No matter how far you progress through life, you still don’t know what you don’t know. That is never more obvious to me than when I try something new. My current something new is figuring out how to publish a book. I have been working on a book for a while now, and I’m nearing the completion of the writing and my first round of edits. When I set out on this journey, I thought that once I got to this point, I would be nearing the finish line. What I am learning is once I finish the writing, I’m really just getting to the starting line. 

The more I research the process of getting the book published, the more complicated it gets. A simple Google search generates thousands of options, most of which are expensive and confusing. I have looked into various self-publish options, which frankly just added to the confusion. They range from I do a little to I do everything, and the cost varies dramatically. Going this route, I need editors, layout designers, cover designers, and probably five more people I don’t know about yet. 

I tried reaching out to some literary agents and basically was ghosted. One nice woman responded, but my book didn’t fit in with the types of books she works on. My hope was that a literary agent would at least be able to explain what to do but no luck there. 

There are also the big publishers out there who seem to control the market and get most of the shelf space. They publish most of the household name authors, of which I apparently am not because they have not offered me an advance or even responded to any of my e-mails. 

I am all for learning and understand that it is the journey, not the destination, but it is nice to eventually get to the destination. So, here is my cry for help. If you are someone that knows about the process of publishing a book, knows someone who knows about the process of publishing a book, or have a tidbit of information about publishing a book, I would love to hear from you. I don’t think I’m asking for much. I just want to publish something that is well-edited, is good quality, and easy to be found online or at the local bookstore. Oh, and I’d like to sell a few million copies and have my book turned into a movie. That last line is a joke, but it would be cool to publish in 2023. So, all kidding aside, if you have some info, please e-mail, call, text, DM, or stop me on the street because I want to learn this and successfully execute publishing the book. As always, thanks for reading!