A corporate lawyer by training, “unapologetically sexy romance” writer Meghan March started writing as a hobby until one book about the advantages of indie publishing changed everything. The USA Today bestselling author of the Beneath series has recently released a spinoff of her Dirty Billionaire series. March is a relatively recent recruit to the field of self-publishing but enjoys the freedom and autonomy so much that she believes strongly in staying the indie course until she finds “the right fit” with traditional publishers.

Can you describe your start as an author? What was your first book, and how did you go about publishing it?

I got my start while I was working full-time as a corporate lawyer. I needed a creative outlet and was an avid romance reader. I’d promised myself that someday I would write a book, and one day I just decided to start. It took me about two years to write Flash Bang, which was my first. It was a hobby, something I did when I felt like it. When I first started writing, one of my favorite ways to procrastinate was looking at all the small press publisher websites and comparing the submission guidelines and terms. Eventually, I decided to self-publish rather than submit.

Why did you choose to self-publish your books?

When I was procrastinating and comparing small press publishers, I also emailed several of my favorite authors about whether they thought a new author should try small press or go directly to self-publishing. They were all so gracious about responding, and I got differing opinions on which route to take. Finally, one of the authors suggested I read a book about self-publishing, so I took her advice, and it changed everything for me. Once I truly understood all the upsides to self-publishing, I never considered doing anything else.

What advice would you give to a new author who is trying to figure out how to publish his or her book?

I get this question all the time, and I always give the same answer. Read The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing by the Indie Voice [a group of 10 bestselling indie writers]. That’s the book that changed everything for me, and I’m truly grateful to Jasinda Wilder for suggesting I read it.

How do you market your books and your work? Is there anything you do to distinguish yourself in the marketplace, especially in the crowded romance genre?

I market my books using a multifaceted approach. I employ a PR company, do blog and review tours, but also ad campaigns on Facebook and other platforms. There’s no one way to market, and I think a successful strategy includes a lot of trial and error and even more creativity. I try to distinguish myself by writing great books that are going to be memorable and keep readers talking.

Do you feel there's still a stigma associated with self-publishing?

I think there are some people who will always look down on authors who self-publish, but I don’t personally feel a stigma. Readers don’t generally distinguish between traditionally published books and self-published books, so why should we? We’ve seen many very successful authors leave traditional publishing in favor of self-publishing because it’s a great business model and affords the most freedom on every level.

What kinds of freedoms do you mean?

We choose what we want to write about, when we want to write it, how we're going to write it, as well as how we're going to package the story, price it, and market it. We're able to take risks not only in our writing, but our covers, our synopses, and our marketing strategies.

Poornima Apte is a Boston-area freelance writer and editor with a passion for books.