Guest Post from Indie Author Nonnie Jules on 'Getting it Done!'

I'm happy to host a fellow indie author today as part of her blog tour celebrating the launch of her first book! Here's Nonnie Jules' insight into taking the self-publishing road. Take it away Nonnie!

_____________________________________

Hello, my name is Nonnie Jules and I am the Author of The Good Mommies' Guide to Raising (Almost) Perfect Daughters, 100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can't Help But Love!  Although I was born in TX, my family relocated to Shreveport, LA when I was a toddler, so I am from Shreveport.  I am married with two beautiful "Angel" Daughters (as I like to call them) and we live on a huge tract of land somewhere in the "country".  Now, don't feel sorry for me because I'm not a city-girl.  I love where I am.  It's peaceful and quiet and gives me the solitude I need to think and create wonderful stories in my mind that will hopefully appear in print for your enjoyment. 

Now that I have shared a little of myself with you, let me welcome you to The (Almost) Perfect Daughters Blog Tour!  I would like to thank Anne for giving me this opportunity to share with her readers.  I was the winner of her book Mental Pause recently during one of her Author interviews with another blogger.  When she contacted me to let me know that I had won, I immediately turned around and asked if she would allow me to appear here, to which she responded without hesitation "YES"!  Anne, you are such a gem and I can't thank you enough.

I am a self-published author and The Good Mommies' Guide.. is my very first book.  The idea to write this book had been floating around in my head for quite some time, but I really just didn't know how I would actually make it happen....translation...how I would get it published.  I've heard the horror stories of your work sitting, collecting dust on a shelf while waiting to be picked up by a publishing house or the like.  During this time, I met another self-published Author who turned me on to Amazon's KDP Publishing, and I haven't looked back!  I must be honest though, although it took me only 17 days to write this entire book, it took me a lot longer to publish it.  Why, you ask, since I was so happy about the KDP publishing process?  Well, I thought that I would finish writing the book then just hit UPLOAD and wa lah!, my manuscript would be a BOOK, online, (on Amazon to be more specific), and ready for the world to purchase!  Well, that didn't happen.

So, there it sat for a few days while I had to learn how to format the book for the Kindle ("what is a Kindle?".... Yes, seriously, I was asking that question). I was so frustrated because of this, that for a few days, I wanted to just throw in the towel and give it all up.  But, a wonderful friend of mine, who is also a self-published author, shook me and said, "If you want to be an Author, you have to take the time and learn this stuff!  All of it!" By this "stuff", he meant everything having to do with the publishing process.  He explained to me that even if a publishing house were to sign me one day, that this was all education I was still going to need.  Because he knew that I was very overwhelmed and anxious to get my book published, he took it, formatted it, sent it back to me and then, after re-proofing, I finally got to hit the upload button!  I think I heard angels singing that day!  I was finally a published author! 

The reason I wanted to share all of this with you was because I want you to know that although it's not necessarily an easy, easy process, it is a very do-able one, and something you CAN get through.  I want to encourage you to never give up your dream of becoming a published author.  Especially now, when the process is not as difficult as it was in the past.  We don't necessarily need publishers and publishing houses to get our work out there anymore; we can be our own publishers and establish our own publishing houses.  Isn't that exciting to know?  Well, it was for me.

For all the new writers, aspiring authors, bloggers and the like my advice to you would be to first...just breathe.  Then, commit in your mind to doing the work because although it's an easy fix around a typically lengthy process, it's still hard work.  Take to YouTube and Google to learn everything you need to know from start to finish of the writing/publishing process.  I'm still not totally clear on everything, but at least I know how to get started.  I know where to look to find my answers, and I understand that patience and perseverance are what's needed to become successful in this industry.  When you take to social media, where I came across so many naysayers telling me that "I had to learn to play the game" (what game?  I'm serious about this), "I needed to put in my time before I got anyone to help me"  (really, I found some seriously cool people who jumped right in to help me), and there is so much more of where all that came from.  But, as Singer/Songwriter Kandi Burress belts out: "you have to FLY ABOVE ALL THE DRAMA"!  And if you are successful in doing that, the naysayers will never, ever be able to bring you down. 

Before I go, I'd like to share with you the two projects that I have in the works right now.  A children's book entitled "Kirsten and the Big Blue Tree", which is due out at the end of this month (June, 2013) and a as-yet-to-be-titled novel, with a release date of August 30, 2013.  I hope you've enjoyed what I've shared here today and ask that you check out my blog called Watch Nonnie Write!  at www.nonniewrites.wordpress.com.  I am giving away one $25 Visa Gift Card at the conclusion of this tour and you can register at www.nonniejules.com (under the EVENTS tab).  I'm always on Twitter @nonniejules, and on Facebook (Nonnie Jules) promoting others as well as myself (I know, a normal person would probably say, "Promoting myself as well as others"), but for some strange reason, I start out helping others before I even think of helping me.  Just a nasty old (nice) habit I have.

Thanks again for having me, and I welcome comments on my blog or my website.  I wish you all the best and every success you deserve!