A Little Advice From an Old Man Who has been there.

Some Honest Truth (and a Little Advice) from an Old Guy Who’s Been There.

So, you wrote a book.

Congrats! That’s huge. Seriously. It’s not easy.

But now comes the part no one tells you about:

Who cares?

I don't mean to harsh, just being real. Most people don’t know you, don’t know your writing style, and probably don’t even like the genre you picked. Ouch, right?

But here’s the good news: you can change that.

How?

Well, you’ve gotta put yourself out there. I’m talking videos, posts, build a website, the whole deal. Marketing isn’t just part of the gig anymore; it is the gig. And yes, some people dump buckets of cash into promotion. Will you ever see that money again? Maybe. Maybe not.

Personally, I dropped thousands on my first book’s marketing. You know how many sales came from that? None I could trace. Most of my traction came from social media posts and just talking about it.

Fun, right?

Now, take a look around. Have you noticed how many self-published authors are out there? Spoiler: it’s a lot. The competition’s growing by the day. Everyone and their cat seems to have a book now. (And honestly, some of the cats novels are pretty good.)

So how do you stand out?

I have no idea.

Seriously. I don’t have the magic formula. Anyone who says they do is either lying or trying to sell you a course.

But here’s what I can tell you:

Write because you love it.

Write because your characters won’t shut up until you do.

Write because the story in your head deserves to live on paper.

Write because it makes you happy.

Don’t write expecting to be rich and famous. That’s like buying a lottery ticket and expecting to actually win. It is akin to writing acceptance speech for a contest you didn't even enter.

Here’s the real deal:

Believe in yourself.

Believe in your story.

And when that little voice says, “Nobody’s going to want to read this,” kindly tell it to shut the ""F" up.

Because you cared enough to write your story.

And please, don’t think you’re too old. I was 61 when I published my first book. I’m 63 now, and my character Sylvia Rose is out there, living in the hearts of readers. That’s wild, right? And kind of awesome too.

Yes, promotion can be frustrating.

Yes, marketing can be a money pit.

Yes, self-doubt is a persistent little gremlin that never seems to take a vacation.

But when that first box of printed books shows up on your front door step, when you see your name on the cover and hold your story in your hands?

The tears will come. The good kind. The “I actually did it” kind.

And suddenly, every long night, every revision, every moment of “what the hell am I doing?” feels worth it.

Will your book fly off the shelves? Probably not.

Will Netflix come knocking? Don’t hold your breath.

But none of that changes the fact that you did something brave and incredible.

So before anyone else says it, let me:

Thank you.

Thank you for sharing your voice.

Thank you for being brave enough to hit “publish.”

Thank you for adding something real to a world that desperately needs it.

So, if you’re ever feeling lost in the chaos of it all, just remember: even if your book only touches one person… then there is one more person in this weary world whose life is a little richer because you didn’t give up.