Being an indie author means wearing a lot of hats. Actually, scratch that. Being an indie author means wearing all the hats. We're writers, editors, marketers, social media managers, graphic designers, event planners, newsletter creators, website managers, accountants, customer service representatives, and business owners—all while trying to keep the thing we love most alive: writing stories. And when you're preparing to launch a book, those responsibilities multiply. Suddenly, you're coordinating ARCs, posting on social media every day, updating your website, scheduling newsletters, reaching out to bookstores, planning launch events, managing ads, creating graphics, answering messages, and trying to convince yourself that you should probably be writing the next book, too. It's exciting. It's rewarding. And sometimes? It's exhausting. FULL BLOG: https://www.ardencoutts.com/blog-1/its-okay-to-step-away-why-indie-authors-need-breaks-too

I've decided that for my next book, The Crown We Bury, that I'm going to put a lot of the budget toward artwork. I've noticed that many author's that share more artwork of their characters seem to have more engagement and results from their marketing so I'm going to give it a go! I've just started putting my characters into mood boards and reaching out to artists. I'm planning a Spring 2027 release of The Crown We Bury so I think now is the perfect time to get started on artwork requests!