10 Years of Publishing Round Up

Ten years since I published my first book. What have I done in all those years? Let’s go back in time and find out …
*woobly noises and wiggle time travel fingers*

It’s 2011…

I first dive into self publishing and release Memory’s Wake. It was so much fun that I worked to quickly write and release my second book, Emotionally Charged not long after. Then my daughter was born! So things slow down a little for a while…

2012

I realise that I can self-publish books in colour, so watch out, it’s Art Collection time! I publish Gothic Beauty, Fairy Visions, Mermaid Dreams, and Mythic Power. I’m busy raising an infant, but miss writing, so I write and release Emotionally Scarred, a short story in the Empath Chronicles.

2013

I get back on track with releasing the second book in the Memory’s Wake trilogy, Hope’s Reign. I also revise and re-release my graphic novel from high school, Fallen. Oh noes! I’m off track again and write another novel that is released under a pen name as an experiment! (See more about it in 2021)

2014

A slow year. I think I was busy working on the third Memory’s Wake novel and some other non-publishing things (I’m still running Fairies and Fantasy product production at this stage). Probably making dolls or some other side-track ^_^. But I did release Fairy Visions 2 Art Collection. I also had some line work available so I thought, why not put them together into a colouring book? My Fairy Art colouring book is released on a whim. If only I’d known what that would mean …

2015

This is when things start picking up. I release another art book, Enchanted Fantasy. I get the Memory’s Wake trilogy finished with Providence Unveiled, and also release the omnibus and companion guide (which I though would be easy but was like 3 months work!).

But wait … hang on … That basic colouring book I released last year, gosh, why is it selling so many copies? And wow, what’s this adult colouring book thing that’s in the news everywhere? And who is this Johanna Basford selling a million copies of her colouring book?

I decide to put together a slightly more detailed and thought out colouring book, and release Mermaids Calm Ocean colouring. It does rather well, so I also release Enchanted Magical Forests colouring book, Fairy Companions, and Magic Minis. That Christmas period, I sell about 20,000 colouring books and I don’t even know how this is reality.

2016

Okay, so colouring books are the thing right now! Got it. I buckle in and release Gothic, Fairy Art Grayscale, Mermaids Grayscale, Mythic Mermaids, Goddess, Night Magic, Enchanted Grayscale, Gothic Minis, Festive Magic, Mermaid Minis, and Faedorables Sweet and Simple. Phew.

I turn down three different traditional publishers who ask me to sign with them for colouring books because I don’t want to lose my publishing freedom or take the pay-cut involved.

2017

Are we still doing colouring books? Yes we are! Fairy Companions Grayscale, Memory’s Wake colouring book in line art and grayscale, Ponds and flowers, Fairy Magic, Fairy Colouring Journal, Faedorables Cute and Creepy, and Faedorables minis. But I really want to get back into writing, so I play around in my pen name again and release another story there. I decide that publishing is now my thing, and I start wrapping up all my other business activities (e.g. manufacturing/wholesaling my own merch).

2018

I’m kind of burnt out with colouring books and just want to write for a while. I release the Mermaid colouring journal, then write a few books under my pen name, then just before Christmas I panic that I’ve done like no new colouring books and get the Unicorns and Dragons colouring book out.

2019

After an incredible author conference in January, I decide it’s time to push my limits and see what I can get done. I publish Grayscale minis, Fairies and Fantasy Bundle, Fairytales colouring book, Gothic Colouring Journal, Gothic Grayscale, Faedorables Tea Party, Faedorables Colouring Journal, Fairy Portraits, Faedorables Beasts, Colouring Planner, Faedorables bundle, and Inspirational words. A title or two (short and omnibus) under my pen name. And I finally, FINALLY complete and release two more books in the Empath Chronicles. All that and I was away travelling for 3 months out of that year. It’s my biggest year of publishing yet and I was completely exhausted by it >_<

2020

I have big plans for another big year! Oh wait, Australia is on fire. I release the Empath Chronicles Omnibus, Fairy minis, and Aussie animals colouring book as a fundraiser after the fires. But OH WAIT we now have a worldwide pandemic and it’s lock down time. Homeschooling and stress about the future. Schedule and plans are all pushed back and relaxed. I release the Faedorables activity book, Tales and myth bundle, Grayscale bundle, Faedorable minis 2, and Animals and Flowers minis (all fairly easy as they re-use existing designs and my wonderful designer, Kim, does a lot of the set up for me). I work on and release the first book in a new series I’ve been wanting to write forever, Darkness Unknown – Beshadowed book 1, and also one all new colouring book, Dark Fantasy.

2021

Things have settled down a little, and I release Blood Bound, Beshadowed book 2. Those pen name books I mentioned? I decide it’s time to bring everything together, and re-release them under my name as the three book Heartsblood series. The Wild Magic colouring book is also done. Plans are to get one more new novel and one more colouring book out this year (I also have a couple more unpublished pen name books and things up my sleeve that I may re-release too). But for new work, I’ve decided that two novels and two new colouring books each year is a good balance for me. But plans always change. I like being able to be flexible based on my own inspiration and what my audience wants.

Total Currently Published Titles –

11 novels, 2 omnibus, 1 companion guide, one short story. Also 2 novels and 1 novella currently unpublished, and 4 audiobooks (uncounted in total). And three French translations (from another publisher though technically, so we won’t count them either).

24 “Main range” colouring books, 24 subsidiary colouring books (bundles, grayscale, minis, journals, etc).

That’s 62 titles altogether (anyone want to double check I didn’t miss anything??).

My books, out in the world –

My sales data tells me that over the last ten years I have sold at least 425,242 books and ebooks.

Over 563,754 if you also count free ebook giveaways.

That’s not counting anything through Etsy, audiobooks, or direct giveaways (e.g. through Bookfunnel, Booksprout, etc). Nor direct in-person sales.

That’s A LOT. A lot a lot. Damn, aren’t I meant to be a writer? Words fail me. The big numbers break my brain and I’m just so grateful and amazed and mind-blown by it, so I’ll just say again A. LOT.

Self-publishing has given me the kind of career freedom, success, and stability I never thought I’d achieve. I’m massively thankful that it’s a path available to me, and that my creations have been embraced by so many readers and colouring enthusiasts.

I wonder, what will my next ten years be like?

(Remember, my Anniversary Memory’s Wake competition is still running till the 25th, so be sure to go and enter!)