I "returned" last fall to a fork in my life path, something that happened that made me change my profession from engineer to psychotherapist 25 years ago - a kick turn from forty years of atheism into becoming a believer. The fork in the road was reading the book A Course in Miracles (ACIM), and this eventually led me into Transpersonal Psychology ("transpersonal"=beyond/over the personality), and led to that I undertook professional training at the Psychosynthesis Academy in Stockhom, Sweden.
I "returned" by offering a new e-course on the Psychosynthesis Forum web site,
A Psychosynthesis Perspective on ACIM. When I wrote the e-course I re-read the book, and I felt that I read it with new eyes.
After having made the e-course, I got an impulse to write an in part self-biographic book about ACIM. It is titled
Stairway: 10 Steps to Heaven, and is an adventure story in science-fiction format.
Now I finally come to the issue of this blog entry: how it is to publish a book today.
I was a complete novice as a writer and as a publisher, so I started by mailing all Swedish publishing houses within New Age. Some answered, most of them declined, some offered to review my book, but this would cost 300 USD. The printing of a preliminary edition would cost 2 - to 3000 USD. Unreasonable costs for a lone entrepeneur...
I then investigated
Amazon's Print-on-demand and
e-book publishing, and
I experienced a revelation. I uploaded my word file, was led through a simple editing program for formatting into a proper pocket book format, designed the book cover with another easily understandable program, and published the book through my own publishing company, both in English and in Swedish. All this took me
one week and
did not cost anything. Amazon gets paid through 30% provision when the book is sold, and the printed edition is printed after purchase. I ordered ten copies and got them sent from England to Sweden in three days!
Here is an image of the cover, folded out so that the backside is to the left.
I have a hard time understanding how the traditional publishing companies are going to be able to compete with this...
I started to write the book in the middle of January 2014, and mid April it was published in two languages and is marketed on all
Amazon sites plus on
PsychosnthesisForum.com,
after three months.
If you are nurturing thoughts about becoming a writer -
check with me for advice.
