Blog 4

Ever since I heard of the concept of self-publishing through Amazon I’ve been intrigued by it. To be in complete control of everything and really looking at myself as an author as a self-employed business venture completely captured my imagination.

And lets face it, there are only a handful of authors taken on by publishing houses or literary agents. But beyond those chosen few, are hundreds of amazing writers with a great story to tell. Except they never get to tell their story. There are many avid readers in the world who devour books of all genres and writing styles. Yet those readers and writers could never be connected. But that’s all changed through self-publishing. 

While I was finishing my first book The Fifth Bullet, this new way of getting your book out there was growing and accumulating speed and now it’s a huge entity for those of us who may never get to be one of the chosen few for traditional publishing. I think it’s a marvel, I really do.

So when I did finally finish The Fifth Bullet, I knew that’s how I wanted to play it. But that’s not before I tried the traditional way and sent it to a few literary agents, and getting the customary rejection letters back. But it didn’t matter to me really, those rejections bounced right off me, because I just knew I wanted to self-publish.  

So after a few feeble attempts at designing a book front cover and formatting, I eventually gave in and found some help with these which I think was crucial to make a professional first impression. But the fact that I had control over all these elements means I’m in the driving seat for my book, my brand. And while it’s not without challenge, it’s so satisfying!

The fact that I have produced something that I’m pleased with is hugely gratifying. It’s a lifetime dream coming true before my very eyes, and I did it myself.

If anyone is on the fence about self-publishing, I would say that you need to have edited and re-written the heck out of your book so that you know it’s the best it can be, before you go into this. If you have any doubts at all, then its probably not ready. Editing is one of the most expensive parts of the process, so if you have done as much yourself as you can, then it will help to keep the costs down.

If you want to get your book out there but no one wants to publish it for you – do it yourself!