INDIE JOURNEY : Kelly Lucente

My Publishing Experience

Writing Bye Bye Monster; Joey's Adventure on Monster Street was certainly a labor of love for me. I've always wanted to be an author and took creative writing courses in college, but never followed through or pursued my dream until I had my son who continues to be a source of inspiration. When he was struggling with nighttime fear and I couldn't find anything on the market to help him, I did a bit of research and realized that there was a need not being met for children just like my son. So I worked with experts in the field and wrote a story that would allow these little people to overcome their fear through imaginative play. It is my hope that through my stories I can make a tiny difference for children who are afraid at night or afraid in general. I wrote based upon a very real and personal experience and by doing so have channeled my passion into doing something a bit heartfelt. Self publishing was the ideal direction for my book project as I offer a monster spray to coordinate with the book and I did not want to lose creative control or have limited distribution channels. As well, I had an extensive background in marketing and branding so by self publishing, I knew I could gain adequate exposure for my book on my own. Part of my journey with this book (and future books in the series of Barley and Joey) includes school readings, speaking engagements, and mentoring other aspiring authors. If you can dream it, you can turn it into a reality. Just write about what makes your heart sing. Whether it gets published or not, you won't regret it.