#topsecretbookstuff…. REVEALED!

I’m going to try not to capitalize this entire post because I honestly am excited enough to JUMP OUT OF MY SKIN.

Ok, breathe.

A little background.

Many of you know that I moved to Nashville to pursue writing. [If you weren’t around for this time, I’m gonna link to those posts so you can catch up…. if you wanna.]

I wrote a book. Many of you prayed it into being. Honestly. Believe me- I haven’t forgotten those of you who prayed. And I finished that book on an unseasonably warm day in January 2009.

And then I sent it to my agent. And waited. And waited. And to make a long story short- after a year of trying to get published in the traditional way, it never got picked up. By anyone. So she and I parted ways in April 2010. It just wasn’t working. I didn’t have a book deal, she didn’t make any money, and I was over the process.

I don’t know why it didn’t work for me. I don’t have an answer. It just didn’t. For some of my friends [like the most excellent Anne Jackson], traditional publishing is awesome and works beautifully.

For me, it didn’t work. It has made me doubt, retreat, and re-evaluate whether or not this was a good plan. I questioned more than my skill- I questioned my own heart.

But, here’s the truth.

I adore the book. I feel like it is a story I want to tell. I feel like God wants to use this book for His glory. It was so much work, so much of my heart, and such a massive part of where I want my life to go.

So. [insert drum roll here if you are into that kind of thing……]

I’m taking the non-traditional [but up-and-coming route] of self-publishing.

[Here’s the PERFECT explanation of self-publishing from Thomas Nelson’s CEO Michael Hyatt. Read it. Please.]

What does that mean? That means that my parents and I have partnered with Westbow Press and we will be publishing the book ourselves.

Do I hear some squealing?!? Is it you or just me?!? I’m hoping both. Because what that means is that within a few months, you will be able to HOLD MY BOOK IN YOUR HANDS.

[Yep, I hear the squealing now.]

I know you have tons of questions. That’s great. I’m going to answer them all.

And here’s the cool thing. I’m gonna blog about it.

I love you guys. Like so so much. And you have been a major part of the book writing process. It only feels right to include you on every step of the book publishing process.

So from now on, I will blog weekly[ish] about the path of self-publishing. I want you to hear the ins and outs, the easy and hard, the stressful and scary and awesome parts of self-publishing with Westbow Press.

Maybe you have considered publishing a book yourself or maybe you just love me or maybe you’ll just find it interesting to watch the process. Whatever the reason, I’m gonna tell you about it.

I’ll tell you why I decided to try this, why I picked Westbow Press, why this is the right time, why my parents jumped on board, why I’m willing to tell you the process even though I could fail miserably.

I’ll tell you all of it.

Because the book is just a part of the story. A good part.

But this. This right here? The process?

It’s the real story.

Welcome to the real story.

Let's be friends!

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