A debut author who left her job in January 2026 to self-publish a fantasy novel says she began making money within four months. Alexis Rose, who released her dark cosy fantasy duology The Wellbegood Witches Part One and Part Two, is now building a fanbase and earning income from her books.
Rose spent much of 2025 preparing for her leap into self-publishing, writing one and a half books in advance. She chose to release them close together, a strategy known as 'rapid release', which she says helps keep readers engaged. Unlike traditional publishing, where there can be years between instalments, self-published authors often need to produce books faster.
However, Rose warns against sacrificing quality for speed. 'This doesn't mean using AI to churn books out quickly,' she said. 'Platforms are already cracking down on low-quality AI content, and readers are turning away from authors who rely on it.' Instead, she advises aspiring writers to focus on learning the craft and telling the story they genuinely want to tell.
Rose chose urban fantasy because of its loyal readership, but she cautions against simply chasing trends. 'Readers are savvy,' she said. 'They can tell when someone genuinely cares about the story they're telling — and when they're just trying to cash in.' She also recommends building a series rather than writing standalone novels, as series offer stronger long-term earning potential, especially through subscription services like Kindle Unlimited.
Rose currently earns income from Kindle Unlimited, where authors are paid per page read — roughly 0.0042p per page, equating to about 30p per full read of her shorter books. She is also preparing to expand into libraries and independent bookshops through the distribution platform IngramSpark.
