If you’ve read my last post, then you know I have a stockpile of over 50 post drafts which should make jumping back into blogging easy. But nope, not me, I’ve been overthinking again, wondering which one to start off with.
So, I’m starting with something that has been INVALUABLE to my self-publishing journey: Sarra Cannon’s amazing Publish and Thrive Course!
Interested in purchasing Publish & Thrive when enrollment opens in January, 2024? Awesome, I’d appreciate it if you used my affiliate link! It won’t cost you more and will help me with website expenses.
So welcome to my self-publishing journey!
I’ve decided to document my path to self-publication as a way to not only sort out my thoughts, but also share with others who are taking on the same journey. Let’s support each other! Because …
“I believe in you!”
This is one of the many inspiring words Sarra Cannon said in the LIVE Kickoff Call for her rebooted self-publishing course, Publish & Thrive. I believe in you. It’s too bad I didn’t believe in myself when I first purchased her course over a year ago, only to quit after two modules, adding it to my monstrous list of failed endeavors.
That was then, this is now.
Thanks to months of therapy, mental healing, and medication for my recently diagnosed ADHD, I’m back again, giving Publish & Thrive another shot. And this time around, I have a semi-developed six-book series based on dear characters from my first novel, Beauty Shop for Rent.
Yes. Granny Po and the rest of the Gray Widows are ready to have their story told.
So, I jumped back in by first completing Sarra’s “Your Ideal Life” workbook in order to fully narrow down what I want from a self-publishing career. My boiled-down answer is simple:
I want to write lovely stories about endearing characters in charming towns who are reinventing their life for the better … and as a result, I’ll change my life for the better.
In Sarra’s LIVE Kickoff Call, however, she brought up one of my many fears of self-publishing.
I’m too late.
“People will tell you it’s too late, the market is saturated.”
I fear that I’ve missed the boat. Had I jumped in years ago, like so many amazing authors had, I could have a massive backlist of books by now. I would be contributing to my family’s income. Or I should have at least finished this course when I started a year ago, because maybe I’d have a book or two self-published by now.
Damn those coulda, woulda, shoulda’s.
Sarra does an AMAZING job of putting those negative it’s too late fears to rest by giving many reasons why now is the BEST time to self-publish! Why?
“First of all, you can’t go back to the past. Now is all we have.”
Exactly.
I could beat myself up from here to kingdom come but that wouldn’t do any good. I should of know. I’ve been berating myself for years with zero good results. And I’m healthier now. Happier. Onward ever, backward never.
And as far as the market being saturated, yeah, okay, there’s a ton of contemporary women’s fiction out there. But there’s still one that Amazon doesn’t have:
My Voice.
There aren’t any other books out there exactly like mine. And these untold stories have been gnawing holes in my heart for too long. It’s time to realize my dreams and get those suckers out there, however imperfect they might be!
Throughout the rest of Sarra’s 66-minute Kickoff Call, she did a great job giving an overview of the course and what to expect, starting with Module 1 where she will help students piece together an individual roadmap to success and to stop asking, “Can I?”
“Start moving into an indie author mindset, an entrepreneur mindset of instead of asking for permission, of being the boss. ….. Stop asking “Can I?” and start asking “Is this what I want?””
Yes. This is what I want.
By the end of her LIVE chat, I was excited … and still a little intimidated, but mostly ready to jump into MODULE 1: Foundation of Success.
Last year, I had completed and reviewed the first module in this blog post, but Sarra has given the entire course a major update. She also recently added a BONUS: August Industry News 2023 video, which is another thing I love about the course. It keeps getting better, and with lifetime access, I can always come back … like I’m doing now!
Now. What about you, are you here because you’re thinking about investing in Sarra Cannon’s Publish & Thrive course or are you beginning your self-publishing journey like me? Awesome, I’m so glad you’re here! Let me know in the comments below!
Until then, take care and happy writing!
