a missionary to all kinds of people she meets in her part of Florida, where my books would surely constitute a felony if they ended up in a school.

 

Another answer is California, where I have personally shipped multiple books. One of my West Coast readers made my heart explode with joy by finishing Leirah in a single week and raving to me on the phone about what it meant to her. Her family is from the Black Sea region, and her uncle is a Pulitzer Prize-winning translator of a favorite book of mine (from before I met her) set in Istanbul, so I was floored by her ecstatic response.

It feels like real magic to have created works of entertaining art that have the power to transform minds and hearts at a neurological level, my own included. And although it takes time as word of mouth spreads and my readers savor pages slowly, it helps a lot for readers to post ratings, reviews, and other responses on Goodreads, bookseller websites, and their own social media platforms. Readers, I deeply appreciate when you take the time to share! 

Although self-publishing literary novels printed in high quality hardcover editions is not generally a profit-making venture (though I am humbly proud to report that I have earned back all my publication and promotion costs plus a little more), I am constantly reaping the spiritual rewards of having created something beautiful and transformative. My wild, wonderful readers have made the process of writing and publishing my novels worthwhile, and every little thing that comes to me in the future because of them will be another wonderful surprise.