Dream comes true for author

SHARON REECE
Last updated 05:00 16/07/2014
Abby Wilder
NICOLE JOHNSTONE/FAIRFAX NZ
TOTAL CONTROL: Invercargill mother Abby Wilder has self-published her first book.

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As if working part time and raising two children wasn't enough, Invercargill's Abby Wilder has self-published her debut novel.

The 34-year-old, whose novel Girl Behind Glass was published at the end of June, said she had become a huge advocate for self-publishing.

And she's not alone.

New Zealand Society of Authors president Kyle Mewburn said self-publishing e-books had taken off with a "big boom" in New Zealand.

As established publishers reduced their lists, it made it harder for people to become a published author, he said.

"[Self-publishing has] always been recognised. It's becoming more of a part of the environment now. People turn to self-publishing when they realise that being published is becoming harder," Mewburn said.

Self-publishing allows an author to adopt the role of both publisher and distributor, taking complete responsibility for the publication of their work.

"I'm an advocate of anything that helps a writer get out there. Writers need every option available to publish their work," he said.

Leading such a busy lifestyle, Wilder said she had never found the time to pursue her dream of publishing a book until she was introduced to self-publishing at the Invercargill writers group Southern Scribes

"I just love the fact that you have control over all aspects of your book," Wilder said.

Wilder described her book as a young-adult dystopian novel set in the future. The book tackles both environmental issues and the personal issues of her characters, she said.

"I never even really considered [approaching a publisher]. One of the reasons is because I wanted to test the waters a little bit first and then it was through talking to another local independently published author that really encouraged me to give it a go," she said.

"After heaps of starts and stops, throwing out stories and starting again, I finally got a full length novel . . . it was my writers group in particular that encouraged me to self-publish it."

Girl Behind Glass is available as an e-book through the Amazon Kindle.

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- The Southland Times

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