#164. Student Spotlight: Why She Ditched Her Agent And Self-Published Her Debut Novel With Stefanie Medrek

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Ever wonder what happens when you ditch your agent and decide to self-publish instead? This episode is a must-listen if you're curious about the ins and outs of self-publishing and how it can possibly safeguard your creative control.

In this episode, Stefanie Medrek is back on the podcast—and boy, has her story changed! The last time we chatted, she had just landed an agent and was about to go out on submission. But now she's releasing her debut romantic suspense novel as a self-published author. So what happened?

Tune in to hear why Stefanie parted ways with her agent, how she navigated the world of self-publishing, and what it's like to prepare for a self-published book launch (happening this week).

In the episode, you’ll hear things like:

• [07:39] A recap of Stefanie's journey since our last chat: from landing an agent to trusting her gut instinct and choosing self-publishing over traditional publishing for creative control.
• [16:00] The nitty-gritty production details involved in preparing a book for self-publishing (including the cover design mistake that led to a complete do-over)
• [24:02] The unexpected challenges (and absolute joys) of self-publishing, how she's learning to roll with the punches, and manage delays.
• [26:43] How Stefanie tackled book marketing, including working with a fantastic PR firm and creating special edition ARCs (advanced reader copies), and her super-savvy strategies to reach readers and build buzz for her book launch.
• [33:00] The importance of building an author email list and a smart reader magnet to connect with your audience (and why this matters for your book launch).
• [37:35] The heartwarming story of Stefanie's dad, a successful self-published author, his influence on her publishing journey, and how they celebrate each other's milestones.

If you've ever felt unsure about which publishing path to take, or if you're just curious about what goes on behind a self-published book launch, you'll LOVE this episode!

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🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Into the Fire by Stefanie Medrek
• Stefanie’s Website
• Stefanie on Instagram
• Ep. 71 - Student Spotlight: How She Wrote a Novel in 6 Months (and Landed an Agent 10 Mon

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

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1. Author's Journey (00:00:00)

2. The Publishing Journey (00:05:08)

3. Indie Publishing Process and Decisions (00:16:39)

4. Marketing and Genre Decisions (00:28:25)

5. Family Legacy and Writing Resilience (00:39:07)