My Journey Into Publishing by Laikyn Meng
My Journey Into Publishing
Laikyn Meng
I wrote my first book in the summer of 2010, about a teenage girl who loses her sister and finds a way to love through the pain. When I started writing, I didn’t know how to navigate or expand my world to learn the knowledge needed. I continued writing, wrote three more books in that series, and didn’t do anything with them. At the time, I was a holistic practitioner and ran a small business while being a stay-at-home mom. The business area focused on women, mothers, and soon-to-be mothers and how they can establish balance and focus on themselves to adjust to the new version of themselves as moms. My focus was on life coaching and clinical hypnotherapy.
In 2017 I read over 400 books. I devoured it like I was trying to force all those years of not being a writer and a reader into that time frame. I soon realized the Indie publishing world had changed; it was ignited with fresh faces and quality work, and I figured I had found a place where I could belong. It was a wild, stressful adventure to figure out, but I was there all the same. My skills increased, and my persuasion and unique voice began to flow more. Even when the days are filled with doubt, I still type sentences and post on social media. I convince myself I will write one more book, even if it isn’t a best seller. I know every word I write; I get better and better.
In 2019 I decided to get back into writing, and since then have published over thirty books. With Laikyn Meng, I write contemporary romance; my genre trope specifics are mainly multicultural, angsty, heartbreaky love stories that are better when they come from second chances.
Laikyn Meng embodied everything I wanted to be as an author. She is my alter ego, and I built my confidence around her ability to share an authentic story. I even go by that name in my life now, she is me, and I am her.
I have three other pen names, children’s rhyme books, fantasy, and erotica. I used to work a job where I had to work anywhere from 45-50 hours a week. I am a single mother, and finding time to write seemed nearly non-existent. But I forced myself to sit down on the weekends and write as much as possible.
The feeling, the character, and the story evolved because I trained myself that when I sit down at my computer and say I am writing this book, the book is ready to spill its guts. Now I am very blessed that my talent has increased, and I have taught myself to write an average of a thousand words in thirty minutes and can quickly reach a goal of 10,000 words a day if I push myself. This year I have written over half a million words. Not every book is my best, but I promise you out of that 500,000 words, my best work has come to life.
I am a complete pantser in every way possible. If I could claim to outline, it would be merely writing 1-20 chapters to ensure my word count of around 2,500-3,000 for each chapter factors into a 50,000-60,000 word novel. I have tried outlining, and it seems like a frustrating barrier when I could be writing out my whole story. Under a deadline, I can quickly pump out a book under a week if need be. Procrastination is fantastic for my inspiration.
My tone and voice are exclusive, and I have had plenty of editors refuse to work with me because they didn’t understand the stance or didn’t vibe with the flow of language. I have been told by authors I admire that to be successful, you need to blend in, write a certain way, in a specific tone, or you can’t get anywhere. When researching how to be successful in the self-publishing world, I contacted several authors on how they did it, what things worked, and what didn’t. I will tell you that you must ask authors you wouldn’t usually read. Different genres, even subgenres, will give you a perspective and insight you couldn’t find elsewhere.
When I asked authors I loved and fawned over, they were the ones that turned me down. But when I asked other authors, like sweet romance, non-fiction, and horror erotica, you learn so much about the industry that it becomes more about you as an individual and your brand as an author.
Your job is to make someone feel, and you can do that if you are authentic to yourself. I once wrote to Jerry Spinelli as a teenager, and he wrote back with one sentence and it said, write about what you know. I would love to add more to his statement. Write about what you feel, write about how you suffer, how you love, and how your pain is beautiful. Don’t be scared of those feelings, there is so much power in those emotions. These hurtful experiences, these life-changing moments, the ones that bring you to tears, and make you stunned into silence, are going to be what sets you apart from every other author out there with a similar story.
The best way to be yourself is to write an epic love story, one you can’t remove yourself from. In those pages, you’ll fall in love with yourself and embrace the title of author, writer, and creator.
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Author Bio
Laikyn Meng is a Japanese American indie author.
She has penned over twenty publications. She maintains a steady stream of romantic expression involving diverse character representation.
She is the author of noteworthy series, the female empowered; Femme Fatale, and the family drama; Mum’s the Word. Her poetry and memoirs have appeared in literary magazines. Laikyn’s unique tone is an iconic symbol for her stories.
Originally from Idaho, she now resides wherever the road takes her and her three children.
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NATIONAL PARKS
Do you remember when I asked you if you had somewhere to be? You smiled at me, bore into my soul, Phoebe, and said only the world to see.
I can tell you the color of the sea in Cyprus.
Show you what outdoor showers in Vietnam are suitable for, especially under the stars in a rainstorm.
Describe the sounds of a hungry crocodile in the Everglades National Park.
But what I can’t figure out is why the woman I love won’t forgive me for breaking her heart. Years have taught us we aren’t just a one-night stand, a stranger in a parking lot.
No.
What Phoebe and I have is worth dedicating decades for.
Adventure brings them together; love brings them back alive. A broken heart or two along the way. What two people do, is to make sure they survive.
BUY HERE
Category: How To and Tips
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