As an indie author, I strive to put out the best product I possibly can.

I use beta readers.

I have an alpha reader.

I have ARC readers and supporters who I bounce things off of if I am unsure.

I pay for different kinds of editing at different stages and strive to have that book as polished and finished as I possibly can by the time readers have spent their hard earned cash on that book. I want their experience to be enjoyable and as flawless as possible.

But when I make a mistake, I own it and do my best to correct it, like with the wonky formatting in Flame True, see this post

And in that post, I had a typo on “street team.”

But wanting to be perfect, and worrying about the technicalities I constantly struggle with is what kept me from writing for a good amount of time. So it was a learning process of learning to be open enough to hear the criticisms and knowing when I have absolutely done my best and not to touch it anymore.

So when I sent out a new newsletter the other day, welcoming new subscribers to my list, with “spciy” in the subject line instead of “spicy,” I cringed. But there isn’t anything I can do about it because I didn’t want to re-send another newsletter over a typo in a subject line – if it was in the context or subject of the actual message, I would have.

Making mistakes and carrying on is a whole skill set that is awfully useful in being an indie author (and in the quest to be a good human, too, in my opinion).

And sometimes, it’s knowing when to give yourself permission to write something really awful.

I’m working on a chapter of Flame For Foe today and it’s clunky, the words aren’t flowing because somewhere in my head, I am in knots about it being “right” or “good enough” and those thoughts don’t have a place here, for something nobody other than me, is going to see – I know it won’t be like this when betas get it. And giving myself that permission – that grace, to have an awful chunk of writing but to do it anyways, is how I am doing this indie-author thing.

If you want to read a BDSM book about an FMC who is a demisexual, Flame For Foe is up for pre-order here.

And check out these free erotica reads in this month’s Erotica Give-a-way in this Bookfunnel promotion!