I've loved stories since before I could make out written words on a page. There was something magical about a scene being read aloud, causing my mind to see what wasn’t physically there. It was the mysterious art of flat-lay taking on the shape of an imaginary world described with nothing but words. I. Was. Hooked.
From an early age, I decided that I was going to write. I wasn’t convinced I could be a writer, though. I wrote for school, later for work, and occasionally for the love of the craft itself. We all write in some capacity, don’t we? It’s required.
Author Joseph Epstein claims that 80% of literate adults say they’ve thought about writing a book, have begun the task, or know they have a book in them. But very few people would ever call themselves a writer.
It’s no wonder that one of the main questions I’m asked when at a speaking or social event is: “How did you become a writer?” Followed by, “I have an idea for a book.” If you’re part of that 80%, then allow me to tell you why you should self-publish!
First, I suppose I must mention that traditional publishing is alive and well. If you have a significant audience already, a literary agent and publisher may be interested in your work. But for those of us who want to skip the queries, proposals, and–let’s face it–rejection, self-publishing couldn’t be a more viable option than it is right now.
ONE – Convenience
Okay, this may seem a little misleading. But the convenience that comes with you retaining every right to all of your work and doing it on a fairly quick timeline is worth putting in extra hours to design, format, and get your book distributed. Hiring experts for minimal fees to help you with this is also a thriving online field. Search “book formatting/editing/design, etc.” and you’ll come up with plenty of options to get you started!
TWO – Credibility
When self-published authors came onto the scene, there may have been an attitude of inferiority, but that is no longer the case at all. Some top-selling authors you may know and follow already are actually self-published. If you want to add the distinguished title of author to your career, one of the fastest ways to do it is to put your expertise into a book, and market yourself as a published author!
THREE – Contribution
Everyone wants to contribute something, and legacy is a topic so many of us think about. The self-publishing tools online today are right at your fingertips, providing a way for your work to be passed down for generations to come. Whether it’s a new system for helping people find solutions to excel professionally, or a memoir that explains the backbone of who you are and why you do what you do, there’s no time like the present to write and publish your book!
If you're unsure about where and how to get started, stick around! I'm creating courses that I'm SO excited about. I paid what was a LARGE sum of money for me and my family in order to break into this field of authorship, and I want to make it more accessible than ever for people who want to get their book out into the world. My goal is to make these resources little more than a TENTH of what I paid to publish my first book (you read that right!)
Look for more to come later this year!