Meet B. S. H. Garcia | SFF Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with B. S. H. Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi B. S. H., can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Once I decided on the indie publishing route, starting a business was a no-brainer. It made sense to create a publishing house, a brand, that I could house all my future projects under. I also want my books to have the professional feel of traditional presses, and that includes running my business similarly. As to the decision to indie publish in the first place, that came from a desire to have creative control. Today, writers can work directly with professional editors and cover designers, and we have access to all the tools needed to format, produce the book, and market directly to readers. Yes, it requires some initial investments, as all business start-ups do, but I think the royalty retention rate will make it worthwhile. I’ve enjoyed every step of the publishing process so far, and I am eager for my book’s launch this June.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a storyteller. A writer, yes, sure, but when I was a child, I never dreamed of being a writer. I dreamed of telling stories. It started with directing backyard playtime epics with my younger siblings, creating recurrent stories where characters developed over years of childhood. That love for storytelling eventually found its way into acting, singing, playing guitar, and writing songs. I always loved writing and felt drawn to it, but it wasn’t until late high school that I first dabbled in writing fiction. I set writing aside for acting in my early twenties, but even when that dream fell to the wayside for personal reasons, writing came to the rescue via creative journaling. Majoring in English Writing is what finally hooked me, and after catching the fiction bug in creative courses, I immediately dove head-first into writing the second I graduated college. I spent some time working on short stories, but it wasn’t long before the seeds for my first novel took root. The rest is, as they say, history. The journey to publishing my novel was anything but easy, and it will be five and a half years in the making by the time it launches this June. The initial creative process came easily enough to me. It was January of 2018. I’d just completed four years of working full-time while going to school full-time, so I simply replaced my homework slot in the evenings with writing. I went hard for three months brainstorming, outlining, world-building, and drafting. We’re talking nightly with almost no breaks, and at the end of three months, I had drafted a 125k fantasy epic. I was ready to share my story with the world.
I wasn’t. Not yet. Truth be told, when I was in the heat of that creativity, I wasn’t considering what came next, and it only occurred to me to try publishing a few months after. However, upon reading my first draft, I realized it needed work. A lot of work. I got my hands on as many editing books as the library would allow me to check out at once, reviewed college notes, and searched for advice from successful writers on the internet. Once I had a plan in place, I set to revising. I thought I’d maybe be done by end the of the year (at that time it was June). I was so, so wrong. Life started throwing curve balls at me, and over the next few years, I dealt with two moves (one across the country), two job changes, two pregnancies and difficult births, and the world pandemic.
I nearly gave up on my story so many times. Sometimes I’d go months without writing, only sneaking in brief sessions here and there to keep the dream alive. Yet, the story wouldn’t let me go. Though my writing ebbed and flowed, my story got stronger with each draft, each revision, each new character arc. I joined an online writing community and found support there, sent off a later draft to beta readers, put together a pitch, blurb, and query letter package, had things professional critiqued, etc. After roughly six total rewrites and numerous minor revisions, I entered the query trenched in October 2021 to find an agent. At the time, I had my heart set on traditional publishing and had a goal of querying at least 100 agents and publishers before giving up on the story. I hit that goal just barely (querying is a devastating process), and finally got an offer to publish from a small press.
I didn’t take it. I’d been querying a year at that point, and it had all but sucked the joy of writing out of me. I kept getting feedback that my writing was solid, but that the story was too risky for the market. I’d started looking into the benefits of indie or self-publishing and was extremely intrigued by the modern tools available to writers. I also loved the idea of retaining rights and creative control, not to mention way higher royalties. So, when the offer finally came, I knew I no longer wanted that path. I felt I could give my story a better chance by putting my passion behind its release instead of letting it fall to the wayside with all the low-list debuts that aren’t given enough marketing attention.
This journey has taken so much out of me. Time, money, energy. But I know deep down that this is right decision, and I have high hopes for my creative future. This book is the first in a series and the first in an even longer career of books. When it launches this June, I will be proud, no matter how it’s received, because I know this is the start of a wonderful journey.
So, if you like speculative fiction with lavish world-building, morally grey characters, and engaging, fast-paced plots, maybe give my books a try.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m an outdoors-lover, so I would spend a lot of time explore the great nature Colorado has to offer. So, I’d do my best to drag said friend on a 14er or two, if they were up to the task. I think Quandary is a great beginner’s peak, and I also recommend the Greys/Torreys combo. If they wanted to say in city limits, I’d take them to do some paddleboarding in cherry creek reservoir. Catch the current visiting exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. Is it summer? I hope so, because Denver Fan Expo would be on the list. I’m a major nerd and love con life, so that’s a must. Maybe watch a live Colorado Symphony performance. Catch a concert at Red Rocks. Visit the Tattered Cover. I’m also kind of a shy homebody, so I’d use the company an excuse to check some new bars and restaurants.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband is my number one fan and actually a huge reason I started a publishing house for my stories. Every time I’ve tried to give up on this dream, he’s been there, prodding me along, refusing to let me quit. He’s helped design logos, done custom headers for my chapters, hand-drawn maps, and read everything I’ve written with a critical eye. I can almost guarantee I wouldn’t be where I am today without his support.

Website: https://www.bshgarcia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bshgarcia/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bshgarcia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanyshgarcia

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bshgarcia https://www.azonlinks.com/B0BS6B9PRM https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83814644-of-thieves-and-shadows

Image Credits
Kaela Croft, Jeff Brown