Reflecting on my (difficult) writing year
And the most important lesson that I learned along the way
If you’re new here, welcome. Let me re-introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me, by directing you to my welcome page, where you can find out all about me, Rosy Gee. If you go to the web page of my Substack, it looks different and prettier, and is probably easier to find previous posts.
2025 was definitely an annus horribilis. It started off badly. Three weeks into what I hoped would be a brilliant year, my world came crashing down. My debut novel, having been traditionally published in the preceding September, had the plugged pulled on it when my publisher decided to cancel my contract. Little did I know it at the time, but that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a horrible year ahead.
What does it mean to be a published author?
Like most people, I always thought that being a published author meant having your book out there, prettily sitting on book shelves throughout the country, and then the world. Hooray! Success. But that was a very simplistic and, I might add, a very optimistic viewpoint. The reality is very, very different.
What I have learnt on my writing/publishing journey is that nothing is simple. Nothing is straightforward. And everything takes forever. And I mean, forever. The publishing world moves at a glacial pace. If you submit to, say, ten publishers, the chances are that you won’t hear back from five of them. The other five will take anything from two weeks to six months to respond to you. I have been fortunate because I have had some very encouraging rejections, which spur me on to continue in my quest to become a traditionally published author.
Anybody can become a published author. That’s right. You read that correctly. In fact, I would go one step further and say that it is fairly easy to become a published author these days. But you need to have nerves of steel, a marketing guru inside you bursting to get out, and you must have the patience of Job. Here’s what Google AI came up with about the patience of Job:
"The patience of Job" refers to extraordinary, steadfast endurance through immense suffering, stemming from the biblical figure Job who lost everything but never cursed God, demonstrating unwavering faith and calm perseverance. It signifies remarkable composure, trust in divine sovereignty, and the ability to handle severe trials (like losing family, health, and wealth) without losing hope, a concept highlighted in the New Testament book of James as a model for believers.
The religious reference was coincidental. My main point being that whatever happens, ie if you lose family, your health or your wealth, you mustn’t give up. You must be patient because as everybody knows, patience is a virtue. I think this explanation is very apt if you want to become a published author, whichever route you choose to take.
Anybody can self publish their book. Today, it is easier than ever to get your writing out there, whether it be via Amazon, Draft2Digital, SmashWords or any of the many platforms available if you want to go down the self publishing route. But it’s not easy.
Why I became more determined than ever to self publish my first book
Once I had got over the initial shock and devastation of being dropped by my publisher, (I have since found out that this happens a lot in the publishing world), and it wasn’t just me, I dusted myself down and decided whether my book was worth fighting for. Hell, yes!
Having received some fantastic reviews on Amazon and an overall 4.8* score for my cozy crime novel, I was more determined than ever to keep pressing forward. My first stop was with the Society of Authors, the UK trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators. As a member, I had access to free legal advice and once I had established that I owned the manuscript, I set to work designing my own cover, as I didn’t own the rights to that. Then I employed a reputable company to upload my book onto Amazon, purely because I wanted it to be done properly, and I didn’t have the knowledge, or the time, to do that. My head was still all over the place at that point.
I wanted my followers and fans of The Mysterious Disappearance of Marsha Boden to be able to find it again, and to keep recommending it to others. Six months later (I know, I was in shock and denial for such a long time). I was also paralysed by fear. Should I try to find another publisher or agent to take me on? Probably not because I soon found out that once a book has been published, other publishers are not keen to re-publish it. So I soldiered on. Having had my book released, it was now unavailable to buy anywhere. People kept asking me where they could buy it. It was a horrible time.
Family issues intervened
January 2025 was also when my younger sister had an intensive course of radio and chemotherapy following an operation for throat cancer. Naturally, I was worried and concerned for her, and I supported her as best I could. All of this drained my energy and creativity, but I kept pushing ahead because that’s what we do in the face of adversity. We push on. Keep going. And that’s what my sister kept encouraging me to do with my writing.
April saw the sad passing of my daughter’s beautiful pet rescue greyhound, Queenie. I wrote about it here, and the post has been one of my most popular.
All the while, my sister’s battle with cancer continued and in May she had to have another operation for breast cancer, but she battled on and we were all there for her. She was, and still is, my absolute heroine when it comes to strength of character and stoicism. She was an absolute brick. She soldiered on, battling her health issues, so I was going to soldier on, battling to get my book back out there, while supporting her through her recovery. We were there for each other.
Deciding which route to go down with my next book
As a writer, I have a network of friends and people I trust when it comes to making decisions in relation to my writing. But ultimately, it is down to us as individuals to decided which route is best for us. Having completed the manuscript for Book 2, I was unsure how to proceed. I had pitched it to a few literary agents and a handful of publishers, but there were just more encouraging rejections. Kind words about my writing, but no offer of representation or publication.
There is a part of me that feels cheated because if a traditional publisher decides to publish your book, you get lots of help. Bigger publishing houses have teams of people who will help market your book, create merchandise and basically get your book out there. (Sigh) My dream is to published by one of the Big 5 publishing houses, but until then, I will keep pushing ahead on my own. Only time will tell if my dream will come true. Patience and perseverance are key attributes of being a writer if you want the world to see your writing. After making the best decision of the year, I am going to push on to try and find a publisher to publish my second novel.
