“I write to discover what I know.”
Flannery O’Connor

As much as I would like to do so, I cannot, in good conscience, refer to myself as a bestselling author. Yes, I’ve published three books. This is an accomplishment in which I take great satisfaction. More than twenty years ago, I identified “Writing & Publishing a Book” as my #1 bucket list item. The sad reality of the publishing world is that it is quite difficult, and incredibly expensive, to market a self-published book. 

In the past few years, I’ve received hundreds of email offers to “take my books to the next level.” These don’t miss opportunities promise national, or even global exposure. My books would be featured at national book fairs. Press releases would be sent to television and radio stations across the nation, which could result in interviews to promote my books. Or not. Who knows? Even Oprah might want to spend a morning chatting with me about my books on Super Soul Sunday. Of course, all this would come at a cost — a hefty cost.

It has never been my intention to be a bestselling author. I’ll readily admit, however, that if it happened, I’d be totally okay with it. It was also never my intention to get rich from writing books. Authorship, for most writers, is rarely a lucrative endeavor. My publishing goal was fairly simple: to use my God-given gift of writing to inspire readers in whatever way possible.

Other than a few articles, shared in publications such as Genesis (the St. Ignatius College Prep alumni magazine), the Santa Clara Weekly, and the Sunset Beacon, my marketing has been limited to word-of-mouth, Facebook, and a few book talks at various venues. The Cherries in the Summer book, which was illustrated by a 12-year-old student from St. Victor School in San José, caught the attention of Garvin Thomas at NBC Bay Area. He produced a nice video story about the book on his Bay Area Proud segment. 

While sales of all three books have exceeded my expectations, none of them fall into the category of bestseller. What saddens me, though, is not the number of books that have sold. It is that even people I’ve known for many years have admitted to me that they were unaware that I had written and published any books. For this reason, I think it’s important for me to put out occasional reminders, and to seek the support of people I know. Perhaps one of the books would be an appropriate gift for a friend, neighbor, or coworker. 

I love to write. Doing so nourishes my soul. My experience of writing is similar to that expressed by author Isaac Asimov who wrote, “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” Unfortunately, this blog, like my books, has limited readership. I’m grateful to those who read what I write, and I’m grateful to those who have subscribed to A Beacon of Light. (It’s free!) Subscribers receive a link to each blog post in their email. I’m well aware that what I post on social media reaches a relatively small number of readers. Having the help of family and friends to market my books, and this blog, would be greatly appreciated.

If you find my writing to be interesting, entertaining, or inspiring, I invite and encourage you to share the link to this blog with family and friends: https://abeaconoflight.life/