Inspiring Fridays #5 ~ Inspired to Self-Publish

Inspiring Fridays is a post I've created to add something a little different to my blog. It's purpose is simple. Each week, it is my intention to feature a book, a song or a movie which inspires me. If you like, you can join in or just leave a comment below. I would love to see your thoughts on whatever is currently spotlighted, or discover what inspires you.

This weeks Inspiring Friday is titled:

Inspired to Self-Publish

When, for the first time, I seriously committed to writing a full blown novel, I gave little thought to how and when my 'baby' would be published. At the time, it wasn't about sharing it with the world, but rather, about proving to myself that I could write. For six months, I happily typed away on the keyboard as Samantha and Shadow's  story unfolded in my head. Some author's say that their characters speak to them. I... am in total agreement with that sentiment. Throughout the duration of Mystery Falls' development, Samantha and Shadow were ever present, guiding me on, guiding me forward.

As Mystery Falls slowly drew to a close, two things became clear to me. One, Samantha and Shadow's tale was only partly told, and therefore, a trilogy was in the making. And two, if for no-one else but my family and me, I wanted desperately to see my creation in print. So came the question... how to make that happen?

After hours and hours of research, I discovered several things:

One - I would need an Agent, and not just any Agent, one that was well known in the publishing industry and respected.

And Two - In order to acquire said Agent, I had to write a Query letter. (Yeah, not as easy as it sounds)

Spending more hours researching, I selected 25 Agents and accomplished #1. Then moving onto #2, I painstakingly drafted and re-drafted my Query letter. And then I took a deep breath and sent it. Long story short, most of my chosen Agents sent me a polite rejection, a few didn't respond at all, and one was interested, but unfortunately, their client list was full.

My hubby told me not to give up hope. And then... he made a suggestion which had not occurred to me. He said, "Why not publish your book yourself?"

At first, I was terrified of the idea. I mean, where did I start with something like that. I didn't have a clue. But my hubby was persistent, and after showing me several articles relating to Smashwords and self-publishing, he finally managed to convince me.

Smashwords is amazing. It provided me with reams and reams of information on how to format and prepare my manuscript for publication. And with the help of Photoshop, I was also able to design my own cover.

The day that Mystery Falls went live was awesome and very surreal.

And my publishing experience didn't stop there. No longer daunted by the idea of self-publishing, I also formatted and prepared my novel for KDP and CreateSpace.

When I finally held a physical copy of my book in my hands, it was one of the best moments of my life, and I owe that to my husband. He never let me give up on my dream, and now it's a reality.