Aug 12 2009
My Bestselling Books
Two of my books are bestsellers: Worlds Unseen (fiction) and Heart to Heart: Meeting With God in the Lord’s Prayer (nonfiction). No, you won’t find them listed in major newspapers alongside Harry Potter or The Shack, but they’re squarely at the top of the Little Dozen Press Bestseller List.
Self-publishing has been a challenging venture, and a fun one. I don’t self-publish because I’ve given up on breaking into traditional publishing, on the contrary, I’m still sending out query letters and making plans in that direction. Nor am I doing it because I believe it’s necessarily a “better” way to get into print. I’m doing it because I wanted to learn more about the business side of publishing, earn a little extra cash, and most importantly, reach readers.
That’s what I love most about my bestsellers. I’ve sold over 100 copies of Heart to Heart from the back table at Soli Deo Gloria Ballet productions, especially Father, which uses Heart to Heart as the basis of its narrative sections. As an author, it’s a humbling and amazing experience to share my work with people in such a personal way, and when they buy a book, they’re taking home something that’s a part of me and allowing me to carry on a conversation about God with them.
In April, I spoke at a couple of homeschool conferences and was excited by the reception given to Worlds Unseen (I sold out). I wrote Worlds six or seven years ago and never really thought others would get a look at it — it was one of those manuscripts destined to go under my bed. But I knew it was good enough to be read, and I’m having so much fun now, sharing it with other people, discussing the concepts of fiction and fantasy with them, bringing the story to life all over again.
Wherever my writing journey ultimately takes me, my Little Dozen bestsellers will always have a special place in my history. They’ve brought me readers, and readers are the most valuable gift any writer can have.
(By the way, if you’ve read either of these books, would you consider writing a review and posting it on Amazon.com and BN.com? If you haven’t read them and would like to, you can purchase them from those retailers, order them through your local bookstore, or buy them through www.rachelstarrthomson.com.)
Glad that your books have been well received. I wish you the best of luck!