From Shelf-Stealing to Spreadsheets: The Realities of the Romcom Life

Welcome to this month’s update. They say being an author is a marathon, not a sprint, but sometimes it feels more like a series of moderately embarrassing hurdles. This month involves a bit of light shelf-reorganisation in Glasgow, a reality check on TikTok stardom (or lack thereof) and the cold, hard truth of the tax return.

Grab a cuppa or a Diet Coke, and let’s dive into the glamorous (and occasionally expensive) world of publishing.

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Highland Fling: Now in Paperback

There is a specific kind of magic in seeing your romcom on a physical shelf. Three days ago, I was lurking in Glasgow’s city centre on a covert mission to track down Highland Fling in both branches of Waterstones. It is officially out now in paperback across Waterstones Scotland, Waitrose, The Book Lovers’ Bookshop in Edinburgh, and The Dornoch Bookshop.

There might have been a moment of weakness in the Argyle Street branch. After a quick, nervous dart of the eyes to ensure the coast was clear, I may have shifted my book to a slightly more prominent position. In the Sauchiehall Street branch, however, it was already lying flat in the romantic fiction section—prime “discoverability” territory. Seeing it there makes me feel like a “real” author for a fleeting moment… at least until the imposter syndrome kicked back in on the train home.

Writing a Romance Series: Highland Proposal Progress

The sequel is officially moving! The manuscript for Highland Proposal is out of my hands and currently with the proofreader. This is that terrifying “limbo” stage of the Highland Romance series, where someone finds the many, many typos I somehow missed after three million read-throughs. For those following the series, expect more of the cosy, heart-tugging atmosphere you found in the first book just with fewer (hopefully) spelling errors.

The Cost of Indie Publishing: The “Business of Books”

Monday 6 April marked the start of the new UK tax year, and it was time to tot up the damage. For anyone looking to get into indie publishing, here is a transparent look at the ledger:

• Money Earned: £1,089.79
• Money Spent: £1,319.84

Between professional covers, critiques, formatting, ads and subscriptions, I am essentially paying for the privilege of being read. In the world of independent publishing, making “less of a loss” than last year counts as a genuine financial victory.

Wattpad Originals & Short-Term Success

It wasn’t all red ink this month, though. A shout-out to the Wattpad Originals programme—the promotion for Beautiful Biters did a lot of heavy lifting to help balance the books.

Advice for writers: if you have the opportunity to join an “Originals” or similar serialised programme, do it. The platform-driven visibility can provide a much-needed financial cushion while you’re building your backlist.

Managing “Author Cringe” on TikTok

My “platform building” remains a resounding failure. My life is too dull for the “Day in the Life” crowd, and my recent Pinterest stats show 1.6k views but not a single click.

Recently, I spent four hours editing a 30-second TikTok—singing, scrubbing background noise and timing book mock-ups—only to remember my content is safely anti-viral. Why do I keep posting? Because that hopeful voice whispers, “This is the one“. Even if the internet is collectively eye-rolling, you have to show up. Visibility is a volume game, even when it feels like you’re shouting into a vacuum.

Life at Home

At home, Lucy the cat is truly thriving. Now our only moggie, she is living her best life as an “only child”. She is living proof that some of us perform at our absolute peak when there is no competition for the spotlight (or the radiator).

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