I wrote a book during the pandemic, not because I was home and needed something to do but because I'm always writing and a friend suggested it, so why not? It's a thriller (sort of based on a true story) that I wrote as fast as possible last year and finished in 2021.

Anyway, the process was so enjoyable, the writing just poured out of me, and putting it all together, going through Apple and Google and Amazon, editing and making a cover and poring over the documents, the print previews, finding a picture, writing copy, all of it just stimulated me in a way I never thought would happen.

Anyone else gone through all of this? Getting the paperback formatted was a pain in the ass but I'm glad I did it, it's nice to have a physical copy. I don't even care about the money,

Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Want-Hurt-You-Southern-ebook/dp/B08T25F575/ref=sr_1_4?crid=20FWN6KOZU16G&dchild=1&keywords=i+dont+want+to+hurt+you&qid=1625198561&rnid=2941120011&s=digital-text&sprefix=i+dont+want+to+hur%2Caps%2C294&sr=1-4

Apple- https://books.apple.com/us/book/i-dont-want-to-hurt-you/id1549612059?ls=1

Google- https://www.google.com/books/edition/I_Don_t_Want_to_Hurt_You/R3cSEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Congrats on accomplishing one of your dreams.

It's an incredible accomplishment so you should be really proud!

How do you find the "promotion" aspect of the process - as in actually trying to get it out in front of people? That always seems so daunting to me when I've considered it in the past.

Promotion is a work-in-progress, as in I'm feeling my way through it all. I did offer (through Amazon) a week of free downloads and got 115 "purchases," which was cool. Now that I have a fully formatted paperback available I'll try to get it into the hands of some local people (influencers, tastemakers, etc.) who can possibly promote for me. We'll see.

I’m slowly working on a book I’ll likely self publish

Technically it costs nothing to set up through Amazon, Apple, and Google. I did pay a college student $100 to proofread, and if you set up a paperback through Amazon those are printed as-sold and the cost is built into the price of the book. Have at it, get your book out there.

I can only imagine the sense of accomplishment you feel knowing something you've created out of thin air is out in the world. I'm currently working on three projects: poetry, short stories and personal essays. It's always encouraging to read/hear someone else's self-publishing journey!

what type of writing were you doing before the book?

I wrote for websites part-time, then wrote for a wellness app. I've always wanted to write fiction, though, and finally decided fuck it and did my thing.

I'm actually going to spend a few bucks on advertising through Amazon's system. Sponsored ads and campaigns for when people unlock/open their Kindle's. Not cheap, but gotta spend a dollar to earn three, right?