When I decided to self-publish my debut novel, The Way of the Cicadas, I turned to my experience and tried to replicate the marketing motions I’d helped with in the past. In the process, I encountered all the ways that indie books need to be marketed differently—both due to budget constraints and gatekeeping and due to market differences.

There is no surefire way to keep yourself safe while querying because the literary agenting system is broken.

Please enjoy a rambling walkthrough of my decision to self-publish.