Musings and Ambiguity
I officially received developmental feedback from my editor on July 2nd, 2026 for my debut novel, Legacy of the Lost: The Talisman. Now, I am writing this blog post as I am wrestling with whether I want to continue pursuing traditional publishing or embrace the Indie lifestyle. I figured this might be a cathartic release or at minimum help capture this part of my journey.
In between incorporating Ramona’s edits, I am researching commissioned artwork options for my first book, custom chapter headers, the series/website logo, and ways to visually bring my characters and settings to life. All previous images have been scrubbed from my social media and this website in preparation for original artwork to take center stage. Could this be a distraction or diversion from incorporating my edits? Sure. Could my reason for embracing this avoidance strategy be a direct effort to slow down the process? Maybe. Regardless, its a necessary step and who is dictating the order anyways? If I am lucky enough to be picked up by an agent and then land a publishing deal, the publisher chooses the artist and artwork. I lose autonomy but offload the costs. If I self publish, every step comes from me or someone I pay. Sidebar, its not cheap – nor should it be in truth (especially original art). It is difficult to rationalize spending real money when you are brimming with self-doubt.
While I am still intending to pursue traditional publishing for now, I have to be realistic, and there is a magical number of queries I want to submit before I say I gave it the good ol’ college try.
For most book writers (especially those without formal training like myself) traditional publishing is not a likely reality. For me, it feels more like throwing a dart with the lights turned off while simultaneously realizing you should not have eaten the two-week old rice your wife told you to throw away a week ago – a whole lot of shots in the dark and trying not to land one in my pants or bed.
“Public Service Announcement: Your Spouse is Usually Right...”
Through the journey of learning this industry, I am also developing friendships with those who chose the Indie path and because of them it is tempting to exit the query trenches early and embrace self publishing fully. Honestly, part of me wants to go a step further and just release the damn book for free so the story is out in the world. When I decided to write a book on a whim, I did not realize I would be learning marketing, networking, social media management, website design, and I’m sure plenty of others soon. I just wanted to take a shot at telling a story and here I am shouting into the void on a Sunday night.
Regarding the art, there are so many great artists marketing themselves on Threads and Instagram and I would be honored to work with them. I’ve already outreached a few and have started to dream of custom chapter headers, character/creature art, and cover designs. Sounds like I need to start saving. My goal is to develop a meaningful relationship with artists who are comfortable with vintage 80’s style fantasy art and then commission them for my project(s). Are you allowed to have more than one artist commissioned at the same time? I have not the clue. Who is making the rules anyways?
My last musing, at least for now, is that no one tells you that when you start writing a book about how your friends and family take hold of your dream and continue to remind you that they have genuine interest in your success. Its both an honor and unexpected conversational whiplash. Each social gathering harbors a secret, “So I heard you are writing a book” that feels like a sudden Double Jeopardy mini-game when you were merely saying hello. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful I have people who are interested. I am also acutely aware that my book is taking on a life of its own and I don’t know how long I can self-contain before it consumes me.
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