becoming an author

The Unexpected Challenges of Being a Self-Publishing Author

/ Author Simon Phillips / Leave a comment

There’s something rather thrilling about building a world from scratch. You craft your kingdoms, shape your gods, breathe life into characters who, over time, start talking back to you. But once you decide you actually want people to read what you’ve written, that’s when the reality sets in.

When I first began writing The Veil of Kings and Gods, I wasn’t thinking about publishing at all. I was just trying to write the story I’d been carrying around in my head for years. But now, with the second draft taking shape and the word count tipping well past 200,000, I’ve had to ask myself the real question: do I go down the traditional route, or do I take the leap into self-publishing?

For now, I’m leaning toward the latter. Not because I don’t believe in the traditional path, it has its strengths but because I believe in the world I’ve created, and I want the freedom to build it my way. That said, the journey to self-publishing isn’t all late-night writing sessions and dreamy cover design mockups. There are challenges you don’t quite anticipate until you’re knee-deep in them.

One of the trickiest is time. I work multiple jobs, juggle family responsibilities, and still try to make space for the novel. It’s not glamorous. Most of my writing happens in brief snatches, at school during breaks, late in the evening when the rest of the world has quieted down. Managing that with content creation for YouTube, blog writing, and building an author presence online is like spinning several plates while plotting a civil war between two kingdoms.

Then there’s the learning curve. Book formatting, ISBNs, metadata, newsletter tools, SEO, and reader psychology, none of it has anything to do with actually writing, and yet all of it matters if you want your book to reach readers. I’ve spent more time Googling “how to not look like an amateur author” than I care to admit.

Another odd challenge: sharing your work in public before it’s finished. Through Shorts, blog posts, and early lore reveals, I’ve let people peek into the world of The Veil of Kings and Gods before the final draft is done. It’s exciting but vulnerable. You’re inviting feedback, forming connections, and trying to grow a following, all while the foundations of your novel are still shifting beneath your feet.

The last thing I didn’t expect? The silence. Sometimes you pour yourself into a post, a video, a piece of lore, and it gets a handful of views, maybe a like or two. No comments. No shares. And that’s when you realise: you’re not just writing stories. You’re building faith. Quietly. Steadily. On days when no one is watching.

So yes, I’m leaning towards self-publishing. Because despite all that, I believe in this story and I believe in the long game. Traditional publishing may still be an option one day, but for now, the creative control, the direct connection to readers, and the freedom to pace this journey in a way that suits both the book and my life, that’s what I need.

If you’re also on this path, or thinking about it, I’d love to know what’s been the hardest part for you so far. Or maybe the most rewarding. Feel free to share it in the comments or just quietly know that you’re not the only one spinning the plates and chasing the dream.

5 Things I’ve Learned Writing My First Novel

/ Author Simon Phillips / Leave a comment

When I first sat down to write The Veil of Kings and Gods, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. Turns out, I didn’t. Not entirely. What started as a story I’d been carrying around for years quickly became something bigger, more demanding, and surprisingly personal.

So here are five honest things I’ve learned while writing my first novel. No fluff, no glory, just the raw truths behind the word count.

1. Writing a novel is 20% writing, 80% rewriting

When people talk about “finishing a book,” what they usually mean is “finishing a first draft.” The actual writing is just the beginning. What follows is a long dance of trimming, reshaping, rewriting, and wondering what on earth you were thinking when you named a city “Flarnrath.”

Most of my real progress has come in the second draft, when characters became real, scenes started breathing, and I finally admitted that yes, that one chapter was absolute rubbish and needed to go.

2. Plot holes are sneaky little things

You can outline. You can plan. You can spend hours naming every town and hill. But I promise you, by Chapter 20, a plot hole you never saw coming will sneak up behind you like a fantasy tax collector.

Sometimes it’s a missing motivation. Sometimes a character forgets something they knew two chapters ago. Sometimes your own world’s logic turns on you. And that’s okay. Spotting the flaws means you’re actually building something worth fixing.

3. Characters have a mind of their own

This one still baffles me.

You give a character a role, supportive friend, rival noble, doomed warrior and before you know it, they’re wandering off-script, falling in love with the wrong person, or refusing to die when they’re supposed to.

It’s frustrating and brilliant. Because when a character surprises you, they’re starting to feel real. That’s when the story stops being yours alone and starts becoming something living on the page.

4. Worldbuilding is addictive (and dangerous)

Creating maps, lore, languages, timelines, ancient conflicts, it’s endlessly fun. But it can also become a brilliant excuse to avoid actual writing.

I’ve spent entire evenings designing a river system no one will probably ever look at, just to avoid a tough scene. It’s a delicate balance: build the world deep enough to feel real, but not so deep you never come up for air.

5. Progress isn’t linear, but momentum is everything

Some weeks I write two thousand words a day. Other weeks I barely manage two hundred. And that’s alright. It doesn’t mean I’m failing. It just means I’m human.

The trick is to keep showing up, to keep the story alive in your head and your heart, even when life pulls you in five different directions. Momentum builds when you stay close to the work, even if it’s just scribbling a line on your phone while riding the train.

Final Thoughts

Writing this novel has been one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s taught me patience, discipline, and the strange kind of joy that comes from creating something nobody else can quite see, yet.

If you’re writing something of your own, or just thinking about it, I hope this little list reminds you that the struggle is part of the journey. And that you’re not alone in it.

Feel free to drop a comment below or subscribe to the blog if you’d like updates on my novel progress, lore posts, or random ramblings from the author cave.

See you in the next post.