by Hayley Price
Being an independent author is tough at times, there’s no doubt about it. How do you persuade people to buy your brilliant book? It can be a daunting prospect, and if, like me, you sometimes lose heart, it’s understandable.
I have seen people say things like, “I struggled for years, but now I have 20 books on the market and things have finally picked up.” That suggests that all we need to do is keep turning out a series of great books, and success will be ours. The problem with that approach is time. Not the time it takes to write the books so much, for me, but can I write that many books before I die?
That’s because I am, as they say, advanced in years. I’m 67 and only published my first book in 2023. I can assure you that I remain undaunted by this impediment and intend to shoot for those twenty books, because I have come to realize that age is only an issue if we let it become one. When I was young, I worked out that when the year 2000 rolled around, I would be 43 years old, and boy, did that sound old. As I’ve got older, I believe that I have literally emulated the good wine of the old joke; I really have got better.
Almost nobody publishes a book, and if you do that, you’ve already won. The rest is icing on the cake.
My sixties have been my golden years, just like the old sitcom. When I was 63, I collaborated with a world-famous songwriter and a singer with a stellar resume to produce a song I had written. Over the course of a year, they wanted to keep working with me, and we produced three singles.
Then, at the ripe old age of 66, I published my first ever novel, “The Vermilion Ribbon.” I first wrote the story in the early ’90s. If I’d had the fortitude to persevere with it then, maybe I would now be contemplating my fiftieth book, but I didn’t. I waited until I was nearer to 70 than 60, and there was a lot to learn. I self-published, and I’ve had to learn how to promote the book, which I think is harder than writing the thing was.
At 67 years of age, I ran my first ever Parkrun as I realized that our bodies are designed for us to care for, not for them to do so. I have my second book with my editor, and the third is not far behind. I have ten completed manuscripts and I’m working on the next one.
My main character in “The Vermilion Ribbon” suffers from so much grief and guilt that she often considers ending her own life. So far, she hasn’t done so, and she’s persevered despite everything that I have thrown at her. I feel that she’s a decent metaphor for me, if I’m honest. I will keep going until the Reaper calls, and on that day, I hope all of you will still be around to know whether I made it to the magical 20 books.
I have gone from my heydays to, “Hey, another day. What new thing can I achieve today?” I won’t use the trite phrase, “If I can do it, so can you,” but I will say this. Don’t be a quitter. When your sales figures make you despondent, do not give up. Do. Not. Give. Up. If necessary, find a way to re-evaluate what success looks like, like I did when I finished that first Parkrun in 207th place. Almost nobody publishes a book, and if you do that, you’ve already won. The rest is icing on the cake. Don’t get bogged down in your heydays. Life is finite; achievement is not. Carpe the <expletive deleted> out of that diem!
About Hayley:
Hayley Price has always been a storyteller. Throughout her life, she has told her story through songs as the principal songwriter in several bands, most recently Adventures With Alice, whose songs feature in many of her books.
A New Zealander, Hayley currently lives in Canberra, Australia with her long-time partner and a grumpy, bossy cat called Rosie. She loves baseball and suffers eternal torture as a fan of the San Francisco Giants. Music has been a major part of her life, and outside of her own compositions, she is an enormous fan of Christopher Cross as well as Daryl Hall & John Oates and underrated 80s UK prog-rock band Voyager, who once named her their #1 fan.
About “The Vermillion Ribbon:”
Jason Bourne meets Robin Hood in this sapphic low fantasy novel.
Corelle’s fairy tale dream turns into a horrific nightmare in The Vermilion Ribbon, a pulsating mix of fantasy, romance and adventure. Corelle’s journey from innocence to cold-hearted killer leaves a trail of bodies from one end of Dur to the other. With her enemies in relentless pursuit and another woman’s life in her hands, Corelle cannot relax for a heartbeat. Despair and vengeance compete for her attention as death dogs her footsteps, leading to a thrilling climax that will leave you breathless.
Content Advisory: Non-consensual sex, LGBT, violence, death, suicide ideation
If you’re an indie author and you’re interested in guest posting on this blog, email here.
elainalyons.com 
Leave a comment