Self Publishing Advisor

Inspiration; Encouragement; Hope; These are the topics that have the non-fiction shelves of the local bookstores overflowing and home libraries expanding.  This is also one of the areas of self-publishing that is a true gift to writers; the place where folks—ordinary folks—are finally able to tell their stories to those who wonder how they will ever survive their current circumstance.

Consider these examples:  The newly released book Oh What A Beautiful Mourning by Roderick G. Peters inspires and comforts our nation as he writes about the events of September 11, 2001—his story of life, history, horror, spiritual growth and development since that day.  Encouragement and inspiration ooze from the pages of Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom by Chris Bowen—each chapter a lesson learned “from our children,” not just the lesson being taught.  And the true story/memoir of Terry Wadsworth Warne, TERRY: The Inspiring Story of a Little Girl’s Survival as a POW in WWII, that details those experiences with heart-rending accuracy while inspiring readers with the hope that they, too, can survive horrific things and live a happy life.

Are you one of those “folks” who has a story to tell?  Early in my ghostwriting efforts, a young man talked with me about an idea for a book that had been bugging him for a long time.  He had grown up on a pinto-bean farm experiencing many hardships and had an “I-almost-died” experience that made me consider the reality of Guardian Angels.  He was “going to” send me some of the handwritten pages he’d collected.  It’s been almost 20 years since then and even though I still recall his vivid descriptions and inspiring outcome—and we still keep in touch at Christmas—I doubt his story will see print.  Sad for him and for the reading public.  He made the assumption that publishing his story would be “next to impossible” and everything stopped there.

I love working with writers who are ready and willing to TELL their true stories.  Authors such as those listed from the book examples above write from the heart to touch the hurting hearts of other ordinary people—just like them.  These books become “helping hands” that reach out to lift up their neighbors, bring comfort and hope.  I applaud them, each and every one!

Then there are the writers who have been inspired by someone in history.  They have researched that person’s life, considered the results of that life-well-lived and want to hold them up as an example of excellence and success.  These stories become the Historical Novels—fictionalize, yet true—that show us the past, while engaging us with inspirational scenarios that can be carried into the present.

Are you the next author of one of these books?  I hope so!  Doing the writing work can take a bit of time, but there are lots of folks ready and able to help you along the way.  The self-publishing industry is growing—and offering more specific assistance—so do your homework when seeking writing and publishing support.  Listen for their passion to help you write and publish what is in your heart.

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.