After years of hard work, The Manhattan Mishap by Melina Maria Morry (moi) is finally coming. In just a matter of weeks, it will be available to order through my online bookstore. As well as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indigo, and thousands of other online retailers! I’m so excited, I could scream from the top of the Empire State Building. However, my self-publishing fears keep snickering in the back of my mind.

In many ways, self-publishing has been incredible! For example, I love the amount of control it gives me. At this point, I couldn’t imagine someone bossing me around and telling me what’s best for my book. (That being said, in the future I wouldn’t be opposed to a traditional publishing deal.) I love that from start to finish, the novel feels like me. I’m in charge of the plot, the design, the marketing. Everything.

So, what self-publishing fears am I talking about?

Well, let’s start by talking about what the ultimate success looks like to me. Back when I started my self-publishing journey, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire about my book and my goals. This is what I answered when asked about my future success:

Be a bestseller, build a following of loyal readers, earn a living, develop my own business. I want to be known as a leader in the chick lit space. When people read my book(s) I want them to laugh, get in their feels, be inspired, and perhaps try to emulate the character's sense of style. (The wardrobes are next level.) I want people to be able to chill out, escape their daily lives, and get lost in my chapters.

If nothing else, I’m confident. Most of the time. I’d be lying if I said that I never had my doubts. That I never feel scared. Or more accurately, terrified. But at this point, there’s nothing I can do but keep moving forward. My book is publishing whether I’m fearful or not. So, while I do have self-publishing fears eating at me deep down, I’m putting my most stylish foot forward and soaking up all the success I can.

My 3 Biggest Self-Publishing Fears When It Comes to My Novel, The Manhattan Mishap

Is My Book Cover is Too Different?

But different is good, right? When it comes to my personal style, I love being different. However, I’m not sure if that’s the case for book covers. After all, people judge those the hardest. (Don’t try to deny it.) When I was coming up with cover ideas, I browsed through hundreds of published books. It was exhausting! Especially because most of them I didn’t like. I then had to search through thousands of Adobe images for my graphic designer. Do you know how overwhelming that is? Beyond.

In the end, I knew I loved the idea of line drawings and some kind of cursive font. I also went for the orange-y colour because of three things using a similar hue: other popular chick lit books, New York subway seats, and taxis. A few weeks ago, I was having serious doubts about my cover. I actually… hated it. However, after bringing it to Manhattan and snapping photos with it all over the city, I’ve come to see its beauty again.

What If My Book Flops?

With both self-publishing and traditional publishing, this is always a possibility. The glaring difference is, with self, I’ve fronted all of the costs. What if I lose my entire investment? I don’t have anyone backing me up—no big investor, no major publishing house. It’s scary! Ever since I was a little girl, money has really stressed me out. I was never poor, but neither was I rich. Money is just something that I’ve always been aware of and never wanted not to have enough of.

First and foremost, my goal for my book is to make back my initial investment. After that, it’s all gravy. Or icing—I like desserts better. The thing is, if my book flops and no one wants to buy it, how will I accomplish my goal? Ugh.

Is There Even a Market for My Novel?

My mind keeps going back to a blog post I wrote in November 2020 about the relevance of chick lit and women’s fiction novels. Do people want to read fluffy, frivolous stories anymore? Or do they want something more hard-hitting? I’m not sure. What I do know is that I personally love those kinds of books. Romantic, hilarious, stylish. It’s right up my alley. However, I didn’t write my novel just for me. If I did, I could’ve just kept it on my computer for my own reading pleasure.

I guess time—and sales—will tell whether my book will be the success I want it to be or if it will get buried under the thousands of other books released every year. My hopes are riding high on the former.

Pre-orders for The Manhattan Mishap will begin on November 13, 2021.

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