Samantha Mullins's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy-writer-problems"
Between Draft2Digital and the Demonic Realm: Five-Star Fantasy, Zero Chill
(a.k.a. the book is fire, but the publishing journey is... a hot mess)
Once upon a time, I finished a book. A real one. With chapters, worldbuilding, brooding fae princes, and a demon king who absolutely refuses to shut up in my head.
I hit publish.
Cue the theme music. Cue the triumph. Cue the slow fade into—
Publishing purgatory.
You see, dear reader, publishing a book is not like launching a firework. It’s more like lighting the fuse, watching it fizzle, and then waiting while invisible gnomes (also known as digital distributors) argue over who gets to throw it in the sky.
🌀 Draft2Digital: “We’ve sent your book to 17 platforms you’ve never heard of, including 'OverLibraryNetCloudPrimePlus.' It will be removed... eventually.”
🔍 Amazon KDP: “Hmm, interesting... You want to publish this? Bold of you. We’ll let you know after we stare at it for 12 to 72 business hours.”
🧙♂️ Goodreads: “You may be the author, but can you prove you’re worthy of a series listing?”
Meanwhile, I’m sitting here with my freshly formatted manuscript, my battle-worn fantasy map, and enough digital covers to form a small Pinterest empire.
And here’s the spicy plot twist:
I originally published Heavens Keys: Book One through Draft2Digital — because wide distribution sounded romantic and mysterious at the time. But with zero cash flow, no ad budget, and only six sales (one of which may have been an accident), I had to face reality:
If I wanted traction, I had to go where the Kindle gremlins live.
So I made the call. Pulled the book. I'm relaunching with Amazon KDP, and as soon as all those library tentacles let go, Heavens Keys will rise again — this time, with a seat at the Kindle Unlimited table and a vengeance arc worthy of a demon overlord.
And now?
I wait.
Wait for delisting.
Wait for KDP to go live.
Wait for my characters to stop roasting me in my sleep.
But while I’m stuck in this deliciously hellish liminal space, here’s what Heavens Keys: Book One is bringing to your plate:
🔹 Fae courts with winter chill and way too much political tension
🔹 Prophecies no one understands but everyone wants to fight over
🔹 A heroine who's more than just "the chosen one" (but also, yeah, she totally is)
🔹 A demon overlord who absolutely needs therapy
🔹 Slow-burn romance so good it hurts (in all the best ways)
Heavens Keys is coming.
She’s got her hair up, her combat boots on, and her prophecy locked and loaded.
And when the book finally drops?
We feast.
Or at the very least, I cry into my coffee while watching KU page reads trickle in like crumbs from a celestial buffet.
Until then, I’ll be here.
Between Draft2Digital and the Demonic Realm.
Waiting.
Plotting.
Probably naming Book Five something unhinged like Heavens Keys: Who Let the Goblins In?
📚 Stay Connected (or risk being cursed by fae algorithms):
💜 Add Heavens Keys: Book One on Goodreads – help shelve it before the fae do
🗝️ Subscribe for updates, sneak peeks, and dark fae memes [Insert Your Newsletter Link]
📱 Follow me on [Instagram] / [TikTok] / [Wherever You Haunt] – I promise unhinged book energy and zero chill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQTlC...
Once upon a time, I finished a book. A real one. With chapters, worldbuilding, brooding fae princes, and a demon king who absolutely refuses to shut up in my head.
I hit publish.
Cue the theme music. Cue the triumph. Cue the slow fade into—
Publishing purgatory.
You see, dear reader, publishing a book is not like launching a firework. It’s more like lighting the fuse, watching it fizzle, and then waiting while invisible gnomes (also known as digital distributors) argue over who gets to throw it in the sky.
🌀 Draft2Digital: “We’ve sent your book to 17 platforms you’ve never heard of, including 'OverLibraryNetCloudPrimePlus.' It will be removed... eventually.”
🔍 Amazon KDP: “Hmm, interesting... You want to publish this? Bold of you. We’ll let you know after we stare at it for 12 to 72 business hours.”
🧙♂️ Goodreads: “You may be the author, but can you prove you’re worthy of a series listing?”
Meanwhile, I’m sitting here with my freshly formatted manuscript, my battle-worn fantasy map, and enough digital covers to form a small Pinterest empire.
And here’s the spicy plot twist:
I originally published Heavens Keys: Book One through Draft2Digital — because wide distribution sounded romantic and mysterious at the time. But with zero cash flow, no ad budget, and only six sales (one of which may have been an accident), I had to face reality:
If I wanted traction, I had to go where the Kindle gremlins live.
So I made the call. Pulled the book. I'm relaunching with Amazon KDP, and as soon as all those library tentacles let go, Heavens Keys will rise again — this time, with a seat at the Kindle Unlimited table and a vengeance arc worthy of a demon overlord.
And now?
I wait.
Wait for delisting.
Wait for KDP to go live.
Wait for my characters to stop roasting me in my sleep.
But while I’m stuck in this deliciously hellish liminal space, here’s what Heavens Keys: Book One is bringing to your plate:
🔹 Fae courts with winter chill and way too much political tension
🔹 Prophecies no one understands but everyone wants to fight over
🔹 A heroine who's more than just "the chosen one" (but also, yeah, she totally is)
🔹 A demon overlord who absolutely needs therapy
🔹 Slow-burn romance so good it hurts (in all the best ways)
Heavens Keys is coming.
She’s got her hair up, her combat boots on, and her prophecy locked and loaded.
And when the book finally drops?
We feast.
Or at the very least, I cry into my coffee while watching KU page reads trickle in like crumbs from a celestial buffet.
Until then, I’ll be here.
Between Draft2Digital and the Demonic Realm.
Waiting.
Plotting.
Probably naming Book Five something unhinged like Heavens Keys: Who Let the Goblins In?
📚 Stay Connected (or risk being cursed by fae algorithms):
💜 Add Heavens Keys: Book One on Goodreads – help shelve it before the fae do
🗝️ Subscribe for updates, sneak peeks, and dark fae memes [Insert Your Newsletter Link]
📱 Follow me on [Instagram] / [TikTok] / [Wherever You Haunt] – I promise unhinged book energy and zero chill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQTlC...
