Becoming a Published Author by Cindy C Bennett

Being a writer was always a dream of mine. Because it was so near-and-dear to my heart, I believed it was something that could never be possible. I was constantly making excuses as to why it wasn’t a good time to finish a manuscript: I was too young to be taken seriously, I was too busy, I didn’t have the right equipment for writing . . . the list goes on. What it boiled down to can be summed up in one word: fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of being told I didn’t have the talent to write a good story. Fear of failing.

I began many manuscripts then abandoned them without completion. If they weren’t finished, then I didn’t ever have to try to have them published. It wasn’t until I had teenage daughters, and discovered the wonderful world of Young Adult literature that I found the genre I had a real passion for. I wrote both Geek Girl and Heart on a Chain just for fun, for my daughters. Then one of them said, “Why don’t you publish these, mom?” And I thought: why not?

I self-published Geek Girl in June of 2010, and Heart on a Chain in December 2010. In January Cedar Fort offered to publish Geek Girl. I signed with them in March and they re-published it in December of 2011. That means I’ve had the chance to be published both traditionally, and on my own. Both have their good points and bad points. I kind of like having my feet in both worlds.

Rapunzel Untangled is also being published by Cedar Fort through their division called Sweetwater Books. I’m excited by the opportunity to have another book with them, particularly this one because they’ve done a great job publishing some other fairytale retellings.

Publishing and becoming published is a long road that requires lots of work, lots of rejection, and with all of that, lots of high points. It’s something I’m glad I finally had the courage to try because now I can’t imagine my life without being a writer. Have your own dream? Don’t let fear hold you back. Go for it!