I have discussed my intention to write more often just to practice and because I enjoy it. This intention led to lots of research about blogging in general, promoting a blog and everything that goes along with it.
I have been neglecting this blog for a few reasons. First, I’ve been on the road a lot this summer which is very different for me. I delivered Hannah to my aunt then took 2 more trips there. We took Luke to 2 tournaments which each were about a week long and Mark enjoyed a short weekend trip with his baseball team. It’s nice to be home again.
What does any of this have to do with writing a book, you ask? Well, the other reason I’ve been ignoring this blog is that I’ve been writing an ebook. All that research about writing and blogging convinced me that now is a great time to write an ebook!
Amazon reports that sales of digital books have surpassed hard copies. There is no charge for converting and uploading a digital manuscript onto most platforms if you do it yourself. Finally, there are no middle men. No editors (except ones you choose yourself), agents, publishing executives. Finally, it’s a great time to jump into self-publishing as a new author because the well-known authors are still charging a lot for their books (rightfully so).
One of the best blogs about blogging is “Blogging With Amy”. Not only does Amy Lynn Andrews have great tutorials all about blogging, she has another series all about how to write an ebook. Again, she provides step-by-step guidance in publishing an ebook from choosing a topic to formatting and uploading it to your preferred platform. I wrote a review about her ebook “Tell Your Time” in a previous post.
Still, after reading her series, I was dreaming about writing fiction. I love to read fiction and wish I could write it but it is a craft which takes time to master. I was browsing the Kindle book store and came across a title that completely changed my perspective. “How to Write an Ebook in 21 Days that People Love” by Steve Scott normally wouldn’t have caught my eye. I never think of quality writing as a fast project but for some reason I started reading the reviews. They were great. I was intrigued by the idea that you could produce something so quickly. The book was clearly written and presented a formula for writing a non-fiction ebook.
Truly, I had never considered writing a non-fiction ebook, even though I read and enjoyed them all the time. I love the price of short ebooks. I love the length. I love the idea of tackling a single problem in one tidy publication.
When I started thinking about my background, non-fiction writing made sense. I’m a lawyer and was comfortable digesting and regurgitating facts, cases and laws into arguments and briefs in a relatively short period of time. I learned to produce what seemed like volumes and volumes of text in a few short weeks. Sometimes I had to learn complex facts on the fly and I learned to adapt my style and form for each of my employers.
At first, I was thinking about Mark’s expertise in teaching tennis but when I started thinking about what I know my way around, Pennsylvania homeschool law was the obvious answer. For the past 10 years, I’ve had to read and reread it. I’ve had to interpret it and I’ve had to comply with it.
Most homeschoolers in a state with strict demands get pretty familiar with the law but there’s a lot of variation in how school districts, homeschoolers and homeschool associations interpret the statute. Why not add my $.02? So, I did.
Writing an ebook about PA homeschool law was so obvious. So I tried it.
I was lucky that the text of the law provides the natural framework for the ebook. It kind of organized itself. Also, the calendar helped to organize it. The progression of things to do is already spelled out.
To be honest, all the information is already out there and readily available on the internet. I’ve relied on the same sites for years but remember being so confused when I was just starting out. My research about digital publishing showed that people appreciate that someone takes the time to save them the hassle of having to click around to find answers.
I’m hoping to launch the book by September 1. This date is significant for me because I started two of my legal jobs on this date. September 1 is a great day for new work!
My primary responsibility is still managing the kids’ education and keeping my family organized and running smoothly. I’m so thankful that I still get to do that. Since all the kids are enrolled in cyber school this year, though, I’m anticipating large blocks of time during their classes when I’ll be able to write.
I’ll be keeping you posted because I’m convinced that everyone has an expertise that they can write about in ebook form. For example, I have a friend who teaches all of her dogs to poop in the same spot in the yard behind a fence. My research shows that none of the dog whisperers are writing about that. I’m hoping to convince her to give me an outline that I can write for her. Her method works and it’s a genius concept.
I wanted to keep the book low budget since the audience is pretty limited. There are only so many people looking into homeschooling in Pennsylvania. As a result, I have tried to do everything on my own, including starting a supporting website, formatting, and marketing the book. I’ll let you know how that works out and what I learned along the way.
If you homeschool in Pennsylvania, my ebook might help you. Check it out!
The cover of my ebook. Designed by Hannah!