My First Book Is Finally Self Published

I can be an incredibly slow slowpoke.  When I was a college student I developed the really bad habit of procrastinating, and I haven't been able to fully shake this tendency to this day.  I am getting better though.  

I have finally completed my first book via self publishing.  I love books, words, and stories, and it has been my dream to write books for decades, but procrastination and a lack of confidence delayed me even when I had friends, a local author, and professors encourage me to write.  The best advice I ever got on the topic of writing was from a friend from Iran who was my trainer in a teaching method program that one of my bosses in Turkey sent me to in Istanbul.  My trainer was a compassionate and sensitive person and became my friend.  When I told him about a blog I was keeping at the time, he later told me to write to not become famous, but write because I like to and feel that I must.  His father was a journalist, so he must have known about the importance of writing, how it can be beautiful if a person is doing it for the right reasons.  I finally grew into his advice.  I decided to write for me even if no one else read it.  I just wanted to see if I was able to write a short book and publish it on my own, so that I could have full rights over my creation.  

My book Gratitude: A Trio of Stories can be read in one or two sittings.  These stories have lingered around on three different laptops and in paper form on my desk for such a period that I am too embarrassed to say for how long.  I even planned that if I failed in my attempt to publish my work through a self publishing platform, I would just create a website and post my work in serial form. It was a long stretch of work, going step by step, trying to stick to the guidelines, but I was finally able to complete everything on Lulu in PDF.  My next book that I already have in the makings, I hope to put in EPUB format.  The next feat for me is to learn how to convert my book of stories over to paperback so I can have a hard-copy in my hands.  Wish me luck.  

I decided months ago that I would give my first book away for free. To get to the sales page just click on the thumbnail of my book, Gratitude: A Trio of Stories on the right hand side of this page.  My first book is 100% free. Please don't hesitate to give me your impressions.  Actually two of the stories I would love to expand into novels, and I'm also thinking about doing more trios of stories as a continuing series. For me, this will require a lot of discipline which I am creeping toward. 
  
Since I am sort of a hostage of these times like millions, I decided that what could be a better period than now to get my dream job done, and with stubborn determination try to complete my book. I did it.  I feel that my next work may not take as long since I am excited and confident that I can now meet all the requirements of formatting my own book. I'm no longer hesitant.  I'm eager.  

Up next for me is a book of poetry; God willing.  The poems are all written in a notebook and need to be edited.  I also started the first beginnings of a novel last year.  I'm champing at the bit now, ready to go. I want to see if I can do it again in a different way.

So!  I guess I can now call myself, besides an EFL teacher, an independent author.  I finally got the job I wanted done for ME.  I challenged myself and met my own challenge.