I’ve finally done it. I have published my first book. This journey began about 15 years ago, when I realised I had said three times that I was going to write a book. Then I felt compelled to act.
It didn’t take me that long to write a first draft. I joined writers’ groups and even travelled the USA to attend a mystery writers’ retreat. I sought feedback, sent my novel off to publishers and tried to get an agent. All the things you were supposed to do.
And then like many first time novelists, I consigned my novel to the proverbial bottom drawer and moved on with my life.
Over the past few years I have toyed with the idea of publishing it myself. I do own a communications and media company, after all. I dabbled a bit with Kindle Direct and various other platforms. Then they all went in the bottom drawer too.
Until I was in the shops with my best mate last week and we ran into a mutual friend. At some point the words “I’m going to publish my book,” came out of my mouth. And I realised that, once again, three times is a charm. I knew I had just uttered that phrase for the third time. And we all know what that means.
The final nail in the coffin was listening to my inspirational friend and writer Liz Mugavero’s Get Writing podcast which featured an interview with author Tonya Kappes, who has published nearly 200 books.
The rest, as they say, is history. Within three days my book was available for pre-sale on Amazon. Now I just have to decide which half-finished novel to fish out of the bottom drawer now.
You can buy Stella’s Secret here.
