I started writing to process my anger at the state of the planet — and ended up creating an award-winning eco-fantasy series. Here's how I channeled my passion with the help of Reedsy professionals.
An outlet for my eco-anger
I discovered my love of nature at an early age, believing that faeries lived in snapdragon flowers. As a teenager, I read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and was horrified by how humanity had harmed the environment. When, in 2020, I found out that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch had grown to twice the size of Texas, I fell into an indescribable rage (the official word for which is apparently eco-anger). I felt compelled to do something, say something — express my frustration somehow. But I didn’t want to be utterly depressing.
I’d been writing natural health blogs for ages, and my readers said that I always made the science easier to understand. So I decided to combine my passion for the environment with my passion for writing. I could tell a story that both entertained readers and educated them, merging beloved romantasy tropes with climate science to highlight the devastating effects of humankind’s actions.
I knew this would be most effective if I showed readers the destruction of the ocean from an insider’s perspective. Who would live beneath a garbage patch? Perhaps a warrior mermaid.
In The Mermaid’s Wrath, our main character, Jelly, battles the choking, accelerating pollution that threatens the Mers’ home. Faced with terrifying premonitions, she realizes her only choice is to leave the ocean and collaborate with the estranged magical beings who live on land. What follows is an adventure packed with action, romance, and climate activism.
I built my fantasy world on real climate statistics, reading an extraordinary (and probably unnecessary) number of research papers! It felt good to memorialize what I’d learned through a medium that’s more permanent than a social media rant.
Coming up with my eco-fantasy concept was one thing, but executing it was quite another. I wrote The Mermaid’s Wrath three times, each draft 120,000 words long. The first version was too heavy on the romance. The second was too light on character development. Finally, the third round was balanced. All in, it took two years to arrive at the published piece. But I couldn’t have done it at all without my editor, Kenneth Zink.
An editor who shares my passion
Having come to Reedsy on a friend’s recommendation, I was drawn to Kenneth’s profile because, like me, he’s a self-confessed fantasy geek. He’s also worked with best-selling authors — but which Reedsy editors haven’t?
I sent Kenneth my second draft (my first draft had been too much of a mess), and he was excited by my eco-fantasy vision. He was genuinely passionate about the story and wanted to see it told — but my draft wasn’t hitting the mark. The number one takeaway from his developmental edit was that I needed to write the book again.
So that’s what I did — but this time, I had Kenneth’s expertise to guide me. Kenneth understood what I wanted to do and provided detailed written comments as well as follow-up Zoom calls. He helped me appreciate where to let the words flow and where to keep them tight, and he pointed out where I was losing the plot, both literally and figuratively. “Andie, less prophecy, more description.”
Thanks to Kenneth, my third draft turned out so much better than the previous two. When I returned to him for another developmental edit, he commented on how much progress I had made as a writer:
The sole thing I wanted you to do with your prose after the previous draft was make your descriptions more abundant, vivid, and specific, and frankly, you’ve nailed that. You’ve fleshed out your writing so that we have a much richer story to engage with in our heads. This world and these characters and these scenes feel more colorful, substantial, and engaging. I hope you see what I see, which is just how much your writing has grown from the previous draft to the next.
With my manuscript finally in good shape, I returned to the Reedsy marketplace to look for professionals who could turn my publishing dreams into reality.
My own mini publishing team
I appreciated finding experts on all facets of publishing under one roof. I couldn’t have created a book anywhere near as beautiful without my Reedsy team.
In fact, people are always telling me how beautiful my cover is. It was my idea to focus on the “magical tattoo” Jelly gets: a turquoise yin-yang made of mermaid tails. However, it’s Richard Ljoenes who turned my idea into a breathtaking cover. His design was far more intricate than anything I could have suggested. Although I had him fiddle around with a few bits, I settled for his original concept in the end — which just shows that he knew best!
The cover works so well because it captures the mysticism and complexity of my book. I love the multiple layers: yes, the yin-yang is most prominent, but behind it are ocean currents and nautical and magical symbols in the corners. It brilliantly reflects the layers of meaning within the eco-fantasy genre.
The interior of my book is simple, but just as elegant. Lorna Reid helped me finalize my internal layout, as well as choose symbols for the different POV characters. Jelly’s symbol is inspired by her pet, Oggie, a Giant Pacific Octopus.
The final thing I did before taking the plunge and publishing was consult book marketer Ben Galley. He explained that marketing in today’s world is all about creating a relationship with readers. I don’t have the massive budgets of publishing houses, but I do have a giant heart, and I pour it into my stories. The connection with other people makes my soul sing and keeps me writing about the environment through magical eyes.
I would advise other authors to hire pros to support your journey. Save money by finding writers’ groups for initial feedback, then get the experts to help you refine your book and make it the best it can be.
Resonating with readers
I used to feel like nobody shared my eco-anger. But readers’ comments have shown me that they do:
The devastation caused by human[s] in this made me so angry and hurt with how Jelly's people were being affected. While the story is fictional, I see how real the damage we are doing to our own planet [is]. The trash, destroying the environment, and not caring about the repercussions. [...] I think this story will stick with me for a long time.
~ Chaos_Gremlin93, Amazon
I've been talking nonstop about your book, pollution, and small efforts. I have switched my space to all aluminum instead of plastic, and am saving every teeny tiny piece of plastic film and taking it to recycle.
~ Suzi, via email
It feels so good to know that others are also concerned about climate change and have even been inspired by The Mermaid’s Wrath.
What’s more, my work has achieved recognition within the indie publishing space. It received positive reviews from Kirkus and N.N. Light’s Book Heaven and even won a Discovery Editors' Choice Award here at Reedsy. I could not be more delighted.
The series continues
Following on from the success of The Mermaid’s Wrath, I’ve written two more installments of The Laughter of the Sun, bringing in new environmental issues I want to highlight. Book two was an N.N. Light Book Awards Finalist, and book three is coming out later this year — once my Reedsy team has worked its magic. I can’t wait to see where The Laughter of the Sun takes me next. My plan is to dig in the dirt and uncover the creatures who live there.
Read more about Andie’s eco-fantasy series on her website.
