All shook up

Today is the day. The day every aspiring author dreams of. My book is out. And for the first time I can say: Buy it here.

I’m under no illusions that some magical transformation will take place in my life now that the day has arrived. But publishing a book is a singular achievement. Many people aspire to it, but only a fraction will cross the finish line.

What’s the secret? No secret. Except keeping at it. Hey, I can’t even bring myself to stop reading a book in the middle; I feel compelled to finish it, even it it stinks. So I was damn well going to follow through on the novel that’s been rocking and rolling in my head for decades.

Takin’ care of business

If you’re reading this and thinking you want to do the same, go for it! Also, know that it can be a solitary and thankless journey. Literary agents may not jump at the chance to publish your creation. But that’s not a reason anymore to quit. Keep going. Write a little each day. Give yourself goals and deadlines. Yes, life has a way of intervening. Those deadlines may slip and the task may drag out over months and years. But many great books took their authors years to complete.

When you’re finished with a first draft, edit. Edit again. Edit again. Edit again. Have others read it. Take their criticisms and comments gladly and incorporate them into the final manuscript. If you have confidence in your ability to self-edit, do so. If not, hire someone. If you have confidence in your ability to design a cover and format the interior layout, do so. If not, hire someone.

We may not all get the agent and the book contract. But today, we do all have it within our power to publish a professional product.

And finally, by all means, do the research. Watch the how-to videos, read the Reddit posts, join the Facebook support groups. And I’m not just talking about research on the art and craft of writing. I also mean educating yourself on the pros and cons of various options and the the hundreds of small details behind successfully publishing a book on your own. Familiarize yourself with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and other self-publishing options.

And when you’re ready … go cat go!