The Release Of My New Book! (And Why I Wrote It)

I have to say, holding a book that I wrote and edited is one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.

I have no illusions of this being a “best seller”.  Hell, I’ll be thrilled if it sells 10 copies . . .

I produced this book for very selfish reasons: to learn about the self-publishing process and to capture my first year of independent blogging.

I’ve been working online since 2008.  But VicMagary.com (launched in April of 2011) was my first attempt at providing articles, videos, and other content without a partner or boss.  And for most of that first year, I did my damnedest to avoid writing about fitness so as to not conflict with other work I was doing at the time.

But now fitness is the primary focus of this blog and I wanted a “time capsule” of that first year of writing.  As much regurgitated personal development drivel that I wrote, there were also a few posts that resonated.  Such as when I wrote about my bankruptcy or the difference between soldiers and warriors.

So Why Go With Hardcopy Before Digital?

I went with the print book before a Kindle format because it was easier for me to figure out.  I simply uploaded a Word doc to createspace.com and that was pretty much it.  Ok, I also used my remedial Photoshop skills to drag and drop a few photos for the cover and exported that to a PDF.  But that was the extent of the process.

The book is a compilation of blog posts for the most part.  And by “for the most part” I mean that the final chapter of each section is an original work that has never appeared anyplace prior (for the complete table of contents, click here).  So there are four new essays that you can only find in the book – that alone is worth the staggering price of $4.99, right?

Yes, I priced the book at $4.99 and I make exactly 84 cents from each sale when you purchase at Amazon.com.  Like I said, I didn’t do this to get rich from a best seller.  I did it to learn about the self-publishing process.

There will be a Kindle version in the near future.  It will be priced at no more than $2.99 and possibly less (maybe even free for a limited time).  Again, I’ll be publishing in Kindle format more to learn about the process than to generate any significant income with this project.  But other projects . . .

Yep, I have quite a few things in the works right now.  I’m working on a fun cookbook I’m planning to release around the end of May that will likely be Kindle format only.  But my main intent,  at least as far as this whole Kindle publishing thing goes, is to produce a monthly workout and diet manual that will be available in Kindle format at a very low price.  And then perhaps compile the monthly programs into a yearly print book at the end of each year.  We’ll see.  I’m thinking out loud here.  Or at least blogging out loud as the case may be.

But what do you want to do?

We all have the creative urge.  The drive to write or paint or act or play the accordion.  If you want to share your creative pursuits with others, the gatekeepers are gone and so are your excuses.  No longer is a publisher, record label, or movie studio necessary to bring your project to fruition.  Technology has killed the gatekeepers even if it hasn’t quite leveled the playing field.  It cost me ZERO DOLLARS to produce this book and have it for sale on the largest online book retailer in the world.  Your excuses of cost and “getting published” are gone.  So make it happen and enjoy the wonder of holding your creation in your hands.

If you want more details about the book, click this link: Fitness Fighting Life & Less.

If you want to get your hands on the book, you can purchase from Amazon.com by clicking here.

What do you want to create and make available for others to enjoy?  Do you have poetry, screen plays, music, or some other creative pursuit waiting for release?  Do it!  And let us know about it in the comments.

Stay strong,

Vic