#romanceclass: getting through the journey

I have always wanted to become a published author ever since I first started to write short stories when I was in fourth grade. I believe the first fiction I wrote was the "Alamat ng Pagong" but my own version. I don't exactly remember the details of the story anymore since it has been decades ago.

Anyway, I continued with my writing but very few people got to read my stories because most of them were in relation to my personal experiences (most of them wishful thinking) but still, it laid out to be one heck of a story. But years later, I decided I wanted more people to read them and be able to share being a hopeless romantic to everyone so I thought of the last option which was to self-publish my own books.

I decided to start with that project two years ago when I had just graduated from college, but decided to submit to local publishers first so that I no longer have to worry about the printing costs, book designing costs, and copy editing and, the most horrid of all, marketing my books since they have the resources to do so. And two years later, I was still down to ZERO published books.

It really got me very disappointed and discouraged for fear that maybe my novellas are not really worth the attention or time to be read and appreciated after all. I knew I needed to do something about my dream and to be able to fulfill one of my biggest dreams. I thought maybe I needed a mentor. Someone who could tell me what to do, what the local publishers would want to see in my novella, and the like. And when I saw that Ms. Mina Esguerra (author of Love Your Frenemies, My Imaginary Ex, Interim Goddess of Love Trilogy, That Kind of Guy, which by the way, I have all read), I knew it was a blessing in disguise. And since I have little financial resource of my own, I was glad it was all for free! Was really glad that Ms. Mina was so generous to offer this to us and support other self-publishing authors like herself.

At first, I was not sure if I could actually finish her #romanceclass since the nature of my job requires me to be awake at night and asleep in the morning. But still I tried to persevere and sacrificed sleep to meet Ms. Mina's Assignment deadlines. For the first time, I felt like I was back in school cramming for deadline submission of papers, wracking my brains out for the perfect ideas to complete my novella.

I was very happy every time I was able to meet the deadlines and see the progress of my novella. And when I finally reached the end of my novella, though I was never sure it was good enough, I knew that I was proud of myself that I got to finish my novella- the whole 30000 words and more.

Now, finishing a novella is one thing. And marketing my novella and getting it out there is another thing. I am only halfway through the journey and there is still a whole lot more! But am a little nega on these things lately.

The first self-published book I have out there is not really doing so well since I don't really know how else to market my books and nobody knows who I am as an author and it just feels so disheartening. I want my book to look perfect but the cost is too high that most of the people in my target market still can't afford or has difficulty to afford my book. Why would they take a chance on an unknown author with a seemingly expensive selling price of her book, right??

Argh! I just wish I could have the luxury of free time and financial resources to go all out and market my books. I may be too tired by then, but I am already halfway there, should I give up now?