In 2018 I had a stirring within me. It was a stirring to write my third book. This book was going to be the biggest challenge of all of my books to date. I don’t want to spoil the details that are revealed in the book, so let me just say that I knew I had to write this book. I knew it was not going to be easy, but I have never been one to shy away from the difficult tasks.
This book was going to require me to share some personal things. I wasn’t sure I wanted to share some of those things. It was also going to require me to interview people about some of their personal faith-based experiences, as well. Not an easy thing to do. When it comes to matters of faith, many keep those experiences close hold. Sharing can bring up emotions and reminders of some of the challenging things in life. Sharing can make us feel vulnerable. Sharing takes trust. The response to the call for stories was slow, but steady. Just when I thought I wasn’t going to get any more stories, another person would contact me and say they had a story for me. It took about three and a half years to get all of the interviews accomplished because of that, personal schedules, and COVID-19. I even conducted one interview telephonically as the interviewee was driving down the road.
As COVID-19 took hold in 2020, I saw how discouraged people were. I sensed a general uneasiness in people. They were looking for hope. The more people I interviewed, the more motivated I was to complete the book. As we hear the naysayers chant that God is dead, these stories brought confirmation of God not only being “alive” but being present and involved in our lives. I knew that people needed to hear these stories to encourage themselves and strengthen their faith.
Writing such a book requires much back and forth with the people you interview. Some stories had many moving parts and I had to be sure I got it right. I would ask follow-up questions, revise the draft copy, give it to the interviewee and ask for clarification on anything I may have misunderstood. They would make corrections and I would edit it again. This went on until we were all satisfied it was correct.
There were some obstacles, but authors learn to overcome obstacles. It’s in their job description. Authors must be able to motivate themselves. There was a surgery. There were illnesses and health challenges. These challenges were delaying my writing. My ten-year-old computer was lacking and needed replacing. Normally, not a problem, right? Except this happened during COVID-19. People were transitioning to working at home and they were buying new computers. A computer with the specs I needed was difficult to find in stock. I would think I had found one and as I pressed the Buy Button, I discovered they had just sold out. This happened several times. Eventually, I was able to buy something close to my required specs.
Writing a book filled with emotion can wear on an author. Sometimes you need to take a break from it. Sometimes you have re-read and revised it so much that you almost know the manuscript by heart. It is then that you move on to doing other tasks related to the book or take a break. Coming back to it with a fresh start helps you more easily recognize where change is needed.
Before I wrote my three books, I used to think that once the author was done writing the book, their work was done. In reality, when self-published authors are done writing there are many remaining tasks. The editing, proofreading, cover, and interior design still must be done. Illustrations must be designed or licensed. This is followed by the manuscript conversion to an e-book. Many of these tasks require special software and skills. Many authors contract these jobs out before publishing their book. For self-published authors, publishing their book often requires a substantial financial investment, whether they hire a publisher to take the lead or contract out portions of the work themselves. Either way, the author must remain engaged. After all, no one cares about the book as much as the author.
An ISBN number and a bar code for the back cover must be secured. This is followed by the verification of the first proof copy, copyright application, and the application for a Library of Congress Control Number. Next, the book must be uploaded to Amazon and the author must provide the book details that you see on the Amazon sales page. Finally, there is the creation of the marketing materials (social media graphics, book trailer videos, and blogposts). This is followed by the ongoing marketing of the book to include the book launch, live events, interviews, and more. This book took seven years (obstacles included) to write and publish. It took eight months from the time the writing was completed until it was published. Those eight months required my active involvement to produce the final book.
When I started gathering stories for the book, I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough for a book. I ended up having so many that the book would have been too big. Yes, God-willing, there will be a second book. Hopefully book two in the Nudged series won’t take nearly as long to write and publish!
The world now gets to read about these wonderful people who shared their hearts with me for Nudged: Moved by God. It is my prayer that it touches you and lifts you up. It is my prayer that you, too, will be moved by God.
To learn more of what Nudged: Moved by God is about, you can check out my website here: https://SusanBrownell.com and here: https://SusanBrownell.com/books or go to the Amazon detail page here: https://www.amazon.com/Nudged-Moved-God-Susan-Brownell/dp/1940826055/ to purchase a copy, read the book description, or read a sample of the book. Happy reading!
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To all aspiring authors — never give up!
You can do this!