All Writers Need to Know This

More aspiring authors need more tools to show them how to become effective writers. Before self publishing my first book in 2009, I craved to know the steps toward publication. It seemed like a big secret. I didn't know any authors and simply didn't know where to start in getting my name on the front cover of a book. I had a massive writing collection, but was unsure about whether or not it was good enough to publish. I didn't have an editor. I didn't have a writing coach. I literally only had myself and Jesus Christ. My family was more than supportive, however, but no one could tell me exactly how to get published. That all changed the day that one of my favorite writers, Shellie R. Warren, author of Inside of Me: Lessons of Love, Lust, and Redemption , sent me a Facebook message.

Shellie suggested that I self publish.

I'd seen self published books before and most of them were unimpressive. The covers designed were pixelated and the words were either too narrow, bulky, or junky. Nothing about the idea of self published books convinced me that I should go that route. In a way, I was grateful for her suggestion, but I was also turned off. Self published books were ugly and I'd made a vow not to go that route. I simply said thank you and continued to sulk. I wanted to be accepted by a major publishing house.

Nonetheless, I now had a sense of direction. I researched self publishing like a research expert. As a library science graduate student, I had been trained to search the Internet like a true information guru. I knew how to put specific words in the search to get information that I needed. I couldn't get enough of the hyperlinks and pages that were filled with steps of how to get self published, various routes to publication, and writers who were self published. Thanks to Shellie, my entire outlook about self publication changed.

After compiling my chapters together, I found a company, Lulu Publishing, followed the steps required, and self published my first book. I later discovered CreateSpace, and have not gone back to Lulu since.