In this space, WestBow Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journeys. The following blog is from Rodney Hunt, author of “Out of Control: Finding Hope in a Broken World.” You can learn more about Rodney by visiting his blog. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon. To begin your self-publishing journey, get a free WestBow Press publishing guide today!
Fighting with Doubt
I am never going to finish.
There are plenty of other books out there already.
There are so many better writers than me.
No one is ever going to read this.
I might as well give up.
These are some of the thoughts that went through my mind as I spent three years writing my first book Out of Control: Finding Hope in a Broken World. I wanted to give up many times during the process of writing and publishing. One of the reasons I invested in the publishing package with WestBow Press was because I knew it would help hold me accountable to finishing my goal of becoming a published author.
I believe the greatest obstacle writers face is themselves. We have to do battle with internal struggles that cause us to want to give up. The muse brings inspiration and is often a writer’s friend, but the muse can also whisper discouraging thoughts in our head at unfortunate times. Tackling the negative inner-dialogue is an important part of the publishing process.
Never Quit
Thomas Fuller said, “An invincible determination can 
accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.” It takes a great deal of determination for a writer to go from the initial idea of a book, to the rough draft, to the final draft, through the editing process, and then finally to print. You have to persevere through the tough days and moments when you feel like giving up. Don’t quit.
I felt like giving up again and again, I ended up changing the title of my book three times. At one point, I almost started over completely. I felt like giving up when I went months without making much advancement due to my busy schedule. Somehow, I kept finding moments to write an hour here or there just to continue making progress. My mantra became, as someone once said: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
I felt like giving up after I sent my first draft in for publication. Looking over the proofs, I realized there were some significant grammatical problems that needed to be edited. I hired an editor to go over the work one more time from beginning to end. I persevered.
The Fruit of Perseverance
My first book was finally published after many hours, days, and years of hard work. There was something special about getting that first copy of the book in my hand, it was a reward in itself. An even greater reward was when someone purchased the book, read it, and left me my first five-star review. That was the reason I set out to write to begin with – to influence others.
This year, I am now in the process of marketing my book. I need to see this process through till the end. I currently have ten five-star reviews on Amazon, and I am working to ensure many others have the opportunity to find a way to hope in our broken world.
– WBP –
WestBow Press authors who’d like to share a 350-600 word experience related to the self-publishing of their books are invited to do so by sending a message through the WestBow Press Facebook page and follow the WestBow Press Twitter account @WestBowPress. WestBow Press reserves the right to edit stories for content, grammar, punctuation, and length.