By guest blogger Mike Kowis, Esq.
By day, Mike Kowis, Esq., is a mild-mannered tax attorney at a Fortune 500 company. By night, he’s an adjunct professor of Business Law and Corporate Tax for one of the largest community colleges in Texas. He’s also the author of the award-winning debut book, Engaging College Students: A Fun and Edgy Guide for Professors.
Mike discovered that the process of self-publishing was just as challenging as teaching college students. So he took careful notes on each step and released a second award-winning book, 14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book. It’s a handy guide for authors that paves the way to self-publishing on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It also contains cost comparisons and 10 surprising lessons learned.
Here, Mike fills us in on one of those surprising lessons.
Writing my first book was nothing short of a full marathon. By that, I mean the process takes a serious commitment of time and effort to reach the finish line. If you’ve written a book, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t yet done so, then buckle up, Buttercup! It can be a long and emotional journey, but well worth it.
I kicked off my first book project with a public announcement on Facebook that gave me one year to write and publish it. I’ll admit the one-year time frame that I set for this goal was completely arbitrary. But I needed the pressure of a deadline to motivate me to stay on track and finish. Looking back, 365 days was too ambitious given that I also had a full-time legal career, a part-time teaching gig, and a family to raise. Not to mention that I knew absolutely nothing about writing books.
Fast forward to one year later, and I was embarrassed to admit to my friends and family that I’d only written 57 pages. Most of the reactions I received were positive and encouraging. As expected, I took some friendly criticism for missing my initial deadline. But a few folks seemed almost happy to see me fail and were convinced I was wasting my time.
Luckily, I’m the type of person who loves to prove someone wrong. I used this criticism to push myself forward. I got up, wiped the egg off my face, and repeated to myself, “I got this. No problem.”
At the end of year two, I found myself with 80 pages and perhaps the worst case of writer’s block known to mankind. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t think of a single word to add to my manuscript. Not. One. Word.
As a tax attorney, I write daily and have never experienced writer’s block. So I was completely shocked and frustrated when this happened. I also felt depressed because it was the first time in my life that I doubted my own ability to complete a goal. Until that point, I had accomplished pretty much everything I had ever set my sights on from both a professional and a personal level. I remember thinking, how can this be happening to me?
I turned to my muse and editor, Geoff Smith, for help. Geoff worked his magic and gave me fresh ideas to explore. Soon, I was off and running again.
By the end of year three, things were finally looking up with 113 pages completed. But then I came down with another bout of writer’s block that stopped me in my tracks. Once again, I turned to Geoff for developmental edits and then headed toward the finish line.
My four-year journey finally ended when I published the book on October 21, 2016. Wow… what a day! I felt just like a proud Papa when I finally got to hold my creation in my hands for the first time.
Obviously, not everyone’s first book journey is as long and arduous as mine. However, an aspiring author would be wise to heed this advice: Be aware that book writing requires a significant investment of time. Also, the journey can take an emotional toll if you’re not mentally prepared for possible setbacks and delays.
The good news? The journey is totally worth the blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to create the book you have always dreamed of.
Mike Kowis, Esq., is a tax attorney and adjunct college professor. He is the author of five books, Engaging College Students: A Fun and Edgy Guide for Professors,14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book, Smart Marketing for Indie Authors, Maximize Your Book Sales with Data Analysis, and Texas Off-Road Racing: A Father-Son Journey to a Side-By-Side Championship. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree and two law degrees, including an advanced law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Texas with his wife, Jessica; their two children; and their two dogs. Contact Mike for a guest blog post or find out more about his five books at www.MikeKowis.com.
Ella Ritchie is the founder of Stellar Communications Houston, a nonfiction book publishing team that serves nonfiction authors, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and federal government agencies. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Facebook, or check out the website for more information.