We recently connected with Alesha Adamson and have shared our conversation below.

Alesha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Becoming an author has been both an unexpected and an amazing experience.

I was not the child anyone would ever expect to become an author especially since I struggled with reading due to my dyslexia. Thankfully, my family was a huge support helping me learn to read and work with my dyslexia. We would read together as a family and later my sister began reading to me, which cultivated my love of books and reading.

I had friends in middle school who wanted to write. We passed around a HP fan-fic notebook for a few months. Fan fiction was all the rage; however, I really had no desire to write fan-fic. I was obsessed with the idea that we should create our own stories even in my dramatic play. I even began a story in my own notebook and ended up tearing it to pieces, feeling overwhelmed and inadequate.

Discovering a love of writing really began with an assignment my senior year of high school to write a creation myth. I struggled to get past the five paragraph essay that had been drilled into all of us. A friend encouraged me to picture a moment and begin there. A scene popped into my head along with a name, and I began to write. Except the more of the story I wrote the more I felt that this wanted to me something more than a creation myth. How could I ever complete this unwieldy, growing story for my assignment?

I was relieved when my teacher canceled the assignment–perhaps now I could make this into the story it was trying to become. I wrote a bit more but no longer knew what to do with it. so there it sat until I was headed home from college for the holidays on the bus in the dark with nothing to do but think up the plot of my book.

As I began to write I discovered a joy in creating the story I never expected, and over time, I knew that this was something I wanted to do more of. I began to daydream of becoming published but never thought it would happen. For thirteen years I kept writing that book, without ever finishing. I even joined a writing group which helped improve my writing skills, but I began to despair of ever finishing anything even as ideas continued to pour in.

I made more friends who also loved to write. One of those friends was Camille Peters. We bonded over our mutual love of writing and clean romance novels. When I complained about my book she suggested I allow myself to take a much needed break from it. While it was admirable that I wanted to finish it, pushing myself would not make it happen. Following her advice I jumped into other stories.

Meanwhile, she told me that she was publishing her first book on Amazon. I was amazed and flabbergasted, I’d never really thought of self publishing. The more she told me the more interested I became, especially as I watched her succeed, and yet I still hadn’t finished writing a book.

Then one fateful day in 2019, Camille and I were chatting when she causally mentioned the anthology she was in charge of. I was in shock. Hadn’t she just started publishing books? How was she suddenly in charge of an entire anthology? She told me about her idea to make the traditional villain the fairytales the hero instead and how she had posted this idea in a group and gotten several people who wanted to join. In complete awe I said offhandedly, “I’d love to do something like that.” To which she quickly responded, “You would? You totally should!” She then went on to tell me all the fairytales that still needed telling.

Without too much effort, three ideas immediately popped into my head. When I told her she encouraged me to join again. I was in a bit of shock; did I really want to write a fairytale? An immediate yes, but the real question was could I actually finish it in time? They were planning to publish in 2021. I waivered and told her I’d think about it.

I almost immediately began writing one of the ideas I’d originally come up with. Once I was several chapters in I took a leap of faith and told her I’d do it. Now the only problem was, I had to sort out how to finish it.

I began with my usual process–writing by hand in my notebook and then transcribing that to the computer once I got stuck, polishing it as I went. The only problem was time was moving forward and my story wasn’t. I felt just as stuck as ever. I knew that if something didn’t change then I’d never get my book done in time and now I had committed. People were counting on my to get my book done.

Finally, I decided to stop doing the one thing I kept hearing but telling myself I wasn’t exactly doing–editing. Much as I didn’t wish to admit it, transcribing my story was editing. Perhaps if I first focused on finishing the rough draft I could finally get my book completed. Once I made that decision, magic happened. Instead of feeling completely stuck, I felt free and the words continued to flow and before I knew it the rough draft was finished and I was ready to transcribe it tightening it as I went, but now I understood exactly how the story ended so I was able to tighten my story much better then ever before.

When my cover artist finished my beautiful cover, I also began to envision my book being published. I was so blessed to work with other amazing authors, especially Camille who helped walk me though getting it published. Completing my book took determination, a willingness to do things differently, envisioning it coming to being and the direction of those who had done it before me.

Then earlier this year my friend Kimberly Sechser reach out to me asking for advice, she wanted to finally publish the manuscript she had been sitting on for years. Camille’s guidance had made a huge impact on my own journey–I literally could not have done it without her–and I wanted to pay it forward by helping Kimberly the same way Camille had helped me. Helping Kimberly helped spark the idea that perhaps I could help other authors on their journey to becoming published. I may not have all the answers, but I have now done lots of research and had talked with numerous authors about their own processes. I’ve come to understand things that I wish I’d more fully understood right at the beginning–especially with all the mistakes I made with publishing my second book (but that’s another story). If I could help others avoid some of the pitfalls and common myths while walking them through the publishing process making it clear and easy, all the better.

Alesha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an artist, author, reader, assistant librarian and publishing coach. I got into writing quite by accident due to my high school humanities teacher’s canceled assignment to write a myth (little did she know). But I’ve always loved a good story and frequently came up with elaborate plots for my stuffed animals, dolls or babies to play out. Copying movies was not aloud (although I frequently meshed ideas from media together).

Once I discovered that books were more than just confusing words on a page–as my dyslexic brain insisted–I became addicted to the written word. I came to crave the feeling of getting lost in a magical land. I loved trying to puzzle out complex plots and see if I could sort things out before the characters. Then as a young adult, I discovered clean romance novels. I loved the romance and relationships and best of all the kisses and happily ever after!

So once I began writing my own stories it came as no surprise that I returned to my fantasy roots with a healthy dose of romance. I still hate the idea of reading something that feels like a book I’ve read before, and the more books I’ve read the harder this seems. While it might seem counter-intuitive to turn to fairytales, I think my favorite thing about writing them is figuring out a way to represent the core elements of the beloved tales in a way I have never seen and that might not be expected. This becomes especially fun as I mesh in Greek and Norse mythology. Why blend two expected tales together when you can do the unexpected–like my current work in progress where I’m meshing “The Princess and the Pea” with “The Maze and the Minotaur”?

While I enjoy a good kissing scene, I don’t appreciate explicit scenes. Ironically this is one of the reasons I turned to clean romance as an adult. I stumbled upon many adult fantasy novels with random and unexpected scenes that didn’t seem necessary to the novel and weren’t the romantic emotional depth I was longing for. I want the romance–the character development, working together and most of all the banter! Nothing is better than a clean romance that makes me laugh. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is welcome to read what makes them happy, I just happen to want to write the thing I was looking for that makes me happy–clean romantic fantasy with depth and humor.

Now that I’ve told you a bit about writing and who I am as an author, I’d love to tell you about my recent journey to becoming a publishing coach. Once I finally published my first book I was so grateful for the opportunity to have Camille Peters guide me down the path of publishing. Publishing my own book seemed like an overwhelming insurmountable task. Camille kept telling me not to worry, that it was easy.

Easy? I wasn’t so sure about that, but with her help it was, and by listening to the advice she was giving me as well as the things I was able to sort out by asking the right questions, I was blessed to have a successful launch of my first book. Of course this doesn’t mean that my publishing journey went off without a hitch. I made several mistakes along the way–mistakes that I learned valuable lessons from.

Even after I published I continued to research and ask questions. When Kimberly Sechser reached out to me asking for a simple beta read, I saw myself in her and offered to not only beta read her book but help walk her through the steps of getting it published just as Camille had for me.

Shortly after I began helping her down the pathway to publishing, it occurred to me that there didn’t seem to be many people out there doing this. Sure if you have lots of money, you can find a good publishing partner who you can pay to do all the things for you but that usually costs upwards of $10k, not necessarily including the cost of the cover artist or editor. And most of us aspiring authors don’t have that kind of cash, unfortunately.

Of course you can always go the traditional way, sending out queries waiting for someone else to validate your book for you to feel like it has worth, then connect you with a publishing house who will frequently have you change things, get a cover for you and help you edit but they will still have you do marketing (sorry you cannot avoid this step no matter what path you take). Yes they will indeed pay you up front, but you will only be making a small cut of each book sold. If they don’t make a return on your book then you will never see anything more than the advance and they might never publish another book by you again moving to the next new and rising author. While there have been numerous authors who have found success this way, putting the fate of my books in the hands of someone else, making a tiny return, and giving up creative control was not the path for me.

The only other option left seemed to be doing loads of research, sorting out how to find an editor and cover artist ($500 lost for hiring the wrong type of editor–that is what I get for not listening), doing more research–possibly paying for numerous seminars (many of which seem to focus on the writing process or the launch glossing over or completely missing all the steps in-between), tossing your book onto Amazon and hoping for the best.

Or being lucky enough to find someone willing to walk you through what to do to set your book up for success and publish it on Amazon. I realized that I can be that bridge, I can demystify the publishing process just as Camille did for me, and even expand it, adding my own personal lessons learned and information gained. I can help people take their raw manuscripts along with a road map to what steps are needed to set your book for success before it is even published. Thus my coaching business Publishing Demystified was born.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Being an artist of any kind can be hard, or it can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience.

I do it because I love it, it is my passion. I’m able to connect with and bring others joy from a distance. Writing and sculpting allows me to express myself in new and enjoyable ways. It brings me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment to see my ideas brought to life. What can be better than making money from something that brings me joy?

Yet society tells us that we must be practical. We cannot make money from passion. Work has been turned into just that–work. A necessary means to an end–having the money needed to live. Growing up we are told that we can be anything we wanted to become. Being an artist is a perfectly fine dream, until we get older. Now we must “get serious” and find a career path that will make money.

Well meaning, parents, teachers, influential adults and other peers all seemed to gently steer me away from following any kind of creative dream. The interesting thing is becoming an artist, or any kind of entrepreneur, has some of the highest returns, but very few people seem to ever make it to the top so we are told not to even try. While this kind of thinking and teaching makes sense to some degree, it stifles creativity. It can stop people from dreaming and moving forward before they have even begun. But if innovative, artistic and inspired people all gave up we would not have the amazing inventions we use today nor would we have all the fabulous media and content we enjoy. Being a successful creative is more feasible now then ever before.

The thing is I didn’t need anyone telling me how hard it could be, what I actually needed was someone to help me see that my dream of becoming a full time published author was possible, and having someone in my corner cheering me on reminding me that it doesn’t have to be hard.

Life is what you make it. I may not be able to choose what happens to me but I can choose how I will act and react.

Once I listened to my friend Camille’s encouragement and I watched her own success, I began to believe that the same could be true for me. This belief turned into action, I began doing things to set me up for success. I made a commitment to myself and to others to not only finish a novel but get it published. I then began investing time, energy and money into making this happen. Much to my delight, I was finally able to do the thing I’d spent thirteen years unable and uncertain I could do–finish my manuscript and publish my novel.

Thirteen years I spent writing and writing without actually moving forward. Why? I was missing key ingredients: belief in myself and a reason to push myself to finish my manuscript. People who work their way up to success all needed to first believe it was possible because if they didn’t believe that they could do it then it would indeed be impossible. Once I believed in the possibility, I began to see the myriad of opportunities that were available and grasp them. Pathways were opened that I never imagined.

Opportunities are all around us, but we must first have eyes to see them and the faith to grasp them and leap.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I write because I love it and publish because I want to share my stories for others to enjoy. Taking all of my hard work, polishing it up and sending it out into the world is a wonderful, exciting feeling. Especially when I hear back from my readers and hear about the difference it makes in their lives and the joy they are able to experience from my words.

Having my dream of becoming a published author come true has been an amazing journey. A journey I want to share with others. Just as my friend Camille helped me, I want to help others to make their dreams into a reality. I want to give them a road map to assuage their stress and confusion about what to do and where to start, to make something that feels daunting easy and possible. I also want to help connect them with resources to help set them up for success.

I made several of my own mistakes including hiring the wrong type of editor, something that could have been avoided had I listened to my friend and properly discussed what type of edit I was expecting with my editor. Instead I expected her to just know what I wanted and got a copy edit (an edit usually done at the end of the process) when I needed a developmental (an edit helping with the over all story). Thankfully my friend helped me find another editor to help with my developmental, and I paid my first editor for all her hard work.

I learned many things from this experience and though it cost me hundreds of dollars, I don’t regret it plus I was grateful for the suggestions my first editor offered me and her validation. I also feel so blessed to have had my friend walking me through much of the publishing process helping me avoid a great many more mistakes along the way.

However, I don’t see why others couldn’t benefit from what this experience taught me, my further research and the information I gleaned as I have continued my journey of publishing. I want to continue to spread empowerment and joy helping others see possibility where only confusion and stress exited before.

Contact Info:

• Website: aleshaadamson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleshaadamsonauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AleshaAdamsonAuthor
• Other: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alesha-adamson

Image Credits
All images of me were taken by Tiny Details Photography. (The other two images are my own)