Crowdfunding, Indie Publishing, and Big Five Deals with Amelia Kyazze

In this episode of The Write and Wrong Podcast, host Jamie is joined by writer, photographer, and editor Amelia Kyazze. Returning to the podcast after her first appearance in 2021, Amelia discusses her latest release, The Cinema on Yosef Blvd., and her uniquely varied publishing journey, having published her books through crowdfunding, self-publishing, and a traditional "Big Five" publisher.

Key Takeaways:

• The Cinema on Yosef Blvd. is a companion novel to The Cafe on Manor Lane, opening in 1950s Budapest during student protests against Soviet aggression before following its protagonist, Zeb, to the "underbelly" of East End London.   

• Amelia’s debut novel, Into the Mouth of the Lion, was funded and published through Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher that allowed her to tap into her professional network while providing high-quality traditional editorial support.   

• For her second novel, Ahead of the Shadows, she chose to self-publish rather than crowdfund again, learning that indie authors must become their own biggest champions and confidently promote their work.   

• Her third book, The Cafe on Manor Lane, was traditionally published by HarperCollins' digital-first imprint One More Chapter, providing a good editorial experience but a long, multi-year wait to hit bookstores.   

• Now self-publishing her fourth book, Amelia emphasizes the importance of hiring a professional editor and cover designer, and advises authors to join critique groups that feature writers from multiple genres to ensure well-rounded feedback.

  
  

A Tale of Two Cities: Budapest and London

Amelia’s latest release, The Cinema on Yosef Blvd., serves as a companion novel/sequel to her previous book, The Cafe on Manor Lane. The story opens during real historical events: the 1956 student protests in Budapest against Soviet aggression, centered around the still-standing Corvin Cinema.   

The protagonist, a 20-year-old student named Zeb, gets swept up in the nationwide rebellion alongside his childhood love, Rebecca. When Soviet tanks eventually crush the uprising and scatter the fighters across Europe, Zeb finds himself alone in post-WWII London. He is taken in by a community of exiles and immigrants in the East End, forcing him to navigate the city's gritty underbelly as he figures out who he is and how to reunite with Rebecca.

A Multi-Pronged Publishing Journey

Amelia has experienced nearly every facet of the modern publishing industry. Her debut novel, a cross-genre thriller set in Angola titled Into the Mouth of the Lion, was published by Unbound. Unbound operated on a crowdfunding model, which allowed Amelia to tap into a network she had built over 20 years working in humanitarian relief. The publisher provided top-tier editorial support and successfully placed her book in libraries and bookstores worldwide before ultimately dissolving a few years later.   

For her second novel, Ahead of the Shadows, Amelia chose not to crowdfund again and instead opted to self-publish. This experience taught her a crucial lesson for indie authors: you must become your own biggest champion and be comfortable promoting your work, because no one will care about the book as much as you do.   

Her third book, The Cafe on Manor Lane, took her down the traditional publishing route. She submitted widely and eventually signed with HarperCollins' One More Chapter. While the editorial experience was excellent and it remains her most popular book, she noted that the traditional timeline was frustratingly slow, taking over two years from agreement to publication.

The Return to Indie Publishing

For The Cinema on Yosef Blvd., Amelia has returned to self-publishing. After submitting the manuscript to HarperCollins, they ultimately felt the book leaned a bit too literary for their imprint. Rather than viewing this as a failure, Amelia likened it to breaking up with a boyfriend—realizing it just wasn't the right fit, she decided to indie publish the book herself to maintain her creative momentum.   

For writers considering self-publishing, Amelia stresses the importance of treating the process like a business. She strongly advises authors to invest in professional editors and cover designers rather than attempting to do it all themselves. She also highlights the importance of joining a diverse writer's group; by seeking feedback from writers who specialize in completely different genres, authors can receive a wider, more varied range of perspectives on their work before launching it into the world.

A Cabin Read in Japan

When asked what book she would take if snowed in at a cosy woodland cabin, Amelia admitted she'd rather be traveling the world than stuck in a cabin. However, since books allow her to travel vicariously, she chose A Tiny Speck of Black and Then Nothing by Emily Midorikawa.   

Set in Osaka, Japan, the novel follows a British-Japanese English teacher who gets sucked into the city's underworld when her friend goes missing. Midorikawa is a well-known, award-winning non-fiction author and journalist, and Amelia expressed her excitement over seeing a talented author successfully pivot into fiction after working on the novel for nearly 20 years.