How to Write Your First Military Book

Move with speed

I did not want to spend a year trying to convince an agent they could make money from my work, and another year for a traditional publisher to do the same. Amazon sells half the books in the United States, and that has broken the control of the book market by the traditional publishers. 

Enlist help

Companies that handle self-published works, including Amazon, WordPress and IngramSpark, supply large amounts of information about how one can achieve an audience for one’s work at very little expense. In my own case, I invested in professional help. I found a publicist on the internet who could make people aware that my proposed book was going to be out there. 

The publicist led me to a project manager who took my Word document and produced a book. 

To make the book look attractive and professional, I brought on board a creative artist. I was introduced to a young woman from Jamaica who is a computer whiz, and she designed a website, www.daleajenkins.com.  

My youngest daughter is great on social media, and I have a growing following on Facebook, Instagram and the others. I don’t understand what she is doing, but it is happening.

Consider the finances

My publicist costs about $1,200 per month, plus bonuses for accomplishments such as getting me booked for speaking engagements, articles published, podcasts, etc. My start-up project manager has charged about $8,000 over the past year. Other talented people on my team get hourly compensation at about $50 per hour, including my daughter. 

Royalty revenue is starting to come in. In the first few months, it was minimal, but now it is about $600 per month, and I see that doubling within six months as positive reviews continue.

Bottom line

My book is out there, building a following among young and old every day. I still have my original Word document, and when I look down to the lower left corner for the word count, it says 107,765 words. I wrote every word myself.

If I can do it, you can too.

You can subscribe here to AARP Veteran Report, a free e-newsletter published twice a month. If you have feedback or a story idea then please contact us here.