Year one of my adventure into the online self-publishing world has officially passed. It's been a year of ups and downs, hopes and dreams, elation and disappointment. But overall I am happy with the results.

I have published exclusively through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing program and overall I have enjoyed the ease of use and low cost to entry. The market is saturated, though, and that would be my most frustrating takeaway from my first year.

Self promoting sucks! There's just no other way to put it. I am a writer, not a self-promoter, and while I have done my best, I must say that is my least favorite part of the self-publishing process.

It's necessary, though. Because with all of the options out there the only way to get anyone to read your work is to tell them about it.

I wanted to take this moment to thank all who have read my book and taken the time to rate it or review it (positive and negative). The knowledge that I have finally gotten my work out to the masses (though they be few at the moment) is encouraging. And I know that with patience and determination, and maybe the funds to publish a decent paperback version, the readership for my novel will grow.

Patience. Patience. Patience.

And never give up.

That's me talking to myself and reminding myself of the two keys to making it in this business. That, and as I see it, a book cover with an awesome set of abs plastered on the front. (How can I compete with that?)

But I digress. I look forward to what the future holds for After Life and for future works. Although I will never give up on getting published through the traditional route, having the option to self-publish so easily has helped fuel the fire, knowing that no matter how many agents discard my query letters, someone out there might still get a chance to read my work.