Visions Becoming Reality

It’s amazing when you have an idea, sometimes for years, and then it finally begins to take shape. What a feeling!

Writing and publishing have been dreams of mine since I was a kid. I just never thought they’d show up in quite this form before. I thought I’d work in a publishing house, learn editing, then move into the publishing world from there. Or I thought I’d become a journalist and see my articles showing up in newspapers and magazines across the country, maybe even around the world. Of course, when I was a kid computers still took up entire rooms of large office buildings.

I remember getting my first home computer. It was a used version of a portable computer. It still had the black screen and orange lettering. No games. No internet access – that didn’t exist quite yet, at least not for home users. But I could type on it and write, and that’s what mattered to me. It still used the big black floppy disks – remember those things?

I’m amazed at how much things have changed in the last two decades. I’m able to build a career using technology and opportunities that didn’t even exist just 5 years ago! Think about when Print On Demand showed up – and what an incredible impact that’s beginning to have on the publishing industry. Writers are now experiencing the freedom of success – without the demands of a traditional publisher or contracts. Suddenly publishers are having to compete for author’s business, instead of the other way around. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still competitive no matter what, but the options are definitely changing the industry.

Readers too have more options. It’s no long hard-bound or soft-bound. Now it’s print or electronic as well – and how many options do we have now just for the electronic versions? It’s incredible – and exciting!

I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.