I am a few months into the release of my first book, “Rising Above Statistics: Success Against All Odds” and the work is just beginning. I chose to self-publish my book and people constantly ask me “Why?” After all, self-publishing is hard work. Write the book, edit the book, format it, find a cover designer, upload it, market it, and finally sell it…whew! Just reading this list makes me tired, but honestly, I never thought about any of this while writing my book. I had a story; I wanted to write a book, so I did it.
I will now admit that the writing, editing, formatting, and finalizing the book is the easy part. The real work of self-publishing starts AFTER you have completed and published your masterpiece. Sales are great in the beginning because you have family, friends, and supporters who will rush to buy your work, but what happens when you have cycled through your circle? The sales slowdown, you have a stockpile of books, and you ponder what to do next. You create post after post on social media, launch sponsored ads, but still, no one is buying your book. You make it available on Amazon as a Kindle book and other platforms, but still nothing. This could easily discourage the faint of heart.
Self-publishing is not for someone who is quick to give up and jump onto the next big idea. Self-publishing and the subsequent marketing and sales are hard work. You have to be innovative in your intentions, make networking connections on various platforms, and commit yourself to doing the work. You have to spread the work in creative ways and do whatever is necessary to let people know “HEY, I WROTE A BOOK. BUY A COPY, WON’T YOU”.
Then sometimes, you have to face the reality that no matter how much you market and sell, for some reason people just are not buying your book. You get a lot of great feedback and reviews from various sources, yet sales are still slow. You start questioning your craft, wondering do you really have what it takes to be an author.
You then realize this literary world is full of books, full of people hustling every day to get their work read and seen. You are not alone. You are just new. A new author arriving on a scene inundated with books: e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers, fiction, non-fiction, etc. It will take more than a couple months for your book to catch momentum when you are a lonely, self-published author. You do not have the backing of a publishing company who will market and do promotions for you, so naturally, it will take longer.
After knowing all this, my answer to the question “why?” is simple. I chose to self-publish because this is my work, my words, my time put into this craft. I want to maintain creative control and deliver my book the way I choose. I do not want to feel pressured by deadlines, have my release date shuffled around for a better-known author, or stuck in a contract, fighting for the rights to my book if the publishing relationship is not a good match. I want to live my dream and be happy doing so. No, I do not have second thoughts about self-publishing and I hope you do not either. It is hard work, but it is also a learning process, which in the end, will be very rewarding.
LaWann Moses is an author, advocate, speaker and visionary. She has a passion for inspiring, encouraging, and empowering girls and women to make self-care a priority. She believes love is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and others.
On her website Mocha Masterpiece, LaWann inspires women to create unique plans for success. At Mocha Masterpiece, she offers tips and strategies for working towards goals and achieving dreams, while giving reviews and suggestions on her favorite products and brands.
Her Eye Love Me movement strives to empower women to reject the status quo, discover their authentic self, and live on their terms. She hosts workshops and participates in conferences and events related to complete self-care.
LaWann has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree and a Master of Science in the Administration of Justice, with a concentration in Leadership & Administration degree.
She is a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist and Victim Services professional. She currently resides in Delaware with her family.
For booking details, contact LaWann at 302-440-4632 or authorwannmo@gmail.com.
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Her book, Rising Above Statistics, is out now! Order here.
