DIY guideAs you know, this blog is about a book I’ve written and the process it takes to get it published.  Since this blog is relatively new, I think the best way I can serve you, as blog members is to share some book highlights which I believe will add some value to your lives.  Also by showing you what it takes to GET published, hopefully you’ll learn a thing or two about a process you may never have given much thought.  So… in addition to me writing a Do-It-Yourself book on living more consciously, let’s use this blog as a DIY Guide on how to get noticed in the crowded space of the publishing world.  🙂

Okay… how about we tackle some of the “process” it takes to get published?  Above all else, it is a LEARNING process, but unlike years ago when there was limited access to publishing information, now there is a TREMENDOUS amount of information.  Of course it takes a lot of internet searching to get TO the information and it takes a LOT of reading to decipher which information is helpful.  In my case I try to identify and then rely upon at least two seemingly expert authorities on each phase of the process.

See… I consider “Phase One” to be the writing phase.  Unlike some folks who seek out experts and training on BECOMING a writer, I chose not to read or solicit ANY help during this phase.  Nor did I read anything oriented towards self-awareness or self-discovery while writing.  My reasoning was that I wanted to be absolutely sure that the material I wrote was of my own making and not influenced by any other sets of ideas or opinions.  Now that it’s written, I can assure you it is my own.  As I mentioned in Day One of this blog, it took me three and a half years to write my book, and yes, some of that time was spent stuck on one idea or another while I struggled to get unstuck.  Writing of course, is VERY cerebral, especially if (like me) you’re constantly critiquing yourself for more effective ways to say things.  I do the same thing with this blog, and because I’m a one-man-band, I proofread all of my stuff, too.  So if you come across the occasional grammatical flaw, please navigate around. It’s just a bump in the road.

Maybe you’ve noticed that I’m up pretty early most days.  One of the things I discovered while writing a book is that you sort of develop your own favorite time for writing.  Although I now spend HOURS AND HOURS most days writing, my favorite time to write is early morning… before the sun comes up.  Maybe it’s the quiet stillness I like… or the feeling that I’m up and stirring while other people are still sleeping.  I don’t know why; I just like it.  However once the sun rises and I start hearing background noises of traffic, school buses, etc., I often notice myself feeling a little distracted… as if I need to step away and attend to a different sort of “busy-ness”.  But as you can guess, just being more conscious of my own distractions is the best way I’ve found to refocus.  Yes… writing requires TREMENDOUS focus, but once achieved, focus has a really nice way of settling you down inside.  It’s calming.  And you don’t need to be a writer to figure that out.  But as you will learn in my book, you do need to be more conscious of where your head’s at. 🙂