Myth, Magic & Science in Storytelling

When I tell people I’m an indie author, I sometimes get the raised eyebrow. You know the one. The “oh, you couldn’t get published” look. I just smile. Because here’s the truth: I didn’t want to wait around for someone else to give me permission to tell my stories.

I chose the indie path because my imagination doesn’t fit into a neat little box labeled “traditional publishing.” I write novels that mix historical fiction, fantasy, science, and a dash of mysticism. Try pitching Einstein’s Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure—where a teenage Einstein discovers a magical compass that lets him time travel—to a boardroom of agents and editors. You can almost hear them fumbling for their polite rejection letters. But my readers? They get it. They dive in, cheer me on, and ask when the next book is coming.

That’s the joy of indie publishing: the direct connection between author and reader. No gatekeepers. No middlemen. Just me, my imagination, and people who love a good adventure.

But it’s not all whimsy and wonder. Indie publishing has taught me to wear more hats than a Broadway costume shop. Writer, editor, marketer, publicist—check, check, check. At times, it’s overwhelming. But it’s also exhilarating. Every book launch feels like a rocket liftoff that I engineered from the ground up. Sometimes the rocket sputters. Sometimes it explodes. But when it soars, there’s nothing more thrilling.

What I especially love is the freedom. Freedom to choose my own cover design, to set my own deadlines (and break them), to explore stories that blend Greek gods, Atlantis, time travel, and Einstein himself. Freedom to take risks. Indie publishing is basically the literary version of skydiving—terrifying and electrifying in equal measure.

And let’s not forget the community. Indie authors may not have fancy Manhattan offices, but we have each other. I’ve met fellow dreamers, do-it-yourselfers, and wild storytellers from around the globe. We cheer each other’s wins, swap marketing tips, and occasionally cry into our coffee over reviews that start with, “I wanted to like this book, but…” Being indie means being part of a tribe of fearless creatives who believe stories are worth telling, even if we have to wrestle them into the world ourselves.

Ultimately, I chose the indie path because it mirrors my philosophy on life: don’t wait for permission. If you have a dream, chase it. If the traditional door is locked, build your own. If the path doesn’t exist, take a compass—magical or not—and forge your own way.

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Grace Blair is an award-winning indie author of historical fantasy and science fiction. Her novels, including Einstein’s Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure and Poseidon’s Atlantis Adventure: The Human Hybrid Experiment, blend history, mythology, and imagination into epic adventures that inspire readers of all ages.