I’m publishing a Christmas e-book on my website. There, I said it on the internet, so it must be true.
I’m about three quarters into the process. I have no idea how this is going to end up but I felt that the skills and tools I’m picking up on this journey could maybe help somebody looking to self-publish a book in the future. I couldn’t find many resources for myself on the internet, so I thought, why not put this down for anyone looking for this information!
Why I want to write and publish a Christmas e-book
Because Christmas has always been special for me. There are so many memories and traditions attached to this beautiful season that it was rather disappointing, that we couldn’t do much staying away from our family in India.
In the first years of moving to the Gulf, we preferred dining out for Christmas over making traditional meals at home. We bought cookies and cakes from nearby bakeries. We watched carols on our phone and barely attended the Church service here.
With no family around we thought it was pointless to make so much of an effort for just one day. It has only been 2 years since my husband and I have intentionally tried to recreate our family traditions. Our new motivation of course comes from wanting our son to experience this season the Christian way, the family way.
Although we wish we had our family close to us during Christmas, we were still able to get some things on track. We have worked as a team in the past few years trying to recreate our favourite family recipes (even some new ones), bringing back some old traditions like participating in the Christmas carols at Church, decorating the house from scratch, visiting our extended family in India, reflecting on Christmas messages and so on.
We have seen the difference it makes in our bond with each other, when we’re truly involved. It has made our Christmases so much more meaningful and full of life.
Having said that, the willingness to intentionally create and follow traditions was the hardest part. With no family support or real-time pressures, we had to self-motivate ourselves to create these traditions. Anyway, we’re taking small steps here and this book is a product of this very intention.
What will be in this Christmas e-book
Maybe it’s more important to say what the e-book will NOT have.
It will not have fictional stories or facts and traditions from around the world. It will neither give you any ideas for home decor (I’m not a designer) or Christmas fashion for kids. Nope it will not even give you tips on how to make the most out of Christmas 2020.
This will be a resource book. A journey rather for anyone who attempts to embark on it. A book that will equip you from day 1 of December till you reach it’s meaningful end on December 25th.
What is done so far
- I told my dearest ones about it. There has to be some form of accountability right? Now I really have to complete this book and publish it!
- I browsed through some Christmas books online. The “Any books” app and Amazon app have been super helpful in giving me ideas on what generally people look out for in Christmas books. While you can read complete books in the Any Books app, Amazon also gives you a good preview of most books in their “Look inside” feature. This helped me get an idea of the standard ways of structuring a book as well.
- I have prepared and written down most of the recipes. Only a handful are left now. Even though they have been made umpteen times (barring a few) at home, I tested them again in the past 2 months, just to be sure if I was doing it correctly. (Oh yes it shows on my weight, but who cares) My husband played a big role here. He not only helped me recreate some of his favourite dishes but his intuitive sense of taste helps in knowing what exactly must be added, to make a dish tastier and alive.
- I have also finished writing down our family traditions and my favourite memories of Christmas. This was so much fun recalling.
- I just finished writing the introduction for the book. And this is when I began to feel like the book was getting really tangible.
Resources that I’ve found helpful so far
- Pat Flynn’s post it note process
- The ultimate guide to creating, selling and marketing your own ebooks and digital products
- Get product ready– a free e-course by Meera Kothand. This lady is inspirational and has been so helpful in sending me some useful resources for getting this e-book ready.
What’s next?
Lots of writing. Designing and formatting. Pricing. Then figuring a payment method for the website. Sales pages, Landing pages. Bonus offers. Wow. There is a lot isn’t it? Probably. But I’m just going to take it one step at a time.
Send me your prayers and do let me know if you are also looking forward to a big milestone in the coming months! 🙂
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Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
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