As I rapidly approach the 1 year anniversary of the release of my first book, “BlackBlade: The Forging of a Legend”, I found myself thinking of the wondrous journey that took me to that date. I had started writing the book years ago but never tried to get it published, mostly for fear of rejection. Self-publishing in print was an expense I simply could not afford .
Then, lo and behold!– I discovered that with the explosion in sales of e-readers, many companies had made the process of self-publishing an e-book relatively simple. This was all the impetus I needed: I finished writing and editing my book, did my homework on how to make it happen and finally on October 4, 2012 I released my first book. It has been one of the most rewarding individual accomplishments of my life. If publishing a book is something you ever thought about, here are my top three reasons why it’s definitely worth the effort.
1. Personal Satisfaction
When you started writing your book it was most likely because you felt like you had something to contribute to this world. The first time someone buys or reads your book, that isn’t a friend or a relative, the feeling of accomplishment is incredible.
2. A Sense of Immortality
When you write a book you create something that is in many ways eternal. Whether it’s a print or electronic book it will most likely be around for longer than you or any of your descendants will be.
3. Bragging Rights
You may laugh when you first read this last one, but it’s true. Ask yourself this question: How many people do you know personally that have written a book? The majority of my family and friends are people with a lot of secondary education. And, believe me, I’m not talking about beauty school or an associate’s degree in sociology. Guess how many have written a book? None.
You will notice than money doesn’t make the list. If making money is your primary motivation for writing then you will most likely be disappointed. That being said I have sold my book in at least 8 different countries and had several people tell me how much they enjoyed my book and that is a feeling that is worth it’s weight in gold.
Writing is an incredibly personal, difficult, and rewarding endeavor. However, self-publishing has made the dream of being an author well within the reach of anyone willing to put in the work.