WRITING A BOOK ISN’T THE END, IT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING

As I embarked upon this journey as an author, I was so excited about having my manuscript completed, I didn’t realize that all of the things that come after the book was written, was where the work really began.  I knew that I wanted this story to be told, and I didn’t want  to “shop” for a publisher to tell me that my story was good enough to be published, hence, I decided to self- publish.  What I didn’t know is that as a self-publisher, I was now not only author, but promoter and marketer as well.  The fact that my book is a children’s book, means that I also needed illustrations, which means that I also needed an illustrator.  I would have to make decisions on my illustrations and determine if they were what I envisioned and if they truly fit the story. 

It may seem that I am unhappy with this process, but quite the opposite, I’m learning a lot and I am growing as an author and person. I have spent hours researching the best methods to market a book, it takes patience and confidence that you have written a great work to continue to push through the delays and disappointments.  Although this process has been more than I ever imagined it to be, I believe that it will all be worth it. I have read the disadvantages of self-publishing, but and I believe that the advantages are far greater.  If I need help, I can always hire someone to assist with the marketing aspect and I won’t have to wait on a royalty check, which can be as low as 6 percent per book.  I mean, who would be better at promoting my work than me?  Who would believe that my story is important if not me? I am only just starting this journey and I haven’t really begun to promote my book as it won’t be published until later this month, but I have determined that it will be recognized as a valuable piece of literature. This journey has only just begun…