I’ve been a self-published author for just over one month now, and what a month it has been! It’s incredible how quickly one learns when flying by the seat of their pants. I’ve never been the type to do long, meticulous research before making decisions. Sometimes, this comes back to bite me. Sometimes it means I throw away money unnecessarily. Sometimes it means I get something less than I was expecting. Sometimes it means I just have to do better next time…

Wow, that sounds so negative! I didn’t make nearly as many poor decisions as I just made it sound, but there are a few things I know for when the Lucid Dreaming sequel is released that I didn’t know a month ago. Most of these things I won’t discuss in a public forum, because professionalism is important, but I felt the need to at least keep a record of my on-going revelations as an author.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is getting people to give the book a shot. People don’t know who I am. There’s a billion others like me. I don’t have a physical book to offer and many don’t like ebooks. The list of factors working against me never ends. I am fortunate, however, to have sold a pretty high amount in my first month as a no-name self-published writer, and no– not just to mom and Aunt Sally. But to achieve this, my hustle has been relentless. Let’s just say, the book doesn’t yet “sell itself.”

I think a major hardship with selling the book is that it’s difficult to categorize it.

The main character is 18 and entering college when the book starts, so… YA? — Hmm, nope. More on this later.
Soon, a plot involving the FBI and the investigation of child predators is introduced, so… Suspense? Crime? — Not really. It’s important, yes, but it’s more a story about human growth than crime or catching a villain.
Before long the book progresses to two years after college graduation and a love story unfolds between two adults, so… Romance? — Yes… and no. I mean, this is definitely a story about a romance, but it’s not quite as simple as all that.
The relationship gets pretty hot and heavy and in graphic detail, so… Erotica? — At times. (This is where we officially kick out YA, btw.) But while the sex scenes are very erotic and descriptive, they are not completely gratuitous. The sex is vital to the plot, and is almost like another character.

So this story is part YA–part suspense–part romance–part erotica.

It’s both fun and funny as well as soul-crushing and sad. It’s super sexy, with a romance that develops years after the lovers first meet; it’s a sensuous slow burn that is worth the wait. It’s a story about human nature and human resilience. It’s about trauma and healing and the fear of loving and being loved. It’s all of these things and more.

SO…. I fear I didn’t clear up ANYTHING with a crazy description like that, but perhaps I at least whet some appetites. If I’d put a half naked man on the cover, I think it would have been MUCH easier to get this book in people’s hands. But, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t. It’s so much more than that. (NO OFFENSE TO BOOKS WITH HALF NAKED MEN ON THE COVER. I LOVE THEM!) But it just wasn’t the right fit for Lucid Dreaming. 

To make up for it, here’s some half naked men free of charge. You’re welcome, ladies….