I've always been a "DIY"/"upcycle" person. My grandma survived the Depression and taught me to make new uses of things other people would just throw away.
I've also always been the type to do anything I desired despite people telling me I was crazy and it wouldn't work.
I decided I was tired of rejections and people telling me there is no market for the things I write and I should sell out, so I created 2121 Books and self published a book.
Cue the cheers, hugs, slaps on the back, the "good job"s "congrats"s and other kind words.
But now the dust has settled and it's time for me to decide what to do with my company and my book. The obvious thing is to get it out there. So, I started a search for indie/DIY/self-publishing blogs, magazines, and podcasts that cover all aspects of art. What I found is an internet full of DIY/indie music blogs with an occasional art (paint, etc) department.
I did manage to get a response from a self publishing podcast who told me they're not interested in me or my company because I'm too early in the process and they're more interested in "successful" individuals and companies.
It's been a discouraging ride through as I have also carried my "one-stop-shop" (briefcase of merchandise) to bookstores and events, I have been turned down several times or offered to leave my items as a "free" item.
I take a step back and breathe. I've been here before. I've been here before as a writer as an artist looking for my identity. I've been here as an avid fan of music, but not a musician. I write about music as a fan instead of a musician. I write about the DIY music/art scene that I'm a part of as a writer.
I've reached out to music blogs to offer a new view on music because I come from a unique place among (as they say in Decline of the Western Civilization) the cockroaches of the world.
No response.
I struggle every day I hustle my art, my writing, my company to be taken seriously as an artist because writing is so often not seen as an art form.
My theory behind this is so many people picking up a pen or laptop and typing out a mundane, cookie cutter story and being able to put out the money for these "self publishing" companies that are hounding my phone trying to sell me on their packages that would cost me three times what it cost me to actually self publish by doing it myself.

But let's remember, the only art form worthy of exposure in blogs, magazines, podcasts, etc is music. Unless you're successful. Just be successful and you'll be recognized for doing it yourself.

FYI, I don't actually believe that.