Getting Published

I was able to achieve one of my lifelong goals in 2016 by becoming a published author with Tirgearr Publishing, an indie publisher located in Ireland. It took me the better part of six months to write my first novel and complete initial edits before submitting it to publishers around the world with bated breath. My debut novel, Dust, was released in eBook format in March of 2016 under my pseudonym, Beaux Cooper, and has since been released back into my care to shop future, physical copy publishers if so desired.

Publishing a book for the first time created new challenges and required new skills that I had to adapt to on the fly, most notably, professional speaking and digital marketing. I traveled across Wyoming to lead Q & A sessions about how to get published while also providing book readings and participating in “Meet the Author” events. Although I had led large classes through yoga sessions and even trained prospective foster parents in their foster licensing, professional speaking was something else entirely. I was a little unnerved at first, but the entire mini-book tour helped grow my confidence in a field I was already learning to love – public speaking.

Since my publisher was an indie house, I was responsible for my own advertising and graphic design. This allowed me to develop my skillset even further by creating posters, digital and traditional advertisements, and postcards as well as participating in podcasts, blog partnerships, and developing and maintaining my website.

I started my website and blog for Beaux Cooper before the publication of Dust and maintained it daily for three years before taking a sabbatical from writing and publishing due to health reasons. Stepping away from writing was a challenge, but mustering the mental dedication to writing was turning out to be equally difficult at the time. Between 2017-2021, I rested my creative side and focused on my education and career all the while knowing I would return to writing soon. It has been a long few years, but I am happy to say that I found my inspiration again and have begun work on my next novel.

Over the last two years, I learned just how important connecting with people, even strangers halfway across the world, is. The pandemic created a boon of creative energies and inspired me to transition Beaux Cooper from a pseudonym to a brand, creating Beaux Cooper Media – an online publication and writing resource. I hope to be able to use the Beaux Cooper name to help further the writing careers of others, provide publication avenues, and develop intersecting networks for both fiction and non-fiction writers and readers while pursuing my own creative outlets. We are currently in the strategic planning process.

All graphics and images on my website are original creations and designs unless otherwise cited. My social media accounts are linked to the website and continue to be my main source of interaction with readers, particularly on Instagram.