1. What can you tell me about your experience as a writer?

Where do I even begin to answer this? It’s not been just one experience, the journey has had lots of experiences. I’ve done several all-night writing sessions until 7.00am, got in the shower, make-up on, and out to the full-time day job (until I retired, that is). Like many before me, I’ve had writer’s block for several months at a time. Then comes the big thrill when you finally write ‘the end.’ The ultimate in excitement has to be when you finally get to unpack your first delivery and hold your physical books in your hands.

2. What made you decide to write a book?

Back when I was in school and getting excellent grades in English, I knew I would write a book one day. However, life tends to get in the way. You’re a teenager one minute, studying, then working full-time, going out socialising with friends most nights. The next minute, you’re busy organising your wedding. After a couple of years, the kids arrive, and there’s no real peace until they’ve moved out. Eventually, they get married and the grandchildren start arriving. Your babysitting services are now required.

It was the death of my brother that got me thinking about how he didn’t get to do all the things on his bucket list. I had already done lots … holidays abroad, etc. One of the several things remaining on my list … write a book … that is, ‘A’ book (as in, ONE book). Little did I realise, that halfway through writing my first book, it was destined to become a trilogy. And so it continues … book four (a collection of my short stories) will be published within the next 4/5 weeks.

3. What circumstances brought you to the decision to self-publish your book?

I think it was mainly my impatience. I’ve never been blessed with patience. Halfway through writing the first book, I asked myself if I had the patience to send out dozens of query letters to agents and subsequently receive rejection letter after rejection letter. The answer was, a big NO! I was writing a book, therefore, I wanted people to read it. I wanted to get my story out there immediately. Hence, I quickly made the decision to self-publish.

4. What has your experience as a self-publisher been like?

I’m still on that journey, and loving every minute of it. I actually had a publishing contract with a small independent US publisher for a year. When the contract came up for renewal at the end of the first year, I didn’t renew it. The publisher had done nothing that I couldn’t do myself. All the marketing was left to me anyway, so I didn’t see the point of continuing with it.

5. How do you respond to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing and self-published books?

I don’t let negative stigma bother me at all. Prior to writing my first book, I was a great fan of Dean Koontz, James Herbert, Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling and many others who were all traditionally published by the ‘big 5’ top publishing houses. Since making the decision to self-publish, I started to read lots of indie authors’ work and I was blown away. Just because we are not with big traditional publishing houses, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any genuine, talented indie authors. Self-published and proud!

6. What is one very important lesson you have learned as a self-publisher so far?

We all tend to get ‘imposter’ syndrome from time to time, but I have learned to believe in myself, and that is of utmost importance. If you get a bad review, let it go over your head. What appeals to one reader might not appeal to others.

Something else that is extremely important to me, we should be kind to other authors. Let’s do what we can to lift them up instead of bringing them down.

7. What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you knew at the beginning?

I was always of the belief that writing a book was hard work. I quickly came to realise that the writing of the book is the easy bit. The hardest part of the whole self-publishing process is the marketing and promotion, which needs to be carried out daily, and to as many social media platforms as possible.

8. A lot of authors of self-published books have reservations about promoting and marketing their book. Some even feel that it is a form of vanity or self-importance. What is your opinion about this?

It’s definitely NOT a form of vanity or self-importance to promote and market one’s own books. Every book we write and put our heart and soul into … well, it’s our baby! And what do we want to do with our newborn? We want to be proud and show our baby to the world. It’s exactly the same thing as self-publishing our novels!

9. How do you promote your books and what form of book promotion has worked the best for you?

I promote my books to all my social media platforms – X (Twitter), BlueSky, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and, of course, Facebook groups. Last year, I started attending book fairs, and I’ll be doing even more book fairs this year. Book fairs have worked well for me, but the footfall can, of course, be affected by the weather, or any other major events in the area.

10. What are some other important things you have learned as a self-publisher?

Edit, edit, edit … both before, AND after it’s been edited by a professional. Take your time. Self-publishing is not a process which should be rushed. Also, very important … it is YOUR work. Don’t let anybody change your voice.

11. Do you feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for other authors?

I feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for all authors. If your aim is to get rich, then perhaps self-publishing is not for you, and you should try to find an agent and, hopefully, a publishing contract with the big boys. However, if you see writing as a hobby and you just want to get your books out there and perhaps earn a little bit of money in the process, then by all means, self-publish. I wouldn’t ever go down the route of using a vanity publisher.

12. How do you feel that self-publishing their books has helped many unknown authors finally get the recognition their books deserve?

Trying to get a traditional publishing contract with the bigger publishing houses is hard. Many people get rejected time and again, yet this doesn’t mean that their work is not worthy. They couldn’t possibly take on every manuscript that is sent to them. Self-publishing has given many authors the recognition their work deserves. Without the ability to self-publish, many of us would have a collection of manuscripts that would never be seen.

ABOUT EVA:

Eva Bielby was born and raised in North Yorkshire in the North East of England. From the age of seven, she became a member of her local library, and was backwards and forwards perusing the children’s section at least twice a week. Eva still lives in her birth town. Her son and daughter, and their respective families, live in close proximity.

Having worked in accounts offices since leaving school, Eva passed her accountancy qualifications when her children were very young. She spent over thirty years of her working life as a company accountant.

Eva has always been interested in writing and has written many poems over the years. She started writing seriously in 2014 when she completed the first part of the erotic ‘Goings On’ series. Book 2 followed in 2015. These two books have now been revamped and given new titles, The Hurt and The Healing. Book 3 was completed and published in 2023 and forms the final part of The Hurt trilogy - The Scars. Being a reader of many genres of novels, Eva would also love to write a suspense thriller in the future, and possibly a comedy. She also enjoys writing short stories and flash fiction stories. Her fourth book, A Little More Of Me… will release on 25th April, 2026. It is a collection of short stories and flash fiction.

Eva has many hobbies, which include playing badminton and going on long country walks. She has a keen interest in spiritualism/mediumship, and has attended the Arthur Findlay Spiritual College and many other courses/workshops to develop her skills further.

Now retired from accountancy, Eva loves nothing better than writing and hosting guest authors on her website blog. She also enjoys swimming with her son and her three youngest granddaughters. During quieter moments, she enjoys a cryptic crossword, sudoku, and gardening.