CEO and Novelist An Entrepreneurs Experience of Self-Publishing

CEO and Novelist An Entrepreneurs Experience of Self-Publishing CEO and Novelist: An Entrepreneur's Experience of the Self-Publishing Industry In 2004, Leonora Meriel founded and managed Ukraine’s largest Internet company. In 2008, after becoming  CEO of the company, Leonora decided to return to her dream of being a writer, and went on to self-publish  her first novel, â€Å"The Woman Behind the Waterfall†. In this guest post, she discusses how her entrepreneurial background inspired her to follow her dream, and what it means to take on the publishing industry.Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to be a writer. As a child, I wrote stories; as a teenager, I wrote rambling, barely comprehensible novels; as an adult, I studied English literature in two countries. The only thing I ever saw ahead of me was books, words, and more books.At the end of university, life suddenly appeared in a big, exciting way for me. I had the opportunity to live and work in New York City, and I immediately fell in love with the drive, and the world of action and success. I got swept away with the intense experience of living on another side of the world - and, in time, I forgot entirely about books and writing. A decade later, I found myself as CEO of a company, and 30 years old.I’ve always been an entrepreneurReedsy authors Mari Reiza, Leonora Meriel, and Amy Kitcher at a NovelLondon reading.Through Reedsy, I found the wonderful cover designer Anna Green, who had designed Murakami covers and Vintage Classics (as a Murakami fan this was beyond awesome to me). I found Nicola Lovick who provided  a structural assessment that helped me rework my novel and make it more commercial-friendly.  I found Andrew Lowe, who line-edited my novel and gave me hours and hours of invaluable advice. He started off our collaboration with the warning, â€Å"you can’t be friends with your editor†. However, since he recently attended my book launch party and is about to edit my second novel, I think we can now call it friendship.  Lastly, I found Anna Hogarty, who proofread my book.Through Reedsy, I have been able to set up my new writing business at the highest professional level, and know that I am learning from the top professionals in the world.I have made plenty of mistakes but that’s part of being an entrepreneur. It’s a part of the fun in doing something different, brave, and new - and gaining knowledge that has traditionally been kept tightly within the publishing industry has been just that. Making mistakes is  part of being an entrepreneur. It’s part of the fun in doing something new. From a two-time entrepreneur, to all the entrepreneurs of the indie publishing industry -   and especially Reedsy -   thank you!The Woman Behind the Waterfall is available on Amazon for Kindle, and in hardcover and paperback.How have your past experiences prepared you to publish a novel? Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Leonora in the comments below.