Stepping Out From Behind The Book

As Relic Reborn moves closer to release, the strange part is no longer just finishing the book. It is becoming visible with it.

For a long time, Relic Reborn has been something I could hide behind.

That might sound strange, given it is my book, my world, and years of my life poured onto the page. But writing is still, in many ways, a private thing. You sit with the manuscript. You puzzle over chapters. You debate with your characters and usually lose. You change sentences no one else will ever know existed. You build a world in silence and hope that, one day, it might be ready to meet readers.

But as the release date gets closer, that changes.

The book can no longer do all the heavy lifting on its own.

At some point, the author, me, has to step forward with it.

And apparently, that means stepping out from behind the camera.

The strange part of becoming visible

For most of this journey, I have been comfortable sharing pieces of Relic Reborn without putting too much of myself at the centre of it.

The cover. The quotes. The lore. The characters. The world of Azangrail. The themes behind the story. Faith, grief, loyalty, consequences, old wounds, and the sort of choices that rarely leave anyone untouched.

That part makes sense to me.

Talking about the book is easy enough. Talking about the world is easier still. Azangrail has been living in my head for long enough that sharing pieces of it feels natural.

Sharing myself is different.

There is something very odd about looking into a camera and trying to speak naturally about a book that spent years being built quietly in the background. It feels raw in a way writing does not. A manuscript can be edited. A sentence can be fixed. A chapter can be rewritten.

A video of my own face is far less forgiving.

Especially when you are holding a book and trying not to look like you have forgotten how human expression works. Trying to find that balance between over excitement and complete boredom. Of course, I’m excited it’s a giant leap forward but on the other hand its been with me so long my book is a habit, plan, write, edit and repeat. And then sit in front of a camera and be excited about the release date without being cheesy. It is just not me.

Why I started doing it anyway

The honest answer is simple.

Readers connect with people.

The book matters. Of course it does. The story, the characters, the world, the cover, the blurb, the opening pages - all of that matters. But as an indie author, I cannot simply place Relic Reborn on a shelf and hope the right readers magically find it.

I realised I have to show up.

That does not mean pretending to be someone I am not. It does not mean dancing on TikTok, chasing every trend, or turning the book into something it is not.

But it does mean letting people see the person behind it.

The slightly awkward author holding a proof copy.

The one talking about morally grey characters.

The one worrying about maps, formatting, launch events, proof checks, and whether the book is actually ready to leave my hands.

The one who still occasionally looks at the finished proof and thinks:

This is real now.

Relic Reborn is moving closer

The release date is set for Tuesday, 15^th September 2026, and each week that now feels a little less distant.

There is also an event beginning to take shape. Relic Reborn will be part of a Meet the Author event at Orbs Bookshop in Huntly, alongside Drew Wagar.

More details will follow once everything is confirmed, but it is another one of those moments that makes the whole thing feel more real. And nerve wracking!

For years, Relic Reborn was a private thing.

Now there are proofs.

There is merchandise.

There are posts, videos, conversations, and people beginning to recognise the name.

And soon, there will be readers.

That is exciting.

And also, mildly terrifying.

The book, the author, and the road ahead

Coming out from behind the camera does not suddenly make any of this easy. I am still learning what works, what feels natural, and what makes me want to hide behind the nearest hardback. Oh, and the number of bloopers would fill a studio.

But perhaps that is part of it.

The road to publication is not just about finishing a book. It is about learning how to stand beside it when the time comes. Not perfectly. Not polished into something false. Just honestly.

Relic Reborn is no longer only a manuscript on my desk.

It is a book moving towards release.

And I suppose that means I have to move with it.

Even if I still prefer being behind the book now and then.