Ever finally finished something that you should have finished a looooong time ago? Then after you finish you ask yourself why it took you so long. No? Must just me then.
Some days you are more motivated than others. Lately I got motivated to finally finish a book I’ve been working on a little here and little there for years. It’s been slow going. I even made slideshows once.
I couldn’t decide if it was going to be an instruction book or a book-book. I’ve been using the material while helping others but just never compiled it into one place. I think the end result is somewhere in-between. You would think this book would be a 1,000 pages by now but after editing it’s down to about 45 pages, regular letter size. I tried to follow the KISS principle.
Reality is that publishing a book is a lot more work than I thought it would be. Especially if you have tables and images that do not, I learned, convert to e-book format very easily. After exhausting all free options without success I contacted a professional company that do these kind of conversions. Don’t ask me how they can when I can’t (I’m being sarcastic here) but that’s why they are professionals.
Then it’s the book cover design. I figured I would just use one of my photos, slap some text on there and voila be done. Well, that isn’t the way you should do it. Canva is a great place to create concepts on but take the time and put some effort into a real book cover design. Self publishing is definitely opening doors to do as much as you can yourself but I advise hiring a designer so that your book can look as professional as possible (and not like the special Ugly Cover Edition that you see below. Which by the way will only be printed as a limited edition as part of the campaign).
When you are doing something for the first time the learning curve is steep. Publishing a book is a great experience but it can also be a bit frustrating, especially when you are being slowed down by technicalities like formatting and the cost of getting it ready for publication. Hence the idea to do a Kickstarter campaign. My goal is to reach as many people as I can and crowd-funding is a great way to do that.
I could start with “I have a dream…” Actually, I do have a dream. A dream of getting people out of debt, off the hamster wheel and onto living their dreams. So I did a Kickstarter campaign. [update – the Kickstarter campaign was 100% funded so the link has been removed.]
I hope you join my cause. Please share with your friends. And although I am in no way an expert on publishing a book or doing a Kickstarter campaign I’m learning a lot so if you are thinking of either let me know and I’ll be more than happy to share what I’ve learned so far. You’re my tribe and for that I’m grateful!
Thank you! ~Camilla
UPDATE: The book is now being formatted so that it will read on all e-readers and for paperback copy. If all goes well it will be on Amazon in December. The book is also available as a downloadable PDF for purchase HERE.
It’s so awesome to watch you walk through this journey. I’m sure I’ll be calling for expertise as I get closer to the same idea. Thanks for being a trailblazer.
shellytiffin2014 recently posted…5 Ways to Extend Biblical Learning
Thanks Shelly! I can’t wait to see your book take shape and launch. It’s a journey worth taking!
Great job on finishing the book, Camilla! It’s a subject that so many people are hiding because it’s so bad they don’t want to admit it. We kept our heads in the sand like an ostrich for so long about debt. Your site is a great resource for helping people live intentionally with the goal of getting back freedom. Have a great week!
Brad recently posted…Johnny Appleseed and Darth Maul- How Weird Sells and Normal Fails
Thank you Brad for your kind words! We all keep our heads in the sand at times but I’m glad you didn’t keep yours there 🙂 Yes, debt is definitely something too many struggle with.
Camilla, you have just been exploding these past few weeks and I love it!!
I can tell you’ve been putting forth a lot of work and effort in just a short amount of time and I pray that you get everything that you’ve been working so hard for. I will be using your success as inspiration for myself as I finish up 2014 and look forward to the next year and beyond!
Ethan recently posted…Why I sold my childhood for $7
Thank you Ethan. I appreciate that! I’ve definitely been cranking it up a notch lately but I’m having so much fun in the process too. Knocking out those lofty goals feels amazing. I love the new direction you are taking with your blog and have no doubt that you are going to finish off 2014 with a bang! Here’s to 2015 and beyond too…cheers!
Awesome, congrats on getting it done and getting it out there. I’m following a similar journey… What initially started out as a free lead gen offer for my mailing list has grown into the idea of a book book. And it’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I’ve got the words, now I just really need to sit down and edit/revise, then take the next steps…
Ryan recently posted…How Would You Like to Win $250 Dollars from REI.com
Thanks! It’s so easy to just keep pushing it further and further down the to-do list but eventually your run out of excuses and just have to tackle it. Try working on it 15-30 minutes a day and then suddenly you are a lot further along then you think. Just checked out your site. LOVE IT! You’re totally speaking my language. If you ever in Utah let me know. Always up for meeting fellow adventures. Plus we do have some awesome climbing here…cheers!