Journal logo

The long road of an self publishing author

The story of a self published author.

By D R CoxPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
Like

They say that every great journey starts with the first small step, and they're right! Nothing in life is easy... we all know that. The life of an Author is no different. When starting out on the road of book writing, the first step is acknowledgement of the long journey that is ahead. Don't think that success can be achieved immediately or even in five months time. Believe me, I've been there.

My story began back in year 9 at school, I always knew that I had a vast imagination and could literally create worlds inside my own head. Of course, even with that knowledge, I didn't think I'd ever be where I am now... Myself and a friend always spoke about this idea we had where an imaginary organisation with advanced technology would work in the shadows and protect the different worlds in the universe and began writing small short stories about the adventures of the organisation. This was the first time that I realised that I had a talent and then I began to start looking into this new found talent.

I found I could escape from the pressures of everyday life and could just get lost in the magical worlds that my mind would think up. Soon, I realised that this would be the career that I would work towards. My first challenge was working out what kind of books I would write and which target audience I would aim for. Once I had decided I would be a Fantasy writer, I began to fear what people would think of my books and it held me back for a long time. This is where I learnt my first lesson. In life, there will always be someone who will try to hold you back. However by realising that if I wanted to achieve my dream, I had to face my fear. This made me stronger and more determined but there was still going to be hurdles for me to get past. This was where my next lesson came.

People always say that the hardest thing about writing is keeping the story line flowing, however this is incorrect. The hardest thing is the beginning. No one can tell you how to start a book and it's too easy for our minds to go "Once upon a time." The lesson I learnt was, even though I'm a writer, I'm still a reader too. If I want people to enjoy the book then first, I need to enjoy it. Reading the same material over and over can be boring and a waste of time so try to find new introductions that will grip the audience. Always keep in mind that when your writing a book, the public shouldn't be your fear. No, target yourself. What would be gripping to you and focus on that. By keeping this in mind, you will have learnt the most important lesson of all. That you are your most important audience.

I'm still learning new things on my journey and I think that's very important. To never stop learning. "Aim for the stars but never forget who you are." That was what I was always told as a child and that's a lesson I want to teach everyone who listen to and read my stories.

advice
Like

About the Creator

D R Cox

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.