What Being A Publishing Assistant Taught Me About Being an Indie Author
As both an author and a publishing assistant, I get to see the industry from both sides. Half of my week is spent working on other authors’ manuscripts – editing, cover design, metadata, typesetting, research, marketing. When the workweek ends, I shift my focus to doing the same things for my own books.
Seeing the industry from both sides has only made me more passionate about the magic of storytelling – and more determined to help other writers navigate their own paths to publication.
Publishing a book is a big endeavour, and I’m excited that my second novel has just been released. The Fate of Addie Monroe is a low-fantasy, coming-of-age story about belief, self-discovery and learning to trust yourself when the world tells you to stop believing in magic. This story is the first in The Lore of Fate series.
How the journey began
When I published my first book, Till the End of Time, I knew absolutely nothing about publishing. I had exactly one contact in the industry and trusted my editor/designer with everything from the layout and cover design to the upload to KDP. My first book was published while I was sitting in the Wellington airport on the day I moved from Australia to New Zealand. There was no celebration, no big sigh of relief – it was just done.
My excitement lasted around one day, on the morning my first two print copies arrived and I held the story I’d spent five years working on in my hands. That excitement was quickly replaced by doubt – what would readers think? Did I do enough? Why does my book look different on the shelf from the others? My mind quickly noticed everything I could have done better.
And so I didn’t talk about my book for over a year; it just sat there, and I avoided telling anyone that I was an author.
Over the last two years, Till the End of Time has had a new cover, two typesetting updates and most recently an accessible EPUB created. These were changes I made slowly as I learnt more about the industry, and more so when I started working in it.
Do I wish I had gotten it right the first time? Sure. But I also realise knowledge can’t be downloaded instantly; it’s an ongoing process of discovery.
How I came to work in publishing
In May of 2025, I was in my final year of university and rather lost as an indie author. I decided to attend Ann’s talk on Self-Publishing at the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writers Festival. Ann answered so many of the questions that had been rattling around in my brain and shared things I had not thought about.
Such as putting a logo at the bottom of the spine to match traditionally published books. Such a simple thing to do, but you don’t know what you don’t know.
Fast forward a few months and I was organising my work placement for my degree. After a serious push from my mum, I reached out to Ann on the off chance she might be willing to take on a work experience student.
The practical and hands-on experience during my work placement was invaluable.
Since starting work with Dettori Publishing in January this year, I’ve had the opportunity to help other indie authors bring their books to life. Being a writer can be a rather solitary experience – the creating and writing is usually done alone. So being able to assist other authors, be involved in their book's publication and share my own experience and knowledge brings me great fulfilment.
The never-ending maze of marketing
One of my biggest questions since becoming an indie author has been around marketing. And I now know I’m not the only one wondering this.
I’ll be the first to admit that I did absolutely no marketing for my first book. The very first post I made on social media was to announce that it was published – a sudden announcement with no prior teasing or sharing details. Just ‘here is my book’.
Something I’ve learnt is that marketing is often a game of trial and error. No two books are the same, no two authors are the same. What works for one author might not work for the other. The key really is to understand your reader: where they are, what they like, how they would discover your book and what would make them pick it up.
Posting before your book releases to generate interest and readers who are invested in its publication is one of my biggest takeaways from my first book. Does that mean I did that consistently for The Fate of Addie Monroe?
Not exactly to the level or extent I had hoped to, but definitely more than I did the first time. Honestly, sometimes it is easier to give the advice than implement it yourself.
Being an indie author means you have to wear every hat all the time. We are the writers, publishers, marketers and more. Sometimes we can’t do it all at once, and for me, marketing is that thing that always falls off when my plate is too full. Because if I don’t spend time on the actual books, there won’t be anything to market.
Marketing is a mammoth subject and something I’m still researching and understanding in hopes that one day my many trial-and-error tests can help other authors find their own marketing plan that works for them and their book.
Releasing the book into the world
Publishing The Fate of Addie Monroe has been full-on – tight deadlines, ambitious plans (as I added artworks and an illustrated guide to the to-do list) and self-imposed pressure to not make the same mistakes I made the first time. Being my second book did not make it any easier. Imposter syndrome and self-doubt were lying in wait around every corner.
The biggest difference between my first and second publication was that I actually celebrated this time. For any author planning their publication, I highly recommend having a launch event.
Whether it be at a bookstore, café or a small moment with the people closest to you – the act of bringing people together to celebrate gets you out of your head and surrounded by excited people. It doesn’t have to be a big or fancy event; the important part is that you celebrate. Because you did it, you actually published the book, and that is so worth celebrating.
And who knows, you might end up with two strangers who found one of your bookmarks at a local café, attend and end up debating which book and character they are more excited to read about (speaking from personal experience, that was a big highlight for me).
Writing is a deeply personal and emotional experience. Understanding the publishing process won’t necessarily take away the fear or imposter syndrome, but it will help you navigate the industry with more confidence.
When you understand what decisions need to be made and what stages your book will go through, you can create a strategy that works for you and your book.
Don’t forget to check out The Fate of Addie Monroe available now!
