Self-Publishing My Story: One Year Later, Part 2

One of the best moments in my self-publishing experience was receiving the package that contained the first copy of my printed book. That copy represented so much hard work come to fruition.

However, for me –as for any self-published author – it also represents much hard work yet to come. Last time, we started to take a candid look at self-publishing, and I’d like to offer some additional thoughts from personal experience.

Megaphone Marketing

If you’re not an assertive person by nature, marketing your self-published book is going to be the hardest part of the process.

Even if you are an assertive person, finding the time to market your book – unless you have the luxury of not working a full-time job – will be a challenge.

In all honesty, writing your book and getting it published is a breeze compared to marketing. Make the most of free tools like Amazon’s Author Center. Write your own press releases and publish them on services like FreePressRelease.com. Find out if your alma mater will consider carrying your book in their campus store.

In short, get creative.

The Journey is What Matters

You may have heard the saying by Ursula K. LeGuin, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

That quote aptly describes how I view my self-publishing story. Do I want my book to be successful? Of course. Am I writing book two? Absolutely.

But self-publishing isn’t a walk in the park. You sometimes have to lay aside your “great expectations” and set realistic goals. You have to understand that you will be doing all the heavy lifting involved and that you are a marketing department of one.

Yet despite the challenges, self-publishing is rewarding. It is a journey. It is a chance to share creativity and meaning with others.

So would I do it again? I smile and say, “Yes.”