I Shelved Two Books Before I Published Six (And Why Your First Book Idea Might Need to Wait)
From shelved manuscripts to published success: A journey of persistence, reinvention, and discovering your true authorial voice.
I wrote, illustrated, designed, and produced my first book in the 8th grade.
There was only one copy made, and it was never published. At that time, nobody knew anything about hybrid or self-publishing because it didn't exist. Traditional publishing was the only option, and it was rarely discussed. Pursuing a career as an author was never talked about with family or in school.
So, instead, I took a completely different career path because I never considered becoming an author/illustrator back then. It never occurred to me that I would become one later in life.
It was several decades later that I wrote my first book, but I never published it.
The book was a combination of my career as a graphic and website designer with 13 chapters that also included how to own and operate your own design studio for newbies. When it was completed, I hired a friend who has over 35 years of experience in copywriting and editing to review my book and provide feedback.
They reviewed my table of contents and the first chapter of my book, and then we had a 1.5-hour strategy session to go over everything.
Long story short: I was told my book wasn't going to sell and it would sit on a shelf. They proceeded to share with me examples of why nobody would buy it.
I wasn't mad or angry with their feedback. It was an eye-opening experience to know that what I wrote wasn't going to make an impact because it was written for two different audiences. Since I didn't know what direction to take with the book, I decided to shelve it and come back to it at a later time when I had a better idea of what I wanted to do with it, or who to market toward.
So, I moved on from that book and started a new one.
This book was going to be a romantic comedy for women about a relationship between a woman and her ex-boyfriend that didn't work out, but he kept showing up in unexpected places in her life.
I ended up writing three chapters, but put it aside because it felt heavy and slow. I wanted the book to be a fast-paced read that would keep readers engaged so much that they could not put the book down until it was finished. I still want to finish that book, but I need to review it with fresh eyes and see if what I wrote is still worth salvaging and turning it into a finished product. Maybe I'll share it here with you and see if it's something you want to continue reading, or if I should just cut my losses and move on.
Anyhow, I still wanted to write and publish a book. And I did.
I ended up publishing six books and a journal.
A couple of years later, I ended up writing and publishing multiple books for two different audiences: one series is for Artists, Designers, and Illustrators on issues related to their careers, such as How to Use InDesign, and How to Write a Proposal and Contract. The second series was a total surprise because it was a children's picture book series called The Frizz Girls, where we teach curl confidence to girls 5–13 years old who want to learn how to take care of and love their natural hair texture.
I never considered writing a children's picture book, but I did.
Actually, I wrote, illustrated, designed, and published four books and a journal in The Frizz Girls series within three years, but how and why I did it myself is a story for another day.
A shelved book isn't a failed book. Sometimes it's just waiting for the right audience, or the right you.
Your turn: Do you have a book idea sitting on your shelf? Tell me about it in the comments. I'd love to hear it. Also, let me know if you want me to share that story with you. I would love to hear your feedback.
Free for you: Ready to take the next step? Grab my free Self-Publisher's Checklist and use it to take away all the guesswork when it comes to the order and steps for completing your book, starting from conception to the final product.
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Every book has a story. Yours is still being written.
Until next time,
Stacy
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