Rhiannon Hailey

I'm an author living in Northeast Ohio with my two children, two dogs, and husband. It had always been a dream of mine to be a published author. For years, I had ideas but didn't think they were book-worthy enough. Spending years thinking my ideas weren't good enough to put on paper. That attitude is what led to me choosing to focus on work and not a dream that would more than likely never pay the bills. As much as I tried to convince myself it was for the best, I never stopped thinking about being an author.

As the years passed and my children grew, I started having more time on my hands. That led me to get back into reading. Having not leisurely read in fifteen years, I started with books I enjoyed in my teens. My love for reading was reignited, but I needed something more adult. While on vacation with my family in Myrtle Beach, I discovered reading apps and was quickly introduced to the wide world of romance and fantasy. This wasn't my mom's romance with Fabio on the covers. These were shifter, fae, and vampire romances.

The more I read, the more ideas would pop into my head for books. Then COVID hit, and it was during quarantine I wrote my first novel, Untold Prophecies the first book in the Walking with the Moon Series, intending never to let anyone read it. The idea wouldn't leave my head, and I had to get it out. After writing a few chapters, I wanted an outside opinion and asked my friend Hannah to read it. She fell in love and told me I had to finish writing it. I'm currently editing the fourth and final book in the series.

“Welcome! I'm excited to have you here today. Let’s get started. What have been the most rewarding and challenging aspects of self-publishing, and how have you navigated these challenges?”

Thank you for having me! Going into this, I knew absolutely nothing about publishing books. My original plan was to get it on the reading app that introduced me to shifter romances. While reading the rules for submitting it, it was recommended that I apply for a copyright. Following that advice, I applied for a copyright on Untold Prophecies, and not long after receiving it, I got a call from a publisher. Telling me everything I wanted to hear. How they would love to read my manuscript, and how they receive thousands a year. They made it a point to tell me they didn’t publish everything they receive. I thought I hit the jackpot!

I started my online author presence and found the amazing indie author community. It was in one of these author groups the words vanity publisher was first introduced into my world. I quickly learned that what I hit was far from the jackpot. But it was too late. I had already paid them thousands of dollars, was locked into a contract, and they asked me to send them the manuscript for my second book.

I commented on the post and was told about KDP and Ingram. I looked them up, and as I read, I learned that the majority of the things I paid thousands of dollars for, I could do myself for way cheaper. After three weeks of formatting, frustration, and tears, I fully self-published the second book in the Walking with the Moon Series in March 2024.

Now for the rewards. The wonderful community of indie authors I’ve met. Many who I now consider friends. The amount of advice, support, and encouragement they’ve given me is overwhelming. It’s also rewarding for me to be able to share the knowledge I’ve learned with new authors. I love having the freedom to write when I feel like it and not be under pressure to produce. Self-publishing isn’t all cupcakes and roses, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Wow, I’m so sorry that happened to you. Could you tell us about your favourite genre to write and why?”

I haven’t found a favorite yet. The Walking with the Moon Series is a paranormal shifter fantasy romance. My current works in progress is more contemporary. I love mashing tropes and genres together. I never want to limit myself when it comes to writing.

“That's quite interesting! It's wonderful to have the freedom to explore various genres. Now, where do you draw inspiration from for your writing?”

I draw inspiration from everywhere. People, books, music, television shows, and world events.

“It sounds like you have a wide range of influences. While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?”

That naming characters is so difficult! I learned quickly that there are a lot of names I don’t care for.

“That's definitely something many authors can relate to and something I never really thought about until becoming an author. On the topic of writing, does the process energize or exhaust you?”

When the ideas are flowing, it’s energizing! But when I’m trying to meet a goal, and things aren’t flowing, it’s exhausting. I’ve decided that when I’m not feeling the flow, I don’t write. This decision has reduced the amount of words I end up deleting.

“That's a wise strategy! Thank you for sharing. If you’d like to check out Rhiannon's work, simply click on the books displayed below. And if you want to stay updated on her journey, you can follow her through the social media links provided.”

Thank you! It was a pleasure to be here.