So, yesterday, I checked the total orders for One Step Closer since release in October 2025.

I knew I was getting close to the big ’50’ – but I’ll be honest, I had to take a moment to stare at the screen and take it in.

50,000 orders.

Wow. Even now, I’m still trying to get my head around it.

Is it bad that my first thought was: I just hope I caught all those bloody typos!

But seriously, when I made the decision to return to indie publishing with this book, there was definitely a part of me that wondered if I was making the right choice. Self-publishing means juggling a lot of balls, clubs… tennis rackets I guess? What I mean is you’re not only the author. You’re responsible for the covers, formatting, ads, marketing, websites, social media, newsletters, algorithms, release strategies, pricing, audiobook commissions, FUNDING THE WHOLE THING… and breathe.

At times, it can put you off a bit.

I won’t lie, there are times (especially before a book’s release) when I think: why am I bothering?

But over the past few months, I’ve learned so much. Probably more than I ever expected to. Not just about publishing, but about readers too. About what connects with people. About building something slowly over time instead of expecting overnight success.

I very nearly went down the traditional publishing route for this. But as I’ve stated in previous blog posts, having tried traditional (and having been lucky enough to be given the opportunity), I decided it simply isn’t for me.

I am comfortable formatting my books, self-coding ebooks, designing my own covers. These are skills I use in my day job, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to save quite a lot of money not having to go out and commission these services.

Still, editors are priceless… but don’t come cheap!

But one of the biggest lessons for me since publishing One Step Closer has been self-promotion.

That’s something a lot of writers struggle with, myself included. Putting your work out there can feel uncomfortable. Every book I write is an expression of myself, and there’s always that little voice wondering whether I’m annoying the hell out of everybody; posting too much, talking about my books all the time. But I’ve realised something important: if you genuinely care about the stories you write, you should be proud to talk about them.

Because if you don’t believe in your own work, why should anyone else?

I still feel like I’m learning every single day, and I know I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible as an indie author. But hitting 50,000 orders for One Step Closer has really reminded me why I came back to this side of publishing in the first place. There’s something incredibly rewarding about building this career yourself, connecting directly with readers, and seeing people support stories you poured your heart into.

So if you’ve bought one of my books, shared a post, left a review, recommended my work to someone else, or even just followed my journey quietly in the background… thank you. Truly.

I don’t think I’ll ever fully process that 50,000 people took a chance on one of my stories.

And the exciting part is, I feel like I’m only just getting started.

I genuinely can’t wait to take everything I’ve learned and pour it into the next books.

Watch this space!