I am not a famous writer. I am simply an amateur writer who self-published a novel on Amazon. I’m not dissing myself. I started writing on a consistent basis in 2013. (A funny side note, I can always remember what year it was because it was after I saw the movie ‘Catching Fire’ and finished reading the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy. For another blog… ) I spent a lot of my adolescents writing but had left the hobby behind in my adult years. When I finished my second novel, ‘Dandelion Jane: Strawberry Jelly’, I decided it was time, time to publish and see what could happen. I spent a year weighing the choices of self-publishing over sending my work to publishing houses. Eventually, I decided for me, self-publishing was the way I wanted to go. I have also given myself permission to change that choice at any time. One of the main reasons I wanted to self-publish, my fans. I had a slew of people rooting for me and eager to read my novels. I decided I wanted to get them out there, I was ready to share them with those closest to me. When I say ‘fans’, I don’t mean a group of followers on Instagram or Facebook, I mean the people I know. I am not ashamed to call my parents, their friends, my closest friends, my fan group. Because they are and they always will be. I hope to reach beyond my immediate group of influence. I desperately want Dandelion to reach a whole new group of people, and in time I think she could. For now, I want to enjoy the satisfaction of my closest people soaking up every word of the story I wrote. Never be ashamed of those first fans, the people who cheered you on, the ones who pushed you beyond your comfort, and loved you through each misstep and pitfall.

Do you have a fan group? A community to help you grow and push beyond yourself?