We all have different paths to publishing a book. When I wrote my surgery diary I have not thought of turning it into a book, I just knew I had to write down all the details because I had such hard time finding information when I needed it. I had a couple of co-workers and friends who also had back problems and I thought my notes would be helpful to my friends. Fast forward a few years and I stumbled on a book called “Write Your Book on the Side: How to Write and Publish Your First Nonfiction Kindle Book While Working a Full-Time Job” by Hassan Osman.
“Write your book in the Side” demystified self-publishing for me. This is a pretty short book and it made the whole process very simple and clear. I already had the material written down and it is a topic I passionate about. I also had very positive feedback from people with whom I shared my notes when they were trying to make a decision whether to have back surgery or not. So I decided to take a plunge into self-publishing.
I would love to hear how other people came to a decision to publish a book. Was it a sudden realization that you have something to say like me? Or a longer desire that built over a long period?