Writing and Self-Publishing: One Author's Journey

By Dona Bakker

Many people have asked how I went about writing and self-publishing. It has been a process that cannot be explained in a short conversation, so I decided to write it down. I self-published my first book ten years ago and the journey continues.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483521701

Book preview

WRITING AND SELF-PUBLISHING - ONE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY

Introduction

Every author’s journey is unique. It has been ten years since I wrote and self-published my first book. I won’t pretend to have all the answers, but I can share my own experiences and what I have learned. My desire with this little booklet is to inspire others to find their own voice and encourage them to take that first step.

I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. I also believe that God strategically places other people in our lives at just the right times to encourage us along the way. Many times they are the very ones who help us realize what we really want to accomplish. The support and assurance from these mentors coupled with our God-given talents contribute to our ultimate success.

Living life is one thing, but translating it into a book that anyone would want to read is another. So you must ask yourself why do I want to write about my life? Perhaps your motivation is knowing that, when you die, your stories will die with you, unless you write them down.

Once you begin to write, you may find it a very rewarding endeavor in other ways also, taking you to places where you didn’t want to go, but were glad you went once you arrived. One of my mentors calls this exercise emotional archeology. The deeper you dig, the more meaningful the healing.

As you begin to journal your memories, you may find that your details are slightly or even largely different than those of others who shared your life events. These are some of the discoveries I made when writing my story. Keep at it, though, because the end result could surprise you, as it did me.

We all have a story to tell but may lack the grammatical skills to turn it into something coherent. For me, the greatest challenge has been learning how to tap into my creative side. My best advice is not to allow your weaknesses to hold you back. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Background

At a young age I was drawn to the clerical field. I studied and worked to hone my skills until I was ready for the real world where all of my hard work was finally paying off. At 25, my career took a detour when I became pregnant with our daughter. My desire was to stay home and be a full-time mom, but I didn’t want to lose the skills I had worked so hard to refine. The office where I had been working was downsizing and two of my coworkers were starting their own businesses. The timing was perfect and they became my first two customers in my home-based secretarial service. I assumed this arrangement would be temporary and sooner or later I would have to return to a real job.

When I was pregnant I scheduled my doctor’s visits for after work. There in the waiting room I met Judy, a court reporter. Our babies were both due around Thanksgiving. Our appointments seemed to coincide and we became fast friends. She was in need of a transcriptionist and I agreed to go to work for her after the first of the year.

Three months in business and I already had three lucrative clients. By word-of-mouth and a Yellow Page ad my customer base grew steadily. There was little competition and I