My Initial Foray Into Self-Publishing
You read that correctly; I am now a self-published author! *cue confetti and party horns*
Buuuut, let’s not get overly excited.
I haven’t written a novel, how-to, or even memoir.
No comedic literature or investigative research analysis.
Nope, not even a recipe book.
My first foray into self-publishing is called a ‘low content’ book:
What Kind of Content is That?
Right???!
The first time I saw the phrase ‘low-content book’ I thought it must mean not very good; low quality.
BUT, that’s not the case at all.
According to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing:
A low-content book has minimal or no content on the interior pages.
Amazon KDP Website
These pages are generally repetitive and designed to be filled in by the user.
Common examples include notebooks, planners, journals, and other similar works.
Did you Write A Notebook, Planner, or Journal?
Well, in short, a journal. Buuuuut…not like the kind you generally think of with blank pages of just lines or dots.
I know what you’re probably thinking:
“You WROTE a book that doesn’t have words? That’s not really writing, is it?”
Sooo…if you know me very well, you know I’m more of a shades of grey thinker. AND, I’m finally of an age and mindset where I have no qualms bending the ‘rules’ or trying to think outside the box.
Thus, I made a journal as a self-published author, but I made it my way.
It doesn’t involve enough writing to be called a regular book, but it might very well involve more writing than the typical low-content book.
That’s kind of what I tend to do lately…question the definition of things. *shrug*
Why A Low-Content Book?
What in the world made me decide to randomly make a low-content book, you might ask?
Well, a number of things.
Know ‘All the Things’ First
First, I have always wanted to write a book or books on a few different non-fiction topics, but I have always been the person who wants to have as much information as possible before I jump into the water.
(Quite literally. When learning to swim as a child, my mother says I would NOT get into the water until I knew precisely what I was supposed to do and carefully watched someone else do it. Lol.)
Thus, no surprise, I wanted to know exactly how the self-publishing process worked before I started writing a book.
The Right (FREE) Guidance
Second, I had seen numerous advertisements on Facebook and in my spam emails about passive income streams via publishing various types of low-content books. I had never paid much attention because, I mean, how many scammy passive income stream things do most of us see in a day? WAY too many.
Yet one day my mother forwarded me an email about passive income streams that looked legit, from sidehustlenation.
I was intrigued and peeked into the rabbit hole.
THIS rabbit hole actually had some clear, easy, and skimmable information with helpful links to further tools on how to be a self-published author of low-content books.
They DO exist! *wink*
I looked at the links they provided for a few low-content ‘experts’ and found one that resonated with me: Rachel Harrison Sund.
Rachel offered a FREE guide to publishing a low-content book in less than a day.
“Well let’s take a look-see,” said me!
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Easy Practice for KSP & Canva
Okay, so yes, I could have written a book and THEN practiced the self-publishing things, but like I said, I like to understand the whole picture first. I also didn’t want to write a book and then have to totally reformat it to whatever self-publishing required. Aaaand, perfectionistic procrastination. *shrug*
I had previously used Canva for some teaching materials and blogging images, so this was also an opportunity to practice using it for a book cover.
I also like to flip-flop between right-brain and left-brain thinking. It keeps me happy. A low-content book would require some kind of graphic design for at least a cover and possibly an inner bit or two, so yay for cross-brain fun.
With Rachel’s free guide, I felt like I wouldn’t be jumping down endless rabbit holes to figure out every bit of Kindle Self-Publishing. Thank GOD for small miracles. So I started from the top and used her guide as I would a project outline in school.
I can happily say that her guide was made very well! Thank you, Rachel!!
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A Bucket List For Father’s Day
After doing the brainstorming and keyword research, as Rachel’s free guide suggested, I finally decided on a topic for my low-content book. The impetus for my decision was an upcoming holiday: Father’s Day.
Since I have a daughter who loves spending time with her Dad, a bucket list for fathers and daughters seemed fun. Maybe she would even enjoy using it herself one day.
I Don’t Do Boring or Annoying
People have told me many times in my life: “you don’t need to re-invent the wheel.”
Have you ever been told that? Lol. I don’t do it on purpose! I am simply not satisfied with how something is currently made and want to make it better…or make it more to my liking. Which sometimes looks like re-inventing the wheel. Anyone else like this??
When I started making this low-content book, it could have been as easy as a fun cover and some black and white pages with numbered lines for making a bucket list. Bing, bang, done.
That would have been enough to try out the self-published author KSP requirements on Amazon and practice making a book cover in Canva.
However, I just couldn’t do that. I can’t make something I wouldn’t want to buy myself. And frankly, I wouldn’t want to pay for something I could use a plain old school notebook for.
It could have been a quick and easy way to practice, yes, but I wanted my practice to make something useful.
Thus, I kinda, sorta, maybe, somewhat re-invented the wheel.
*sheepish grin*
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I Am Very Visual … And So Are (Most of) You
When I make something I want it to LOOK pleasing. I’m quickly uninterested if it doesn’t visually please me. I WILL get past that when necessary, but I PREFER visually interesting, and marketing research says I’m definitely in the majority here.
So instead of most low-content books that are essentially an interesting cover and blank or lined pages, I wanted to open the cover and see something that would make me feel like I paid for something unique and fun.
Which, honestly, no matter how much money people say they make off of super simple low-content books, I wouldn’t buy them.
Thus I started re-inventing my wheel. But it’s a visually nice wheel, thank you very much. *cheesy grin*
See? (Below) What do you think?
When I’m using a journal or fill-in-the-prompt type of book I am more motivated when I like looking at what I’m writing in. Right? Right?!
Therefore, I decided on pages with colored text, colored page corners to designate different sections of the journal, even some colored lines and images to spice up pages and inspire ideas.
My first attempt as a self-published author was going to be fun to look at, by golly!
I prefer to Lead By Example
Remember how I said earlier that I need to see what I’m supposed to do before I do it? My childhood swimming lessons, if you recall.
I feel the same way about assignments, projects, journal entries, and more.
I want to see an example first.
Then I feel comfortable that I know what is expected, or the intention, and can change it up to make it my own.
The future users of this bucket list journal might very well want the same thing!
As a teacher, examples were one of the best ways to make sure my students understood how to use a tool or complete an assignment.
My prompts and directions may not be as clear to a student, reader, or consumer as they are to me, so I created an example for filing out the completed bucket list item portion of the journal.
What do you think? Is the example I made clear and easy to understand?
Should I Be Excited? Is That Allowed?
After MANY revisions, tweaks, breaks, looking at what’s available on Amazon, and a dozen more teeny edits, I called it done. No more, Heather. No more.
(I could edit forever if I allowed myself. Not you? Must not have that pesky perfectionist gene.)
I was actually quite proud of myself for what I had made!
I went in expecting to do a quick practice, realized it wasn’t going to be as quick as it seems, and settled in to turn the extra complexity into an excuse for better quality. Well, in my opinion, of course.
THROWING EXPECTATIONS OUT THE WINDOW
But then, I had a conundrum of society’s making. Should I be proud of this?
Should I be proud of myself that my first foray into self-publishing is not a book I have been wanting to write for years, but a ‘measly’ low-content book made mostly of design, not words?
That’s not what ‘real’ authors do.
Whoa, what the heck is that nonsense about?!
“LUCY, YOU GOT SOME ‘SPLAININ TO DO!”
I know, KNOW, that at least a few of you get this same self-doubt. It’s not the best, or expected, or deemed socially perfect, so I can’t be proud of myself.
* BEEP – B.S. ALERT – BEEP – B.S. ALERT *
I’m calling B.S. on myself, thus you are allowed…nay…required to call B.S. on yourself if and when this negative voice tries to kill your pride of a job well done. A mountain-looking molehill conquered. One more obstacle towards meeting a larger goal demolished.
Share It, Shout It, Embrace It
Okay, so my first title as a self-published author is not a typical book. What does it matter?! I published something. I figured out the KSP maze AND how to make a book cover on Canva.
Now I have the experience of putting a book up for sale on Amazon, understanding how the pricing and distribution work, and what needs to be done to make an appealing Amazon book selling page.
All those little excuses to overthink writing a book, gone. Done. Off the mental list.
Not to mention, I am published now. Published. Who cares what I published?! If I’m happy with my work, it’s amazing! I’m my own worst critic and I like it.
Trust me, Siskel and Ebert ain’t got nothin’ on me. *wink* (Sorry millennials, you may have to Google that one.)
So yup. I’m good. Proud even. I’m finally a self-published author and I’m publicly sharing this milestone. You can see my finished book for sale on Amazon: “Our Dad & Daughter Bucket List: A Journal to Plan and Remember Amazing Adventures.”
Sharing Truly is Caring
I hope this quick story of my journey through the self-publishing process, complete with some resources, struggles, and cheers, might help you or someone you know on your own journey.
OR
Maybe you’ll see this fun little journal I published and say to yourself:
‘Hey! That would be a great gift for [insert name here]!’
I make this blog not only as a way to hold myself accountable for my own growth and goals, but also to foster more connection in this world…a powerful tool for positive change.
So please, tell me what YOU have published, or WANT to publish. I want to know what makes you excited!
Update for Moms!
I had a friend request that I make a version of this book for Moms, so voila!
Now you can also get a Mother & Daughter Bucket List Journal at Amazon!
