By Duane Simolke
By my mid-twenties, I had already written or drafted short stories, poems, song lyrics, essays, articles, and novels. The newer stories used the fictional town of Acorn as a setting. Since I had moved to Texas a few years earlier, the town eventually became Acorn, Texas.
Attempts at finding a publisher kept failing, but I came across information about the emerging trend of eBooks. It meant I could finally get my books out there. I had achieved publication in newspapers, magazines, and ezines, but my books remained unpublished. The Acorn Stories seemed the most complete and the most marketable of my manuscripts, so it became my first eBook release, 24 years ago.
Several months later, someone contacted me about a new technology for book publishing called “Print On Demand.” I had never heard of such a thing. By that time, I had compiled my essays and poems into a collection and had extensively revised one of my novels.
Again, The Acorn Stories became my first foray into a new frontier of indie book publishing. More of my works followed over the next few years, including an anthology, The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer. I had always wanted to start a fundraiser to help people with cancer. The idea suddenly came to me that I could use characters and settings from The Acorn Stories but also include works by other writers who wanted to join in the cause. I made sure the works stood alone, for readers who had not read the first Acorn book, but it still turned into another unified collection that celebrated people of varied backgrounds.
Despite a great deal of praise and online coverage, none of my books have achieved the success I always envisioned for them, which often disappointed me. These days, I read more than I write, and I am happy with that approach.
I write because I love books and stories, as well as the individual words that form them. That love keeps me motivated and inspired as a writer, along with the many positive comments and reviews my works have received. When people say how much they related to my characters, how my works provided an enjoyable escape for them, or even that my words helped them in some way, it makes all the years of writing worthwhile.
In 2023, The Acorn Stories celebrates 25 years of indie publication. I plan to celebrate by continuing my writing journey. Thanks for reading!
