From Experience Day Attendee to Published Author

Troubador’s Self-Publishing Experience Day is a brilliant opportunity for aspiring self-publishers to learn all about the world of self-publishing. From typesetting to cover design to editorial to marketing, warehouse tours and beyond, we’ve received a host of positive feedback from happy attendees. 

Better yet, however, is when we see one of our attendees transform from an aspiring self-publisher, with hopes, dreams and a complete manuscript, to a fully published author. Zena Unitt was one of these authors: she attended the Troubador Self-Publishing Experience Day in October 2025 and, on May 28 2026, was officially a published author. 

What led Zena’s journey from a hopeful writer to a published author? 

The Creation of Cloud Mother 

Zena’s story follows the story of Kandy. Kandy cannot resist meddling and interfering in her daughter’s love life, even after Kandy dies. She’s granted ten post-passing privileges, and she wants to make sure she is there for her daughter, especially when she falls for a man who is all wrong for her. But time is running out, and there’s another promise to keep: to her best friend, who has spent years searching for her daughter who was stolen from her, and Kandy might be the only one who can help. There ten visits, two lives to change, and one impossible choice. 

Cloud Mother is a tender and mischievous tale of love, loss, and the unbreakable bonds that defy even death. It is also a story inspired by Zena’s experience losing her own mother at the age of 21:  

‘I would look up at the clouds and imagine Mum looking down on me and offering advice,’ she says. ‘At the heart of the novel are the questions, such as what if there is something beyond this life? What is love doesn’t stop when our physical presence does?’ 

It was imagining this world, where her mother could lean in and offer advice, that led to the creation of her debut novel. 

Cloud Mother, by Zena Unitt, was published by Troubador in May 2026. 

Taking the Steps as a Hopeful Writer: Attending the Self-Publishing Experience Day 

Prior to discovering Troubador, Zena was a member of Jericho Writers. Having been a member of Jericho since it started, she found valuable feedback from a range of the services on offer, including the one-to-one sessions and meeting with Book Doctor, Debbie Young. It was during a book doctor session with Debbie Young and the London Festival of Writing in 2025 that Debbie recommended Troubador. 

Self-publishing, however, was a whole new world to her: “I was all very new to this and am not a very techy person, so I was overwhelmed by the prospect of self-publishing.” 

So attending the Self-Publishing Experience Day was the perfect next step for Zena. “The day was great and really helped me believed that self-publishing was something that I could do with Troubador’s help,” 

“Everything was explained very professionally and in a way that was easy to understand.” 

It wasn’t only the sessions, however, that helped convince Zena that Troubador was the right fit for her. “After the self-publishing day I met a member of the Troubador team in person, who patiently answered all my questions and queries in a professional, yet friendly and supportive manner.” 

“I felt inspired and decided to give it a go! The publishing experience went very smoothly and the support I received at every step along the way was hugely helpful in bringing my dream into fruition.” 

Seeing the Book For The First Time 

In May 2026, travelling back from a long trip to India, Zena made the trip to Troubador to unbox her books for the first time. After meeting with her Production Controller, Digital Controller, the Warehouse Supervisor and the Marketing Exec (hello!), came the moment every author dreams of: unboxing her book. 

Truth be told, we were quite emotional watching Zena’s reaction. She was absolutely overjoyed to finally hold the finished product, and was so excited to discuss the next steps with the team. 

Zena Unitt, Published Author 

Zena attended Jericho’s London Festival of Writing in 2025 as a hopeful writer, uncertain about the world of self-publishing and where her manuscript would go. In 2026, she attended as the proud author of Cloud Mother. 

Following her attendance at the Self-Publishing Experience Day and working closely with the Troubador team, she was able to self-publish a beautiful book; maintaining her vision and control of the publication, but guided by industry experts. Since Cloud Mother's publication, Zena has proudly seen her book stocked on the shelves at bookshops, attended a host of events, and even watched her book be turned into an interpretive dance! 

When asked if she’d recommend self-publishing with Troubador, Zena said “100% yes!” 

“My suggestion to aspiring self-publishers would be to invest in their services every step of the way if you want a professional version of the book from copyedit to formatting to cover design.” 

“I couldn’t be happier with mine. Thank you to everyone on the team. Your support, belief in me and encouragement meant everything.” 

Full-Service Self-Publishing

The world of self-publishing is vast, and there is so much to learn about and events like the Self-Publishing Experience Day are a great opportunity for aspiring authors to get in-depth knowledge about the industry. 

However, if you are seeking professional, holistic support to ensure your book benefits from industry expertise, then opting for a full-service self-publisher, like Troubador, might be the right option for you. Offering a wide range of services, from editorial to cover design to illustrations to storage of print runs, you can ensure your book has the professional standard akin to a traditional publisher, without sacrificing control. 

Zena’s story demonstrates an author with a beautiful story to tell, and a vision to go with it. In partnering with Troubador, she was able to maintain her creative vision, whilst guided by industry experts.

We can't wait to see what the future looks like for Zena and Cloud Mother; we're sure it will be brilliant.