The Witching Hour

From Passion Project to Published: The Reality of Self-Publishing

Publishing a book is a lot like starting a small business. You dive in because you love what you do—whether it’s baking, designing, or in my case, writing and illustrating. You imagine being your own boss, setting your own hours, and working at your own pace. But the reality is much different. Instead of focusing solely on your craft, you’re suddenly wearing multiple hats: marketer, accountant, project manager, and more.

When I started my book project, I envisioned pouring my energy into writing and illustrating. But as it turns out, self-publishing involves much more than just creating content. It’s a whirlwind of formatting, researching platforms, and learning how to promote a book without a publishing company’s resources.

I did take a shot at traditional publishing, sending my manuscript to a few companies. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t hear back. Publishers are swamped with submissions, and my project—a poetry book with illustrations—is a bit unconventional. It’s not exactly a graphic novel, but it’s also not a typical poetry collection. It’s niche, and I get why it wasn’t picked up.

So, I embraced the self-publishing path, knowing it would be a labor of love. But the process quickly became overwhelming. For the past week, I’ve been drowning in layout options, sizing requirements, and figuring out the limitations of different self-publishing platforms. Instead of writing or drawing, I’ve been troubleshooting formatting issues and comparing print options. It’s daunting, to say the least.

However, after a lot of trial and error, I finally have a release date: The Witching Hour will be available for pre-sale in ebook format and officially launches on August 1st, 2025. It’s a huge milestone, and despite the chaos, I’m incredibly excited.

One of the biggest revelations has been discovering print-on-demand (POD) services. POD allows authors to publish without the financial risk of printing a large stock of books. Instead, when a customer orders a book, it’s printed, bound, and shipped to them—all without me paying upfront printing costs. It’s a game-changer, but it comes with its own learning curve.

Looking ahead, The Witching Hour is just the start. I have two more books planned for The Nocturnal Journals series, along with some connected stories. It’s been a challenging journey, but seeing my work come to life is incredibly rewarding. Now, the hope is that it finds the right audience.

Stay tuned for more updates as the launch date approaches, and thank you for coming along on this journey with me.