It feels surreal to be writing an article about my experience. Working on a novel beats you down and lifts you up in the greatest ways. To finally reach the end of my first novel is a relief, but it only fuels me to jump right into the sequel (which is about 50k words long so far).

If you know anything about how my novel came to be, you know that I have been blessed beyond expression. My wife did all the design work and cover, and I was fortunate enough to have Sarah Chorn help with my edits. Sarah made me evolve as a writer and Elegy is 10 times better because of her editing. 

When I began to look for an editor, I heard about Sarah Chorn and wrote her an inquiry, not really expecting much from it. I was young, new to the business, and had no real claim that my work was worthwhile. My wife had read my early drafts and even had her problems with how it was written. Despite my humble beginnings, I was able to snatch the attention of two wonderful humans, Zack Argyle and Bookborn.

The Threadlight trilogy by Zack Argyle was one of my first indie reads and it remains one of my favorite fantasy series to this day. I knew that his wife had a YouTube channel and later learned about their Indie Fantasy Fund competition that provides grants and services to indie authors. Being an indie author is not easy in any sense, but it has been one of the most rewarding things that I have experienced in my life. 

I submitted the first 10 pages of Elegy’s second draft to that competition and did not expect anything. A couple of months passed and to my surprise, I won editing services from Sarah. 

Editing was a long, difficult, and frustrating road. It was a road that required endurance and one that felt amazing once it was finished. Outside of writing, I am a marathon runner, so I know something about enduring to see the end reward. I initially hoped to publish in October, but Sarah helped me recognize that rushing my debut would not have done my story justice. Once again, I learned something about patience. During this time, I learned to find my voice, sharpen my prose, and dig into my characters. I met the characters that I created on a deeper level than I had ever expected. 

Creating a marketable product requires patience and precision. The Elegy that you have all read, or will read, is the result of years of work. Learning what goes into a book helps readers and authors alike. Knowing what difficulties went into perfecting each scene and character makes one realize each book is not just a story or collection of ideas, but a work of art. 

As the days until release come to a close, I am now turning to focus more on my future as an author. It used to be as simple as writing and editing, but it has now become a balancing game of writing book 2, writing other stories, and trying to manage a small business. In truth, that is what being an indie author means, running a small business on your own. This has not become a full-time job yet, though I hope will in the near future. Most of us have to juggle our writing passion with our other responsibilities. This is difficult, but not impossible. The community makes it possible.

One of the biggest surprises as a new author has been coming to know the great humans that make up the book community. You authors are stars. Thank you for the help and guidance as I learn the ropes. You reviewers are amazing people who give our words life. Sure, money is a part of the job, but it is the community love that keeps us going. If you read books, you are more of a hero than the people we write about.

I can’t wait to share this beautiful future with all of you. Great things are coming. Hold on tight.

As my name states,

With love, 

Kaden Love

Interested in what you've read? You can get Elegy using this link. 

About Kaden Love

Kaden Love wrote his debut novel in his final year of nursing school. Dedicated to his craft, he is ready to begin an epoch of unique fantasy. Inspired by the works of George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and Pierce Brown, he wanted to create his own worlds. Mixing the fantastic with philosophy, his words will leave you captivated and astounded. He currently lives with his wife in Salt Lake City, Utah where he juggles running to audiobooks, writing, reading, and living out his own adventures.