Why I chose indie publishing
“I was Deputy Features Editor of that,” Alex said, prodding The Chronicle with a hard finger, “Sounds Ab Fab but it was a lot of leisure centre openings and dogs that say ‘sausages’ so I’m not sure how transferable my skills are.” – Laura Clarke Walker, Coldharbour: A Gothic Tale of Love and Death
Writing Coldharbour
Coldharbour has existed in some shape or form in my mind since December 2005. In other words, by the time it finally comes out, it’s had a twenty year gestation from when I was thirteen to very nearly thirty four.
However, for the first sixteen or seventeen years, I was more just playing with it, in the same way other people are really into certain video games or pursue creative hobbies that they’d rather not monetise.
The fact was, Coldharbour just kept changing. Every time I completed a full draft that could resemble an actual novel, it just didn’t feel right. I was dissatisfied. It was only with my father’s death and the subsequent huge lifestyle change I undertook, that Coldharbour as it is today came into focus.
Suddenly, I had a version of the characters that made sense. The plot felt right. The setting sharpened. And as I wrote this iteration of Coldharbour, I realised that it was something workable. And possibly even publishable.
Publishing Coldharbour
I have a confession to make (as usual): I was incredibly snobbish about publishing at the beginning. I had this idea in my head that I had to get a literary agent and be traditionally published in order for it ‘to count’. That otherwise, it was a vanity project, a waste of money that I don’t really have.
So I edited the manuscript to within an inch of its life. I used a beta reading service. I had a literary agent review my query package and she had very warm feedback for the first three chapters.
And then the querying began. When I explain to people what the process is like, I say that it’s less like a job search, more like auditioning as an actor. I had braced myself for rejection and I did deal surprisingly well with getting ghosted (the majority of the time) or being told that my work either wasn’t what they were looking for at that moment in time/was too similar to other authors they were representing (some of the time). At least I was never told my manuscript was a steaming pile of garbage.
So, I spent last autumn relentlessly querying, but as time went on, I started to feel uncomfortable with it. Which wasn’t a feeling I’d expected. Frustration, yes. Disappointment, sadness, self-doubt? Of course!
I didn’t expect to start second-guessing what I was doing because of the process itself and not because of the book. I started hearing more about how getting an agent was no guarantee of actually getting a publishing house interested, that advances had dwindled and authors were expected to do the bulk of their marketing themselves (which was one of the reasons I’d been avoiding self-publishing), that authors could potentially lose a lot of creative control over their work.
Obviously, these are the horror stories and for many authors, traditional publishing is absolutely the way forward. But I’ll admit it: I’m a control freak. The idea that literal characters and storylines could be changed or that the book could end up with a cover I hated – it absolutely freaked me out. That’s my own set of character defects. But the fact is, I knew that Coldharbour is very particular and I’d been telling myself over and over that everyone I like artistically has a very singular vision that people either love or hate – and the people that love it really love it.
If I’d had dodgy feedback along the way, I would’ve been doubting myself. Was I delusional? But I’d heard from enough anonymous and/or professional people that Coldharbour was a good book, so I just couldn’t bring myself to compromise.
Since I knew that the hybrid publishing house I had used for the beta reading service offered a full publishing package, I got back in touch with them and basically explained that I was halfway through the querying process but was having serious second thoughts.
Anyway, to cut a year-long story short, I’m working with them: I’ve been able to collaborate closely with the editorial and design teams, while knowing that I can leave a lot of admin (like ISBN registration and the actual publishing) to them. For me, one of the most exciting aspects is having a traditionally printed version of the book (I’ve gone for foiling and embossing, obviously, because I am that girl).
Considerations
Of course, not everything is perfect. Would I rather not have to invest financially in getting my book off the ground? Yes, but I had to have long and difficult conversations (and calculations) with myself about how much I want this and in what form I’m willing to have it. Being so involved with the process can be a blessing and a curse, if only in terms of the time commitment. Endorsements, for example, were pretty much impossible.
But in terms of pros, the creative control is a huge one. I particularly loved the cover design part of the process and how accurately the final version captures the feel of Coldharbour. Flexibility is another one and knowing that any demands on my writing output are on me – there’s no agent or editor breathing down my neck.
Honestly, I would’ve been completely lost at the beginning of this process if I didn’t have my publisher. But in terms of things that need to be ticked off your list if you’re thinking of self-publishing, I would say:
A good edit and proof-read. I’m lucky that I used to be an editor and I submit very clean manuscripts (my publisher’s words, not mine). Also, consider what kind of editing you need. Do you need a line edit that really picks apart your work or a developmental one that examines more macro issues, such as character arcs and plotting? I’d also put beta reading here. Often, I have little niggling suspicions about things that just aren’t quite working and it's always beta readers that illuminate these for me.
Cover design. I had very clear ideas of what I wanted and my designer, Alex, did a great job of translating my references. If you don’t even know where to start, I’d say look at your favourite book covers or even go into a bookshop and see what kinds of things are happening in your genre. There are some key questions you can ask yourself (and my publisher asked these too): do you want an illustrative style? People or no people? Literal or abstract? What colour schemes could work? What typeface?
Formatting. I get the impression this is the pitfall for a lot of indie authors, which is why I’m very grateful that for now, I just need to approve proofs, because it would’ve driven me mad while trying to set up everything else. However, I do plan to try this myself on non-Coldharbour books, so I’ve already downloaded Kindle Create to have a go at this. The same goes for registering your work and getting it out there. Research the processes and be methodical so you can sleep at night knowing that you’ve put a pretty professional product out there.
Marketing. Ha ha ha. The thing I was absolutely desperate to avoid, for two reasons, really. Firstly, I used to work in marketing and advertising and by the time I left (to flee to Mexico), I was finding it pretty soul-destroying. Second of all, I know how much of a time-sink it can be and when you want to spend most of your time writing (and you’re juggling an actually paying job and responsibilities), just the idea of jumping up and down and pretending not to be an introvert like you actually want this attention is pretty galling. However, I’ve actually come to really enjoy it and it’s definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. Again, being very methodical helps, but I’d also say: don’t pay for advertising. When you’re starting out, there’s no point. Slowly build your online presence (i.e. get a basic website, an Instagram and/or TikTok account, maybe a Linktree) and go from there. It was very tempting at the beginning of the year to go ham and try to get on podcasts and into events and contact book subscription boxes, but as time went on, I streamlined my focus and I’m doing all the better for it.
Finally, I would like to shout out my publisher, Rowanvale, who, as I said, do any and all of the above to a greater or lesser extent.
Supporting other indie authors
I’ve really been on a learning curve this year and actually, starting my Instagram and connecting with other writers has been a significant part of this. I also realised I needed to throw off the last vestiges of my publishing-related snobbiness and start reading more indie books. To that end, I started the ‘Indie Book Spotlight’ in October, in which I just highlight great self/indie/hybrid-published books once a fortnight so more people can discover what great work there is outside of traditional publishing. You can find those posts on my Instagram – the most recent spotlight is always pinned.
Pre-order Coldharbour: A Gothic Tale of Love and Death (out 31st January 2026)
