How I Published 6 Books in 5 Weeks

I just experienced one of the most productive periods of my creative life, writing and publishing 6 books in 5 weeks. Here's the list:

Childlike Simplicity: Published June 13, 2016

A Little Drop of Kindness: Published June 21, 2016

The Latchet of His Shoe: Published June 27, 2016

A Single Ray of Sunlight: Published July 4, 2016

A Grateful Goodnight: July 9, 2016

The Vows We've Made: July 18, 2016

And here's how I did it:

Practice

I've been publishing books for a long time and have over twenty available for sale on various web sites. Over the years I've developed systems and processes for creating quality content quickly. In the beginning, it took a lot of trial and error to get my books just the way I wanted. I went through more than a dozen iterations of my first book, each of them flawed in some way. Now I can usually get it right on my first try and always on the second.

Process

The advice "write what you know" is still valid. I chose topics that I knew a lot about and the words just poured out of me. I started by making a list of things I wanted to write about, and I wrote every chance I got -- on the train, at lunch, morning and night. I don't do this full time, so I had to squeeze it in where I could. I work 40 hours a week and commute over 2 hours a day. I still spent time with family and took care of my needs. This wasn't a sprint; I just wrote at a steady pace and the minutes added up. Rather than waiting until I was at home sitting at my computer, I just wrote on my iPhone.

Planning

Honestly, I had no plan. I didn't even know it was possible to publish so many books in such a short time. The ideas just kept coming to me and I was passionate about what I was doing, so it didn't feel like work. It was play. Every book was a unique experiment. I tried something different and learned something new from each of them.

Preparation

I just went through a difficult job change, and two months ago my wife was in the hospital with heart problems. The combination produced an awakening experience that caused me to reflect on what is really important in life. (Fortunately she's doing okay.)

Priorities

When I first began commuting, I listened to audio books or music in my car. But for the past two months I've been driving in silence, sometimes thinking about my writing but sometimes thinking about absolutely nothing. I am convinced that making silence a priority increased my creative capacity.

Perseverance

I've been reading books about creativity for the past 6 months. In the process, I worked through a lot of the things that have been holding me back: fear of criticism, procrastination, perfectionism. Without those barriers in the way, I was free to write from an authentic and courageous place. I let go of the need to change the world and just focused on making something meaningful.

Unprecedented Opportunity

Many stories I've heard of successful authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert (author of "Eat, Pray, Love") or Jack Canfield (who started the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series), involve years of struggle and rejection before a publisher finally says yes. There was a time when this was the only option for aspiring writers.

However, the world is changing. Now any author can write a book and make it available in the world's most popular book store. Getting people to notice the book is a different question -- that is an area where traditional publishers excel, due to their resources and expertise. But many authors, even those who have previously published through traditional channels, are embracing the unprecedented opportunity that self-publishing presents.

One advantage to self-publishing is that you get to keep the rights to your content. In the traditional publishing world, books with declining sales are discontinued and authors cannot print them because they no longer own the rights. If you want continuous availability for your published works, self-publishing may be the preferred option.

A hybrid publisher may be a good approach for some authors. These publishers attempt to combine the best of the traditional and self-publishing channels. They may provide some editing and marketing services while still allowing you to keep the rights to your own book.

The bottom line is that today's publishing world is an ocean of opportunity. It's no longer necessary to wade through a hundred rejections before finally being accepted by a publisher. The only acceptance that is needed now is you deciding to share your talents.

Why I Write

Writing is something I've done off and on throughout my life. I've written poetry and stories since childhood, but recently my relationship with writing has changed. I've been making it a priority to write more often, and as a result I'm discovering new benefits.

Writing makes me feel alive. It helps me make sense of the world, and my own thoughts and emotions. It gives me a platform. It gives me a voice. Sometimes I don't really know what I'm thinking or feeling until I write it down. When life gets busy, I still make time to write. It keeps me grounded, and it keeps me sane.

I write while I'm on the train, I write at lunch, I write in the morning and at night. When I'm not writing, a part of my mind is still busy thinking about what I'm going to write next. I love to pour out my emotions onto the page, refining my thoughts during later revisions if necessary.

I can change my mood just by writing. When I write about sad things, it makes me sad. When I write about happy things, it makes me happy. Writing, for me, is a gateway to empathy. I ask myself what it might feel like to experience this or that situation, then I write about it and find out.

Writing is simple, though some might try to tell you otherwise. To call myself a writer, I simply need a writing instrument and a writing surface. Such things are easily obtained in the developed world -- even sticks and dirt will do for a start. You are probably reading this on a computer that is capable of word processing, or a phone that is essentially a pocket-sized writing machine. You have all the tools you need. Sure, you could sign up for classes, join a writing group, or find a mentor. But none of these will do any good if you don't make time to write. As long as you are writing, your skills will improve.

I am grateful for the time I've invested learning and refining my writing abilities. I'm grateful to those who took the time to teach me.

And I can't wait to see where writing will take me next.