The Indie Author’s Journey: Part 2 – Navigating the Stormy Seas of Self-Publishing
by Ambrose Fider
Writing my first book, The Crimson Legacy: Ambrose – The Isle of Legends, began as a personal passion—a whisper of a story I needed to bring to life. But once I realized I didn’t want this to stay tucked away in notebooks or hard drives, I took the leap into the overwhelming, often chaotic world of how to publish a book.
And let me tell you—it was anything but straightforward.
The self-publishing landscape was a tangled web of formatting woes, ISBN questions, platform comparisons, costs, cover design decisions, marketing fears, and an algorithmic abyss that could easily swallow your book whole. I spent more hours than I can count researching publishing options, agonizing over choices that, to a seasoned author, might seem minor. But to me? Each one felt enormous.
There were so many moments I wanted to give up.
But in those moments, it was my characters—yes, those somewhat fictional beings I brought to life—who grounded me. Ambrose, Flintlock, Pathfinder, Tarti... and even those still waiting in the wings for their debut. Their journeys, trials, and transformations became metaphors for my own. They reminded me to keep going, even when I felt completely adrift.
And then, there were the real people. Friends. Colleagues. Readers. Patients I care for. People who saw something in me even when I couldn’t. They cheered me on when I couldn’t find the courage. They reminded me that this dream mattered.
So I hoisted my metaphorical sails, shaky sea legs and all, and ventured into waters unknown.
Self-publishing didn’t just teach me how to share a book with the world—it taught me how to believe in myself, to trust my voice, and to keep going when the wind died or the storms came in.
This journey is far from over. But I’ve come to realize: every indie author’s voyage starts with uncertainty... and leads to transformation.
Stay with me—Part 3 of this blog series will explore the emotional toll of marketing your work and the surprising lessons I learned from rejection and resilience.
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Until then—
With heart,
Ambrose Fider
Author of The Crimson Legacy Series