Member-only story
I’m Leaving My Publisher
Creativity vs creative control in the trad life
Nearly a year ago, I wrote about my path to finding a traditional publisher. The experience made me giddy, and I couldn’t stop hugging myself for months. Seriously.
That exuberant essay preceded the release of my debut in June 2024. I was fortunate to have my second novel also published by The Wild Rose Press six months later.
In the last six months of 2024, I exerted a lot of effort on the marketing side of my publishing journey. To be clear, the contracts I signed specifically stated that TWRP would not engage in any planned sales efforts. They’d get the books up on relevant sales platforms and list the books on the publisher’s website. It’s the lucky writer who gets featured on the company’s Instagram feed. The company offered “influencer” programming that cost about $800. No thanks, thought J.J. Ranson, skeptic extraordinaire.
Having my work selected by an honest-to-goodness publishing firm was heady stuff — so validating! I have nothing against my publisher at all, but the bloom eventually fell off the proverbial rose — pun intended.
I’m an independent sort who likes to do things on my timeline, my way. I needed more control over release timing, cover art, and interior design. On the marketing side, I wanted to…
