After spending four years crafting her novel and a full year querying agents only to hear "great writing, no market vision," Ariel Slick made the bold decision to self-publish her novel, THE DEVIL TAKE THE BLUES, a Southern Gothic tale set in 1920s Louisiana. The result? Her book now sits in 15 bookstores and has garnered stellar reviews.

In this episode, Ariel shares her research-intensive writing process, the emotional journey of writing about complicated family relationships, her deep dive into blues music and Southern folklore, and, most importantly—the exact steps she took to successfully self-publish, from finding the right editor to getting that crucial review that opened bookstore doors.

You’ll learn:

• How to transition from "aspiring writer" to published author without waiting for traditional publishing gatekeepers

• The step-by-step self-publishing process: editing, cover design, launch strategy, and the tools that actually work

• How to get your self-published book into bookstores and libraries using editorial reviews and personalized outreach

• Why you should skip Facebook ads when starting out (and what free marketing to focus on instead)

• The outlining method that syncs character development with plot (Story Genius by Lisa Cron)

• Why Kirkus Reviews matter and how to leverage them to gain credibility with bookstores

• How to overcome the stigma of self-publishing (spoiler: quality writing trumps everything)

*To support the podcast and get awesome, bookish merch, check out the Literary Prospects Shop at https://shop.literaryprospects.com

*For books featured on the podcast and other curated booklists, check out our online store at Bookshop.org, Literary Prospects Books: https://bookshop.org/shop/literaryprospects

*More good stuff for writers and readers: https://literaryprospects.com

Topics Covered:

[02:35] What The Devil Take the Blues is about

[03:26] The spark behind the story

[04:28] Why the 1920s Louisiana setting

[05:33] Writing as a love letter: Processing a complicated sister relationship

[07:31] Research deep dive: blues history and Southern culture

[09:26] From fantasy to Southern Gothic: Why Ariel switched genres

[11:12] Southern folklore and mythology

[13:11] The devil character

[14:38] Writing process part 1: Brainstorming, asking "why," and finding the theme

[16:00] Writing process part 2: Outlining with Story Genius by Lisa Cron

[18:17] Becoming a writer

[19:56] Ariel's road to publication

[20:46] Agent rejection: a year of querying with no bites

[21:48] The self-publishing decision: Creating Hell or High Water Books

[22:34] Self-publishing process: Editing, hiring specialist cover designers, and launch resources

[24:27] Book launch strategy: Using Joanna Penn's How to Market a Book and APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur

[25:03] Getting into bookstores: The Kirkus review strategy that opens doors

[25:48] Bookstore outreach: Using NetGalley, editorial reviews, and personalized emails to pitch bookstores

[27:21] Marketing mistakes to avoid: Why Facebook and Instagram ads aren't worth it for unknown authors

[28:54] Advice for aspiring authors

[31:17] Theme song pick: "Crossroad Blues" by Robert Johnson