I retired from my career as a software engineer in June 2023. Just over a year later, I reflect on the surprising, exhilarating and terrifying transition from the corporate world to the creator economy. This post explores the five most unexpected takeaways of the last year.
1. I was surprised that I did not know the genre of my book, Aulisyn.
If you asked me earlier this year what kind of books I write, I would have been perplexed. Literary horror? Science fiction? Neither of those felt quite right. Then I did an exercise from Orna Ross’s Creative Self-Publishing: ALLi’s Guide to Independent Publishing for Authors and Poets. The exercise instructed me to examine the theme, character, setting, and style of the books I find most impactful. When I was done, I had pages of notebook paper scrawled with words, arrows, exclamation points – and a newfound clarity on my genre (Gothic science fiction).
2. I was surprised to be excited about the non-writing parts of being an independent author.
The decision to found my own literary press and independently publish my novels is the most freeing, exciting decision I have ever made as a creator. I love being the arbitrator of what my books and website look like. It is satisfying to choose the technology I use to create my books. Even the mistakes I’m making are exciting, albeit frustrating; they are proof I’m pushing myself to learn. Building websites, writing blog posts, researching for my novels: all of these are supplemental to the real work of writing, but even these are fun.
3. I was surprised by my unexpected addiction to visual design.
My mother is a master quilter, with an eye for all things visual. Despite this, I never felt I had any inclination for visual art; I figured that gene skipped me. However, once I started using Canva for designing web content, sell sheets, logos, and book covers, I realized I am not entirely without some teeny-tiny bit of her visual creativity. I actually have to be careful not to get “stuck” in Canva designs at the expense of my writing time!
4. I was surprised by the overwhelming choice in social media platforms.
Okay, that is not an entirely true statement. You cannot live in the United States without a bombardment of buzzy platforms promising connectivity and delivering dystopian cruelty. The only social media account I use with any regularity is LinkedIn, and only because it is a de facto expectation that software engineers have a LinkedIn profile. I left Facebook and Twitter fifteen years ago (and regret neither decision). Now I’m faced with the quandary of going where my readers are, which means having a social media presence. After a great deal of vacillation, I’ve chosen Goodreads. I’ll give it six months. If Goodreads doesn’t help me find my readers, or if it is toxic, I’ll go elsewhere.
5. I was surprised by the clockwork ebb and flow of my confidence.
In the morning and at night, I am confident I will be a successful independent publisher. In the mid-to-late afternoon, my emotional tides shift to doubt. I’ve learned to accept both the confidence and the doubt for what they are: internal feelings driven by diurnal changes in my body. Emotions are not portents. When doubt rises, I focus on what I can do today, trusting that the tides will change.
Erzsebet Carmean 