The Road to Self Publishing: Where to Start?

Where to start, indeed: this question could be applied to many things in my life, but finding the answer is often hard. With so much going on these days—work, school, family, kids, pets, bills, fixing broken light switches, and amongst it all actually trying to find the time to sit down and write—it’s easy to lose perspective and, in my case, freak out!

What I tend to do when I find myself in these situations is recall one of my favourite quotes. So, as the King said to the White Rabbit, “Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Now, you would think beginning at the beginning is the most logical thing to do, but when you’re a writer—and I think that I am—this often is not the case. Then again, one could argue that even though you started writing your novel in the middle of the story, getting the idea in the first place was in fact the beginning of something beautiful.

Anyway, my point is: over two years ago I began at the beginning. I flipped open my brain and a tiny idea made itself at home in there. The idea grew until I had a good twenty thousand words out, and then I got stuck. My idea had fizzled, but then it picked itself up and blossomed into something completely new. And I was happy!

With a smile on my face I sent off submission after submission to all the agents and publishers I thought might be interested in my story, only to receive a rejection at every turn. But, I didn’t let this get me down and I kept writing and managed to finish another bright shiny idea that made a home in my head—as well as start about a dozen more! Yes, I have become addicted to writing novels. Still, I longed for something to come of my first novel. It has become my baby, and I have nurtured it as I’ve watched it grow and evolve from that single idea into a 70,000 word manuscript.

Every writer’s dream is to see their book in print. For me, it’s not about the money or the fame—although those things would be nice—it’s more about the feeling I’ll get when I have the very first copy of my book in my hands. It’s about the sense of accomplishment, and knowing that I achieved what I set out to.

So, here I am. My book, Fall For Me, is currently in the final stages of production. The cover has been designed, the layout is done, now the final tweaks and checks are happening and I’m getting really excited. I have never stopped dreaming, and I’m that much closer to achieving my dream, and that much further away from the beginning.

K x