I’m often asked if writing The Garage Sale Millionaire was difficult. Garage sales are my passion, and writing about a topic you’re so deeply invested in can sometimes make the process easier, but can also make it more difficult. Today I’d like to take a minute to tell you a little bit about the process and challenges I faced.
Everyone believes they have one book in them, and The Garage Sale Millionaire was mine. Knowing your subject matter is the first step to writing, and I was pretty confident I had that down. I have to admit, however, that I thought writing and releasing the book it would be a lot easier than it was.
Writing the book wound up being more of an act of love than anything. It took me about two years to finish the writing, and that didn’t even end up being the hardest part. I was rejected by over 30 agents and about 100 publishers, and thought for a while that the book would never reach the public. In the end, I was able to get a deal with BookMasters. At the time, I thought they seemed like a great distributor, but unfortunately the day I signed on with them was almost the beginning of the end.
I sold a lot of books through BookMasters, but wasn’t paid a dime. After all the time, energy and money I had invested, I was left with almost nothing. I learned the hard way that everyone in the book business is not necessarily going to be looking out for your best interests. If you’re writing a book in order to make money, you should probably think long and hard about it before you dive in. The authors are typically the ones who get shafted in terms of profits.
I wrote The Garage Sale Millionaire out of love and passion, so I knew I still couldn’t give up. After a few smart decisions and a little bit of luck, I managed to pique the interest of Wiley Publishing and signed a contract for the release of a second, hardcover edition of my book. Now my book is available across the country.
The reason I’m sharing this story is to help illustrate the fact that everyone has a passion and a goal. Whether you want to do something simply for your own fulfillment of for the greater good, I believe that once you start, you should never give up. It will be difficult; nothing good comes easily. People will try to take advantage of you no matter what field you’re in, but if you’re passionate about your cause, you should set your sights on your goal and not give up until you make it.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
-Aaron
To learn more about Aaron LaPedis, visit www.thegaragesalemillionaire.com or contact him at [email protected].
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