What I learned from my book MMMM: and the music that made me. 

• I wrote it with the intention of having its readers find comfort in uncomfortable truths. It's all about perspective, though, right? What's obscene to one is tame to another. What’s crazy for some means normal to another. Etcetera. Nonetheless, I didn’t hold much back. Fun fact: Most bibliophiles (90% according to a recent survey) read fiction and my book is non-fiction. Whoops.
• I started putting my collection of experiences together in November 2021. I submitted my first draft to BookBaby in November 2022. My final version was published in June 2024.
• The original plan was to have my book title written in a gold mouth grill (grillz to some) on my cover. I'm slightly bummed this didn’t happen.
• I picked BookBaby as my publisher. I strongly encourage you to do your own pros and cons list for what each publishing company can offer you. I think it’s different for everyone, hence why there’s multiple options. 
• My hardcover and eBook package through BookBaby was $2,544.22, paperback was $483.17, audiobook $237.68, and nine (yes, nine) rounds of edits totaled $3,191. Learn from my mistakes there, folks. Be sure you have the closest to final version before you submit because as you can see changes are costly. Note: My book is 388 pages, so a higher page count also meant a higher fee.
• I used two editors on Reedsy as well for an outside perspective. That was an additional six rounds of edits that cost me $3,835. (Side Note: Yes, these prices are gross, especially laid out in the open, but the whole point is to be transparent for the next ambitious self-publishing author, so they know what they're getting into. You should also know I'm not rolling in the dough over here. I'm a single-mother, poor-working-class at best. I'm also a fool who was determined to publish their story. 
• The eBook is available to the public before the printed versions. Another unexpected fact. I still have not seen what my eBook actually looks like because I don't own a device to view it on. I know, ridiculous. 
• Advertising is stupidly expensive. I started a GoFundMe page with a dream to have my book advertised in Bust magazine. For a more cost-effective approach I placed an advertisement in a local entertainment newspaper too. 
• Book reviews through notable literary organizations can run $100-$700 a pop. I bought a few (with the risk of them being negative, thankfully they weren’t), and snippets are listed on my website.
• The United States Postal Service has a book shipping rate of $7.77. I shipped a copy of my book to local radio stations, my favorite actresses and authors (who knows if it actually got to them), and a local tattoo studio to gain some traction. Nothing came of it. Any of them. Sigh.
• I purchased my author website (the one you're reading this blog on) from BookBub. It's $9.99 a month. What I love about BookBub is that they keep anyone’s to-be-read-list growing. Note: BookBaby also provides a website (for free) if you publish through them. 
• It’s important to find your book audience. Hint: It isn't your friends and family members. Shocker.  
• You don’t have to claim any profit from book sales on your taxes until you make over $400. I have not made this yet, so hey, IRS, please don't come for me. Also, BookBaby has a base price to sell your book (which I missed in the fine print), so I offer coupon codes to bring the cost down to my originally planned price. 
• Look into consignment opportunities for your book. I've sold mine in west coast bookstores and I live on the east coast. Talk to your local library about stocking your books too.
• I purposely don't sell my book on any platform that's Amazon related (Goodreads, CraveBooks, Amazon itself) or have any social media accounts. This is a personal preference that honors my morals. Instead, I use word of mouth and place promotional information (a small business card referencing my website) in every book I read. It’s a little surprise for the next reader and doubles as a bookmark. Woo!
• I think most book contests out there are a scam. Honestly, I wish I didn't enter as many as I did because, again, there are fees involved. Still, I’m humbly grateful to have won the 2025 Indie Reader Award for their Sexuality/Relationships Category.
• Finally, I'm still finding songs I wish I had included in my book. Recently, a lot of 1970s funk. This upsets me terribly.

Helpful Websites

• Submittable: Submit your writing to literary journals. Some have fees, some don't. Some have accepted my writing, most have not.  
• Chill Subs: Get on their helpful email chain. 
• BookCrossing: Leave your book behind for others to find while you travel.
• Thriftbooks: They're my go-to when my local library doesn’t have a book in stock.