I Published My First Book At The Age Of 24
Update on the book I wrote in 2020.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog about how I wrote my first book at the age of 21 so consider this a part 2 where I’ll talk about finally publishing it.
Here is the first blog: I Wrote My First Book At 21.
A lot has happened since I finished writing my first novella. Heartbreak, life-changing events, and loss of close friends. So I deserve to say that I am a completely changed person.
After I finished writing the novella, I sent it to a couple of friends who encouraged me to publish it yet I didn’t find the courage to do so. I felt small and feared rejection. I hate being criticized so you can understand where I’m coming from.
I moved on from the novella and literally forgot about it for the last two years. I started writing a novel and focused on my writing career while my firstborn was collecting virtual dust on my laptop.
A couple of weeks ago, I thought of sharing the novella called “I”m Sorry” with a couple of friends. When I opened the file, I felt nostalgic and I ended up reading it again. I also had to re-edit it and make some slight changes.
When I finished, I realized that my baby is ready to face the world. So I made myself publish it. I had to convince myself that it was the right thing to do. It was time to let go and move on to my second book.
The easiest way to publish it was through Amazon KDP. It took about an hour to get it all done. and before I knew it, my book had been published. I then published it on Payhip and that took about 10 minutes. The difference between both platforms is that you can purchase the e-book directly through Payhip instead of needing a Kindle. While you can get the paperback only on Amazon for the time being. You can have to promote the Payhip link instead of letting your book sell on its own. I then added it to Draft2Digital but it’s still being processed for the time being.
I felt numb for a while and couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t believe that I have finally made the first step to becoming the published author I’ve always wanted to be.
Once the paperback was ready for purchase, I was ready to share my achievement on Instagram. It was until my friends started congratulating me that I felt the weight of what I have done. I belittled my achievement and let myself feel small. There’s nothing worse than letting self-doubt eat you from the inside out. I let my negative feelings take over for a second and it was painful.
A friend asked me how I felt and I replied: “naked”. I felt intellectually naked. This big secret that I’ve been keeping for years is finally out. I’m ready for others to check my work and even criticize me.
Now let me tell you about the story of the novella or better yet, let me share with you the blurb.
Melinda’s death is a mystery waiting to be solved.
18 years after her mother’s death, Rose finds her mother’s diary hidden in a box full of souvenirs. After going through it, she discovers clues about her mysterious and sudden death. Lost between anger and grief, Rose tries to find the truth with the help of her twin sister Lilly guided only by their late mother’s diary.
Will the truth finally get unraveled?
It’s pretty cool and you will love it I’m sure. I’m not trying to brag but that’s exactly what I’m doing lol.
Anyway, here are the links. Now go meet Melinda and Rose but most importantly I want you to enjoy every word (that’s an order)!
Also, I have added the book to GoodReads and it made it feel more real. It also looks super cute lol. People now can review my book and judge my profile picture.
Until next time!
