Self-publishing my novels has given me confidence back in my own writing. I've gone from thinking no one would want to read the type of story I write - feel-good and uplifting, but involving serious issues - to finally starting work on a new novel, after months of not writing.
When I had my first novel published, I never considered self-publishing. Ten years ago not many people did think of it, but in any case I was completely ignorant of publishing in general.
My first novel - The Silk Romance - passed through the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme. My reader there thought it had real potential, which was a massive relief to a completely new author. She suggested a few amendments, which I duly made, and the RNA gave me the address of an editor at Harlequin/Mills & Boon.
