Check Out Eli Rainwater’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eli Rainwater.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I used to write when I was a kid and briefly minored in English Lit at UGA, but I stopped writing and, sadly, reading when life became a lot busier. Then, after managing a busy restaurant through Covid and living/working in crisis mode for two years like the rest of the world, my bosses sat me down and politely but firmly told me I was one step away from burnout, and I was going on vacation whether I liked it or not. Then they packed me up and made me leave town for a week. I spent five days reading in a yurt in the mountains, and on the drive home, I realized that nothing was stopping me from writing down all of my daydreams, thoughts, ideas, and everything I had going on in my head 24/7. So I started learning to self-publish and wrote an urban fantasy book about a witch who owns a bar and has to save the world. I made a lot of errors along the way when it came to publishing, and I started a blog on my website to help others learn from my sometimes very costly mistakes. My sequel is out in March, and I am working on a stand-alone novel and three other series that will be released in 2023 and 2024.

You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
Self-publishing has a lot of pitfalls. It is easy to lose money, the rights to your work, and time, so you need to know what you’re doing and how to find the best resources. Writing the book was the easiest part. There are a lot of steps, like buying and assigning the ISBN per version, getting the Library of Congress number, filing the copyright, finding a proofreader and editor, commissioning cover art and illustrations, sending out advance reader copies, and building a marketing campaign. In addition, my full-time job is fifty hours a week, leaving little time to write, troubleshoot, market, and try to maintain my social media and online presence. That said, it’s worth it, and this community has been amazingly supportive. I would not fully appreciate what I accomplished if I hadn’t worked so hard for it, and now I can share what I learned with others.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My first book from my first series, Welcome to Jessie’s, came out in August 2022. It’s an urban fantasy novel about a witch who owns a bar in a small town. The books follow Jessie and her friends, who are vampires, a werewolf, a ghost, a succubus, a Matagot, a Nain Rouge, and other witches, as they struggle against a cabal set on world domination while continuing to maintain a balance of peace between humans, witches, the fae, and cryptids.  I also did a lot of research into lore from around the world. Every supernatural creature in the books has a basis in mythology or folklore. Instead of going with typical stereotypes (like making ogres the bad guys), I looked at some lesser-known facts about the creatures I used and chose to use those as characteristics (like ogres as protectors). There is queer representation in the books (one of the lead characters is a gay vampire while his brother is asexual), but that is not the focus of the books. I don’t have any romantic or erotic content in the books except some hand-holding and kissing a partner hello. Instead, I wanted to focus on action, world-building, emotional connections, and mystery.

Another thing I did differently was to pass on the typical fantasy cover. The cover for Welcome to Jessie’s is a picture from Arcana and the cover for Where the Ogrekin Roam came from Bull McCabes. I plan to find a different bar or restaurant for each book and credit them in the book and on my website. Overall, I’m proud of the series and that I created what felt like a huge thing. I had a lot of help and support, and the reception was very positive. The constructive feedback I received helped me become a stronger author, and Durham is behind me and my work.

Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Do. Your. Research! Only sign something with an understanding of what you agreed to, look at agency and business reviews, get referrals, and learn about red flags in the industry! I keep a list of resources on my website and blog, and there are many others, including Writers Beware, which is an industry watchdog blog, the Author’s Guild, and the Alliance for Independent Authors. Join the Author’s Guild and the NC Writer’s Guild. Both provide legal resources, forums, and information on how to self-publish. The Author’s Guild legal team can help you review contracts, and they offer health insurance in addition to other discounts and perks. Also, take your time with the process. Your first book will take longer than you think, and you should plan each step, including when to file the copyright, how to get an ISBN, how to find a good proofreader and editor, the editing process, preorders, and the launch. Be transparent with your readers if you hit speed bumps too.

Pricing:

• $18.99 for my paperbacks
• $24.99 for my hardbacks
• $5.99 for my ebooks

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elirainwater.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elirainwater_author/
• Facebook: https://fb.me/elirainwaterauthor
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-rainwater-26337a251/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EliAuthor
• Other: linktr.ee/eli.rainwater.author

Image Credits
Erin Karcher, Sandra Albert, and Eli Rainwater