What I Love About Self-Publishing Books

Self-publishing books have changed my life.

I published my first book in 2019. My first book is still my baby. So many writers talk about your first book is always crap. I don’t think so.

My first book is a beauty. Productivity Success was born out of my experience struggling in my job. And it ultimately is the manifesto to turning your work-life around.

My second and third books were labors of love. It took me two years to write both of them. It was hard because it was a change of direction.

The Gospel of John devotional was an essential course change, and I wanted to do it right. I probably allowed perfectionism to keep me from publishing sooner.

The Book of Proverbs devotional came out shortly after the Gospel of John because I had written it long ago. Yet, I wasn’t going to allow it to sit on the shelf.

My fourth and sixth books were weekend books. Both of them were put together and published in a weekend. And guess what? They have both done well. Transform Your Medium stories are for writers. And Goal Setting is for everyone.

The Gospel of Matthew devotional was my fifth book. Writing was more challenging because I rewrote most of it this last year. In the end, it became a #1 bestseller too.

3 Things I Have Learned Along My Book Publishing Journey

While I share my books above and the journey I have been on, I have learned three important lessons over my first six books. Today, I want to share them with you.

Self-Publishing books play to my strengths.

I don’t like podcasting or YouTube. Yes, I have done both of them. But I don’t like the sound of my voice. And I always feel awkward in videos.

I know those mediums are essential in this day and age. However, I don’t want to make it a central part of my business now.

However, self-publishing books play right into my writing strength. Plus, I love writing and publishing books.

If you learn anything as a writer, know your strengths and play them as often as possible.

Self-Publishing books create passive income.

Once you write and publish a book, you don’t have to do a lot of work on it after that. Once that book is out, and you have done everything written in the first 30 days, you can set it and forget it.

Sure, if you want a lot more income, you probably will need to promote it more, but I don’t, and I make consistent income off my books.

However, the passive income I make from my current books pays for everything I need to write and publish more books. So, it has become a sustainable business at this point.

If you are a writer and want passive income, this is a good option over time.

Self-Publishing builds on itself.

My first book didn’t make enough money to pay for itself until I published two more books. My second book didn’t pay for itself, either. However, book three paid for itself and helped pave the way for the others.

It’s the way things work. On Amazon, people will buy your books, but you need stable work to help people buy your work consistently.

Book three sold well, and it helped the first two sell. Book four sold well, and it helped the others sell too. Every time you launch a book, your other books will get sales too.

If you are willing to put in the time and write a few books, you can make money and see your books sell regularly.

Like this post? Check out my Top 5 Posts on Self-Publishing from 2022!

Final Thoughts

There has never been a better time to write and publish a book. And if you have wanted to write a book, now is the time to do it.

Best of all, you can play to your strengths, create passive income, and see something grow over time.

Self-publishing can be so much fun and change your life as it has changed mine. Most of all, you can find a side hustle or a hobby you can absolutely love.

If you don’t know where to start, check out my book, Transform Your Medium Stories.

While it was meant for Medium writers, it can work for anyone creating content online. Best of all, it’s short, to the point, and can be applied immediately.

Once you read the book, check out some of my gigs on Fiverr, and I can help you write and publish your book!

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J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who loves helping people grow in their faith, find productivity success, learn about investing, and help writers become authors.

You can connect with him on Medium, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Ko-fi!