We were excited for this book. I believed in it so deeply that somewhere along the way, I think I assumed that excitement would be contagious. That if people knew about it, of course they would want to come. Of course they would want to read it.

You finally hit that last period of your book. You have your first draft of your first manuscript done, and you take a long sigh, knowing that the hardest part is over. Because let’s be honest, one of the hardest parts is simply showing up and getting that first draft written.

How much is this actually going to cost me? And then you Googled it. Suddenly you're reading about ISBNs, developmental edits, distribution, print-on-demand, wholesale discounts, formatting, royalties, and approximately 47 other things you didn't realize you were supposed to know.

You don’t need more ideas. You don’t need another notebook filled with half-started chapters. What you need is a clear path. One that takes you from the idea in your head to a book in your hands.

Every novel, memoir, or collection of stories begins the same way. Not as a masterpiece but with a single idea.