An Author's Reality

The Unwritten Pages

(A short, faith based autobiography written by Shekinah R. Smith meant to encourage people of all ages as she details the ups and down of her life - depression, suicide attempts, love and heartbreak, and self-discovery - looking to guide people to a healthier and happier future and trust in Christ)

 

Let's talk a little bit on my experience in the trials of authorhood:

Writing is more than just something I do - it's something I LOVE. I've been a writer ever since I was a kid, and it (along with just reading) was one of the few things in my life that not only served as a distraction for a lot of the turmoil I was experiencing mentally, emotionally, and physically, but also as a map to where it was that I wanted to go and who it was that I wanted to be.

I think, at some point, it's like that for all authors. In spite of the deadlines, writer's block, and downright lack of support, we do it because it's one of the rare things that we know we can do, and WANT to do. It's our purpose, and a guide not only for ourselves in our doing, but also for our readers in their reading. I know, I know: that may not make a lot of sense, but think on it; think on all the times you were grateful for what you read and how it changed you. It'll start to become a bit clearer.

Still, even though writing feels like fate, the reality is that it is one of the hardest things you can do. Putting your imagination down on paper is one thing that is tough enough as it is, but dealing with the realities of fighting to get your work noticed? That's a whole other ballgame altogether that has been detrimental and the seal of fate for a lot of us out there - especially us self-published authors. I can't speak for everyone, but I can say for myself that I chose self-publishing because:

1. The cost of going through a publishing company was outside of my financial reach.
2. My very first book was a faith-based, inspirational autobiography and it seemed like NO ONE wanted to touch it.
3. The few publishing companies I would have loved to pursue weren't taking manuscripts.
4. I came across a lot of book/author "brokers" out there who wanted a ton of cash to get your book published with them, but didn't seem to have enough work being executed to actually market the book (for me, marketing is a huge aspect in getting our books out there. It seemed senseless to me to pay thousands of dollars to get my book "published", but the only marketing being done was putting the book on the company's website and social media. That's not marketing to me, especially when it's a company that is practically unheard of. You'd be surprised how many companies are out there advertising this level of work, and how many authors complain about how it's not enough).
5. The wait time for the book to be available for sale was ridiculous (a lot of these broker type companies have "pay as you need services" - meaning you can chose to pay for each individual service such as: cover design, formatting, editing, illustration, marketing and advertising, etc. If I'm providing you a book that is already edited, already in possession of a cover design, already formatted, etc., and all I need is for my book to be marketed and put in stores, why would it take 9-12 months for my book to become available for sale?).

By self-publishing, I allowed myself to be fully in control of when my book would be released. Unfortunately, that also meant that the brunt of getting my book out there would be totally on me. So, I stepped up to the plate and began the charge in telling people about what I'd created.

I started with building a simple website which would be used for readers to contact me, while also linking visitors to my store and social media accounts. My website began official construction during the period of time that The Unwritten Pages underwent copyright - this gave me time to work on my social media accounts and really take my time making the "simple" website in a way that was still "me". Thus ShekinahRS.com was born!

Next, on the very next day after my autobiography went live for sale on Amazon, I launched my author Facebook and Instagram accounts and began spreading the word as much as I knew how:

ShekinahRSBooks Facebook

ShekinahRS Instagram

I even created a logo and "mother tree" for my author/book platform, known formerly as:

Nightingale Glory Books/Novels

I was receiving countless responses from those in my circle (friends, family, associates, etc). Praises and congratulations poured in, and I began to think that I had already gained a decent profit margin. This is the first mistake for us authors (especially self-published): we tend to rely on and expect our own folks to support by purchasing our product, when in actuality, they are often the least reliable in helping your business or product succeed. You'll get a lot of "congrats" and words proclaiming that they will strive hard to "support you" or "get the word out" - but unfortunately most of those are empty promises. I know this sounds bitter, but that's not my intent here. My intent is to make known the struggles so that other authors can know what to possibly expect, and how to handle it. I didn't have that warning, and when it would try to present itself, I'm quite sure that I chose to ignore it. 

The reality is that if you don't have a reliable organization pushing your book, you have to - and in spite of all the ideas that may be in your head on how to do that, it's harder than you may think. Still, I had some hope and began planning my book signing for Juneteenth 2021. After coming up short with multiple hotels and venues, I finally found a hotel/convention center that I fell in love with. The price to secure the space was outside of my budget, but the hotel worked with me to bring my dream to reality. Between reserving the space, a hotel room for myself, securing a PROFESSIONAL and LICENSED caterer, and paying for the sheet cake, and decorations, I knew I would lose some money on this event, but hoped it would be nice enough to generate more sales in the future. I stayed up late decorating the tables and setting up my signing table the night before the signing, and then woke in the morning expectant for great things.

The Book Signing

The day of my book signing was both my most exciting, and emotionally painful day of my life. I expected a huge turnout with the RSVP's, but when it came time to start, there were only 5 people waiting for me. So, hoping guests were simply running late, I postponed the start for an additional 30-45 minutes. Still, no one else walked in the door. So, I pushed past and began my first reading. The few people there were captivated as I read, and it lifted my spirits in spite of there being less folks in attendance than I hoped. By the time we took a break for food, more people arrived, but still far less than said they would come. And finally just a bit before the book signing concluded, a few more guests arrived. The event had gone by smoothly, and everyone had an amazing time - and yet I couldn't shake the depression and disappointment in knowing that everyone I thought would come, didn't. Many of them didn't even reach out - just disappeared from my line of sight.

The book signing taught me that it takes more than just the people we authors may know to make our book a success. It's the outside forces, not the inside ones, who will often give you your biggest support. That's not to say our people closest to us don't really care, but sometimes there are many more factors in their lives that prevent them from being able to (or wanting to) support us.

Getting my book off the ground has been a struggle since then. But the reality is that no matter how many hashtags or posts you may make, you need something more to reach audiences. Currently, I've made the decision to invest in social media and Amazon marketing in hopes that the book will reach an audience who may be genuinely interested in it. I've also submitted my book for review to placed in a well-known local bookstore in the city, and have reached out to a publishing company to see if my autobiography is a good fit for them. I realize that because this first book is nonfiction, there are more blockades up against it to break down, but even with my future fiction pieces, I intend to put in the work to make a profit and get it on people's bookshelves.

Now here's just a couple pics of my book signing set up, just to show that it was nice and I did have a nice time:

So What Does This Mean For YOU?

I don't want to discourage you from writing. Not at all. You should do what you love regardless of how things may look or seem. But you should be aware that in this process you may spend some time frustrated; frustrated with yourself, with the ones in your life, with the process, and with the very book you yearned to complete. I can't tell you how many nights I spent wondering if writing this autobiography was the right thing to do, and if it was a waste of time (but even though it's not done the best, people have come back saying it encouraged them greatly, and that is what I want - making the struggle worth it). The frustration and doubt doesn't mean you should quit. Rather find new avenues to get your work out there. Be prepared to dedicate more time and money if you want to be a successful writer whose stories can reach out and impact lives.

I hope this small blog post is enough to help you future authors prepare for the road you're pursuing - both the ups and downs. If you want to discuss some of what you're going through on your journey, feel free to comment! And if you had a much easier experience (as well as some suggestions), DEFINITELY COMMENT! It may be a blessing to someone else going through this process.

Until next time, Sugahs,

Shekinah Nightingale

Being able to create is a beautiful thing...

but sharing it is an ever greater treasure.