Of Cliffs and Wings: An Author’s Journey From Indie to Traditional Publishing

“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”
- Kurt Vonnegut

As a shy, nerdy kid growing up on the north shores of Lake Superior, I spent a good deal of my childhood tucked away in the pages of a book. Often it would be a classic like Scaramouche, The Three Musketeers, or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Other times, it would be a story about animals, and I literally emptied our local library of the dog, horse, and wolf books on their shelves.

(The Nature and Value of Loneliness for Writers.)

It was no surprise, then, that I wrote my first story at the age of six (a sci-fi epic called Hammy the Hamster Goes to Space), had a full-length Call of the Wild knock-off by the age of 13, and was working on my own graphic novels while penciling for DC Comics during my university days. Whether it was high school essays or comic books, I was always writing. That said, I knew nothing of the book world and had no idea what to do with any of it once it was done.

In 2011, I’d finished a science fantasy duology (very niche—dystopian, genetically engineered cat people with samurai swords) and I decided to put them up on this new platform called Amazon. Fortunately, I was a skilled artist and had worked in photoshop for almost a decade when I designed the covers. I learned formatting, uploaded the books and bumbled about on fledgling social media like Facebook and Twitter. I wasn’t expecting much, but when I began to get fan mail, I wondered if this hobby could, in fact, become something more. As Vonnegut said, I could develop wings.

I began to investigate the book world—agents and editors, publishers and marketing. The early internet was brimming with information, but I waded through the onslaught to find many great resources, one of the best being Writer’s Digest. I even attended a New York WD conference in 2013, which included a boot camp with Donald Maass.

By this point, I had signed with a junior agent for a gothic steampunk thriller and was eagerly looking forward to living the ‘author life,’ whatever that entailed. I made a website and continued to work on the niche samurai cat books while I waited for my agent to do the deed and make a deal. She never did. It never sold. To be honest, I’m not convinced she even shopped it, and after three years, we parted ways. It was one of the most heartbreaking times of my life and I vowed to stay independent for the rest of my writing life.

I continued to write and publish, but I set myself to learning the business of writing. With each book I grew better, more confident, my wings strong, my voice sure. My covers were incredible. I could format and market with relative ease. When I wrote Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon in 2017, I was able to secure a BookBub promotion, which set Dragon on a remarkable path. By the time I had eight indie books under my belt, I was content with the state of my side-hustle, so when I finished the ninth, a nautical fantasy called Ship of Spells, I had no intention of returning to the query trenches.

I was Indie and Proud, fully capable of guarding myself against any future agent-induced heartbreak. But my good friend, Jean E. Pendziwol, had been working with Jenny Bent (of the Bent Agency) on her novel, The Lightkeeper’s Daughters (HarperCollins, 2017) and she insisted I try one last time. There was a new agent in the firm with a history in comic books and graphic novels. Heart in my throat, I took a chance, jumped off that emotional cliff, and in July 2020, I sent out a query. In August, I signed with D. Ellis Wilson (now with Looking Glass Literary and Media) and haven’t looked back.

Fast forward to 2024. Ellis and I had spent the Covid years working on the book, ironing out the magic system, fleshing out story arcs, and filling in plot holes. This collaborative process was entirely new for me, and I’ll admit, at first, I was intimidated. But once we got into it, I utterly adored it. Each email was like a fan-girl session as we tore into relationships with equal parts ruthlessness and glee. At times, I’m sure there was popcorn. I still had fears of the work not selling, but I enjoyed working with Ellis so much that it almost didn’t matter. This particular agent-client relationship was healing all the parts that had been broken years earlier. So, when Ellis messaged, saying ‘Liz Pelletier of Red Tower wants to talk,’ I didn’t quite know what to think. It was like yet another cliff and I didn’t know if my wings would hold.

I’ve often joked to my writing group that, if I was ever to be lured back onto the path of traditional publishing, it would have to be sweet. The phrase ‘Go Big or Go Home’ was literally my indie mantra, but this? This was big. Signing with Red Tower would be a big deal for a little writer from a small town. But, as with Ellis, the folks at Red Tower were so passionate about books that I felt part of the team from the onset. They certainly had their work cut out for them, as in its original form, Ship of Spells was not a romantasy. There was a romance, sure, but like all my other works, it was minor. I was a fantasy writer, first and foremost, and romance has very different story-telling beats. Still, just like every other step in my publishing journey, I embraced the need to learn a new skill and leaned in hard. With the help of Liz, Hannah, Rae and Mary, we reworked that romance into something that literally shines, and I can’t believe the results.

I know that for some authors, the publishing process is not always collaborative, but for me, it has been. Working with an editing agent, then substantive, line and copy editors was eye-opening, and I have so much respect for those who see everything on the page when my own eyes blur right over them. Working with the Art Department was an absolute delight, when before, I WAS the Art Department! As an indie, marketing and promotion was all on my shoulders, so now, working with an eager, talented and creative team is amazing. The process has given me a new appreciation for this industry, and for the mad, passionate love of books that we all share.

So, what’s next for this Indie turned Trad? Well, I have another dragon book to write. And remember those dystopian genetically engineered samurai cats? I have to finish that series for the lovely fans who’ve been waiting so patiently. But now, I have options. I have wings, as Kurt Vonnegut said, and I have to say, it’s a very cool way to fly.

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