I have had the desire to write and publish for many years but never knew how.  Mark Howard’s Self-Publishing 101 class has given me the tools to take the first step into self-publishing with understanding of the key components and an outline of many of the watch-outs.

 

When I began to research self-publishing I found the process very complex, expensive and challenging.  Complex, because it was not intuitive, nor was it all in one place.  It also required understanding the credibility behind each source:  Were they giving information that was true or simply convenient in order to gain services?  

 

Second, it was expensive.  Self publishing companies require money up front to print the book and the output is that we have to market it…which is a further investment with its own unknowns.  In addition many will make you sign over a great deal of rights to your work.  All business is built on components of investment with no guarantee of return; however, this in and of itself is not a show stopper, yet it makes one think twice: where do I put the limited resources I have?  

 

Third, it was challenging.  As if writing a book is not challenging enough, not knowing who is on your side is daunting.  Add to this the stories of famous people like Nicky Cruz who published his first book ‘Run, Baby, Run’…(a book about his story in New York City as leader of the most violent gang called the Mau Maus and his confrontation with the pastor, David Wilkerson)…to find that the first publishing company that published it made tons of money and Nicky Cruz not only made very little but gave up almost all rights to his book for a long period of time.  This was an error I wanted to avoid.  I wanted to maintain control of my material.

 

I took Mark’s class. I began to work on taking the material I had written and put it into a book format.  I also appreciated his commitment to helping his students get started by having us submit small works which he put through the process.  We each watched our writing come to life in a book.  I now have one book that is close to completion, a second class outline which will later this year be put into a book, and concepts for 5 other books which are lining up.  I have begun to promote the works via email and friends.  This has begun to build an expectation for the eventual publication.

 

This Self-Publishing 101 class is valuable.  This class was an answer to prayer and has opened a door for me to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life.  Whether a person has plans to print a small work, tell a story or teach; writing has shaped history and having the tools and the knowledge helps bring a message to life which can impact other lives.  This class could easily have a steep registration fee and would be worth every penny.  I recommend anyone with an interest in self publishing to attend this class, digest the material and start the process.

Michael Brown