In this space, WestBow Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journey. The following blog is from Stephanie Murphy. Stephanie is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Jacksonville, Florida. She is the author of “Strong and Courageous: Encouragement for Families Touched by Autism,” and “Faith, Hope, Courage and New Beginnings.” She is actively involved with her husband in his life’s work as a missionary to young people in Europe and Costa Rica. For more information on the author visit her website, blog site and Facebook page. To begin your self-publishing journey, get a free WestBow Press publishing guide today.
I felt God’s leading to write both of my books—from my heart. Although many of the articles I had written over the years had been published in various Christian magazines, including LifeWay’s MatureLiving and ParentLife, this was different. There was a whole new level of vulnerability attached to writing a book.
As a new author, I wasn’t completely clear on what I was doing as I took the first step. I began writing—every day. The more I wrote, the easier the words flowed as I tapped into a creativity I had always known was there but hadn’t completely harnessed. Now, with the discipline of daily writing, I was able to find a canvas for the expression of that creativity.
Both of my books were birthed out of adversity. My first book, Strong and Courageous: Encouragement for Families Touched by Autism, was written to encourage families who are raising a special needs child. Having walked the journey with my own daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, I was able to share not only from my professional experience but also from the heart of a grandmother who deeply loves her little grandson who has autism.
I began writing my second book, Faith, Hope, Courage and New Beginnings, after I lost my husband to death several years ago. I continued writing as I walked through that painful loss to a place of healing and new beginnings. As a professional marriage and family therapist, I had counseled numerous individuals over the years who were dealing with loss and grief. I found it to be true that you cannot fully relate until you have experienced your own deep personal loss.
Although it comes with the price of feeling quite vulnerable at times, I am glad God has called me to write from my heart. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I am thankful for my experiences with WestBow Press as they were able to turn each of my writings into a beautiful and meaningful finished product. Their assistance provided the structure I needed to turn this into a manageable process, with step-by-step professional guidance for what could have otherwise been an overwhelming undertaking.
I recently had a woman tell me she had read my book over and over, trying to figure out how I had written it because she also wanted to write a book. My advice to her was, “Just start writing—from your heart!”
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 through the Blog Guidelines Page. WestBow Press reserves the right to edit stories for content, grammar, punctuation, and length.