Today I’m joining in with the IndiesForward Blog-A-Thon to write about Julie Forward DeMayo. She was an independent author—known as an indie—who lost her battle with cancer in 2009 at age 37.
Julie was a creative writing major at Colorado State who dreamed of someday being a published author.
Her mom decided to take Julie’s blog, which she kept during the last seven months of her life, and turn it into an incredibly touching, sometimes funny, but always inspirational book called the Cell War Notebooks.
The other day, a creative and inspiring blogger, Tracy Campbell, asked me about the difference between having a traditional publishing company publish your book and self-publishing. Well, even if do land a traditional publisher, you will still have to do a lot of the marketing yourself. These days, every publisher looks for someone who has a platform in social media. So if you’ve already started blogging and tweeting, then you’re already on the right path. All authors have to do their own marketing.
But Julie can’t do this anymore.
A few weeks ago, Julie’s mother reached out to Duolit, a team of two women, Shannon and Toni, who have great services for independent authors. (You can find them here.) They are a fabulous team who help indies get publicity. The paperback has garnered some attention in Julie’s native Wisconsin, but has not reached a national audience.
I’m joining in on the project to help fulfill another writer’s dream–and because the book’s proceeds go to benefit Julie’s nine year-old daughter, Luka Jane.
Cancer strikes all of us. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t know someone who’d died from the disease.

Angie Forward Cargill, Julie’s sister, wrote on Julie’s blog:

“Julie died on August 10, 2009. Although this was not what she wanted, she passed away peacefully at home in her garden room. It was a beautiful Monday morning in Portland and the french doors were wide open so that Julie could feel the breeze. She was holding the hand of her husband, Scott. Her mom and dad, her sister and two brothers, and her dear friend, Kathy, surrounded her, sitting just outside on the back porch underneath the prayer flags which were waving strong. Luka Jane had spent the night at a friend’s house.”

Reading Julie’s book, we are reminded: We have the choice. We write our best chapter–even if it’s our last chapter.

We can–and must–be the hero of our own lives.

My spiel is finished for today. Go to:

The self-publishing team here

Amazon

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