This is so surreal—I’m about to self-publish my first book!

I’ve been with traditional publishers since my first romance came out in 2012. It’s always felt like the only way to release a book. The real way. I felt accomplished and validated to be able to tell people that I was published with an imprint of Penguin Random House. Naturally, I kept the fact that those books didn’t actually sell to myself.

My more recent romances have come out with Tule Publishing: a house with a small, dedicated team that is an absolute delight to work with. They’ve released my Rags to Riches series and are in the middle of putting out my Morgan Sisters series.

But I’ve been watching the publishing landscape—noting the number of authors turning to self-publishing. They have complete control of their work from start to finish. Autonomy over cover design, book title, and blurb; branding, marketing, and distribution. An overwhelming amount of work, but one hundred percent control.

It sounds good, buuuuut…the workload stopped me from seriously considering it. I’m a writer. All I want to do is write. Not format and analyse and promote. Just write.

Then I was struck by the idea for Her Cowboy King.

A luscious, trope-heavy contemporary romance set in a fictional kingdom where cowboys rule with fair hearts and an intriguing cast of characters add drama and depth.

At first, I pitched it to my publisher and although they were keen, they wanted me to change a key part of book three that, to me, felt non-negotiable. It threw me off balance, and unsure what to do, I started writing the book anyway. When I realised it was going to be double the length of my usual romances, and that it could be an opportunity to get into the commercial print market, I let my publisher know and they wished me all the best. (They are a truly lovely team).

I finished the first draft of the book in 2016, then set it aside. I can’t remember why. Distance? Doubt? The conviction I’d made a huge mistake by spending a year writing something I’d already pulled from my publisher, when they’d actually wanted it (changes to book three aside)?

In 2017, I pulled it back out and gave it a clean-up. I started pitching to agents and publishers—and received rejection after rejection.

In 2018, I pitched Her Cowboy King at the RWNZ Conference. I got excited requests from both the editor and agent. Home again, I submitted, and waited—and was rejected. The same reason as the year before.

Apparently, due to the double trope, publishers don’t know how to market it. Supposedly, cowboy readers and royal readers do not overlap (I can’t even). And despite having a mission statement promoting diversity, the publisher was not willing to practice what they preached with book three.

Well.

The tropes were staying, and I refused to give ground on book three (so I can be stubborn about the things that matter—can’t we all?)

And that was it. The turning point. I realised I couldn’t rely on a publisher to share this series with readers. And I had the nagging suspicion that even if I did find a publisher who offered me a contract, my story wouldn’t necessarily be safe with them. They’d want to change it. Reshape it for marketing. And I loved the world I’d written. I didn’t want to change a thing.

Self-publishing, I cried, I’m coming in!

Another year later, and publication day is tomorrow.

I’m proud of Her Cowboy King. I’ve had it professionally edited. Given it a cover that perfectly conveys both tropes. Formatted it, made it available on ebook retailers, and done what feels like a billion other things to get it ready for release. I believe it’s a really good book.

And come tomorrow, and in the coming months, it might not sell well, but I’m happy that it’s the book that it needs to be.

Happy reading, Madeline x

 

Check out Her Cowboy King’s book page