The minute I wrote the satisfying words "the end" of my first book, Audrey’s Sunrise in 2008, the next question I asked myself was, “Now what?” There was this website where you could pay to have your book on where several publishers could possibly take interest in it. I had my book out there for two years and heard nothing. I knew God didn't inspire me with this amazing story for it to sit under my bed, collecting dust. I knew it was for a purpose, much bigger than just making money, becoming famous, or people reading what I wrote. This book was bigger than me. I heard it perfectly said by the author of the amazing book, The Shack. He said he wrote the book to reach one person’s heart. He wasn’t focused on the fame or the masses. He was focused on the one. He got this idea from Jesus, who spoke of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep and going after the one. This way, nothing could disappoint him. Because this was his focus, he found joy in his writing and never saw it as just a way to make a living. I purposed to make this my focus as well. That’s why I just knew deep down, my book was going to be published, but how? As the months passed, I felt stuck and hopeless at times. The process of writing the book was the most exciting adventure I'd ever been on. But the publishing part felt like a vast, impassible mountain.
As the weeks passed, my mom kept encouraging me that I should just publish it myself, but I had no idea where to start. It was only a few days later that my grandma sent me a newspaper story of a woman who is a famous author. It told of how she chose to self-publish her book instead of going with a publisher because there was more freedom and she could write from her heart. This was what urged me into the search to publish my book myself. In my research, I found out that even if you come together with a large publishing company to publish your book, the majority of the marketing still falls on the author and that self-publishing isn't looked down on now as it might have been years ago.
Up to this point, I had been making all the flyers, PowerPoints, marketing videos, websites, and short films for my church for years. I thought, surely, if I can make those things, I can figure out how to publish a book. It was a risk to take the leap, but it was well worth it. God brought the info I needed each step of the way at the perfect time as I started on the journey of self-publishing.
Who knew that 19 years later, I would have published 12 books for myself, created my own publishing company where I've published over 77 books for others, making their own writing dreams come true? It all started with taking a risk and taking the leap.
Now, it's such a joy to watch authors realize how easy and affordable it can be to publish a book. I want my clients to feel excited and hopeful, unlike how I felt when I stood before that impossible mountain in my way, telling me I would never be able to publish a book.
