Self-Publishing Success: Lessons, Creative Freedom & Midlife Magic with Barb Hopkins & Kelly Garcia

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In this episode of Writers With Wrinkles, we dive into the world of self-publishing adult fiction. Authors Barb Hopkins and Kelly Garcia share how they turned frustration with traditional publishing into indie success, building their paranormal mystery series Chronicles of a Cursed Midlife from the ground up while navigating the challenges of co-authoring and marketing.

Guest Bios:

• Barb Hopkins – A former marketing director and freelance writer turned hybrid author, Barb writes middle grade fiction and co-authors the adult Chronicles of a Cursed Midlife series. Her dual path of querying middle grade while self-publishing adult fiction demonstrates persistence and versatility.
• Kelly Garcia – Known for her humorous, feel-good paranormal fiction, Kelly co-authors the Chronicles of a Cursed Midlife series. A veteran of the querying trenches, she now thrives in indie publishing, celebrating magical chaos, found family, and creative freedom.

Key Discussion Points:

• Why Barb and Kelly chose self-publishing for their adult series.
• The inspiration behind Chronicles of a Cursed Midlife and its themes of midlife empowerment, friendship, and second chances.
• The biggest challenges in indie publishing: editing, design, distribution, and discoverability.
• Essential tools and resources: Amazon KDP, Vellum, Canva, Publisher Rocket, Bowker, and 20BooksTo50K.
• How co-authoring adds both complexity and creative energy.
• Marketing lessons from Facebook takeovers, in-person events, and building an online community.
• Barb’s dual journey: querying middle grade while finding success in adult self-publishing.

Conclusion:
Barb and Kelly’s story shows that self-publishing isn’t just a backup plan—it’s a thriving path to creative control and connection with readers. Their success with adult fiction proves that persistence, community, and smart strategy can empower authors to take charge of their careers, even while pursuing traditional goals in other genres.

Links/Info Mentioned:

• From the Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors: https://fromthemixedupfiles.com
• Arcane Covers by Karen Dimmick – Cover design
• Publisher Rocket – Keyword research tool
• Bowker – ISBN provider
• Kindlepreneur – Self-publishing resource
• 20BooksTo50K Facebook Group – Indie author community

Crew Collective
A podcast about the wild, weird, and deeply human side of cosmic storytelling.

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