My friend Tom managed to self-publish his book for free. I, unfortunately, did not. In this article, I’ll reveal how he did it as well as how much I spent to arrive at the same destination – published author.

Self-publishing has opened up a new world for writers. Anybody can publish a book for free with or without experience. Tom and I each used CreateSpace for our print books and Kindle Direct Publishing for the e-books.

Both sites allow you to publish your book free of charge on Amazon. You can also make it available to other sales channels.

These were first books for both Tom and I. Neither of us had any publishing experience or were computer savvy whatsoever. If you have good computer skills, you will have a much easier time of it.

Choose an Editing Style

Tom edited his book himself with the help of his family and friends. I wasn’t that confident and needed to find an editor. I contacted the Aspen Writer’s Foundation. They pair local authors with genre-appropriate editors. The cost was $25 per page. Yikes!

I then approached a former teacher from The New School in New York City. She charged $150 per hour but had no idea how long it would take to edit my book. That was too risky.

CreateSpace has an editing service. It’s $470 for the first 10,000 words and $.047 per word after that for line editing. I did a quick calculation in my head. My book was about 100 pages and roughly 30,000 words. That would be at least $1,400.

Fortunately, a local author and friend offered to do my editing for a flat fee of $1,000. As you can see, editing can be very costly.

Set Up an Account with CreateSpace

After editing, your next step will be to open accounts on CreateSpace and Amazon KDP. CreateSpace has a simple setup that walks you through the entire process. You’ll need to choose the size of your book so that you can properly format the interior design.

There is also a help desk that will assist with any problems. Both Tom and I felt the service was excellent and the support invaluable. I often called several times a day.

Pay Attention to Interior Design

One would think that content would be the most significant part of a book. But as I found out, there are other critical elements necessary for a book’s successful completion. I admit, I have never paid much attention to the layout or interior design of any book.

It never seemed important, but formatting the interior would turn out to be the most time consuming and challenging part of the self-publishing process. Both Tom and I did this ourselves, with enormous frustration. If you have some money, spend it here.

Choose a Template

There are free templates for interior design available on CreateSpace and other online sites. You can also purchase one from various vendors. The templates are set and didn’t seem to fit my manuscript.

I had four lines of copy for each chapter heading. I had chosen song lyrics that reflected the contents of each chapter. I enjoyed doing it and thought they were fun. I didn’t want to leave them out. This meant I was creating original formatting on my own.

Select a Design Option

There are other options for solving the design issue – CreateSpace offers a service that will design the interior of your book for $149-$349, professional design services charge between $5 and $7 per page and can create attractive, eye-catching interiors. There is also software that can do this, but these are all at an additional expense.

Each of us had typed our books in Word and had no experience with formatting or design. There are many choices for the layout, but few hard and fast rules. It seems I chose the hard anyway. I wanted my book to look professional, so I went the traditional route.

There should be small Roman numerals for the page numbers for front matter. The first page of each chapter and any blank page should not show a number at all, but must be included in the consecutive count.

Decide on a Book Title and Table of Contents

The name of the book should go on the top left side of the page, and the name of the chapter goes on the top right. The Table of Contents must be linked to the page numbers through headings and should you edit and accidently add a page, all of that should neatly roll over and adjust to the change. It’s been two years, and I’m embarrassed to admit, I’m not quite over it.

Tom’s layout was simpler than mine. He had no Introduction or Table of Contents. He had numbers on the first page of his chapters. He had the title of the book on the top of both the right and left sides of the page. Amazing but true, he was not struck dead. He had one big Roman numeral for each chapter title and still this was the hardest part of the process for him. It is not for the faint-hearted.

Create a Cover Design

For his book cover, Tom used the CreateSpace Cover Creator. There are detailed instructions, and it’s fairly easy to use. It produces nice covers and generates them according to the required specifications for uploading.

Tom’s book, It’s All About The Timing, is a romance about two baby boomers falling in love in Aspen. It’s a touching story written from an age-appropriate man’s perspective. I loved it. Check out his cover and interior design here.

For my cover, I first hired a local graphic artist. He was recommended by my editor and had designed a distinctive cover for his novel. Things didn’t work out that well for me. He missed deadlines and never actually produced anything usable.

I wasted a lot of time and money chasing him down. My lesson learned? Hire a person that specializes in what you want done and always get a contract.

Choose Professional Help

My next step was to hire a professional cover designer. After the frustrations of formatting the interior and the flaky graphic artist, finding Cathi at BookCoverExpress.com was like finding a savior. She was a professional.

There was a contract. Her cost was a flat fee of $700 and included three initial designs to choose from and three revisions if needed. She worked patiently with me, a novice, to create a cover I was proud of. She provided both the e-book and print formats, and she did it all within the agreed upon timeframe. Hallelujah!

Press the Publish Button

To complete the process, CreateSpace and KDP both have internal viewers. You can upload your cover and manuscript and see exactly how it will lay out on the page. You can make any necessary changes and upload it again as many times as your anxiety requires. I think I uploaded mine 24 times. There is no limit.

Once you are ready, you can hit the “Publish” button. Your book will be reviewed by Amazon and returned for your approval. Once you approve the final copy, you will be a published author.

Is Self-Publishing Costly?

Self-publishing doesn’t have to be costly. You can navigate this entire process without spending anything if you are willing to put in the time. If you have friends and family that can edit, you’re in luck.

If you have good computer skills, that’s a huge asset. For me, this enterprise was an exciting, annoying, wonderful, learning adventure into an area I never dreamed I would be.

I have now published two books, Retirement Basics and The New Retirement Basics, and am working on a third. It’s a good feeling, a nice accomplishment, and perhaps an encore career.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you ever wanted to write a book? Have you thought about self-publishing, but didn’t know how? What questions when answered would help you be more confident? Please leave your comments below and share your self-publishing experiences or plans!

Before I retired, I was a great time manager.

I’d transition to a new activity at 9:16AM then to another one at 10:12AM and so on throughout the day. Bells would ring, bracketing precise pockets of time, neatly managed. Such was working life in a public school.

Nowadays, I do a lot of creative work. I’ll look up and four hours have passed. I’ve forgotten to eat. Never mind walk the dog, run the errand, do the yoga. Apparently when Creativity is in charge and the Muse is in the driver’s seat, structure and natural order disappear. 

The benefits of retired life certainly outweigh the constraints of a ringing alarm clock (my least favorite bell). Except, as my retired life began, I became a time management disaster.

A Retirement Switch

I missed those bells.

This felt a bit shocking. But in reality, most changes mean that our routine will take a hit. And retired life is a big change.

I remember arranging lunch dates with my retired friends when I was still working, and I remember how differently our lives seemed to flow. You’d schedule the 45 minutes allotted in your workday for luxury dining. They’d show up all rested and dewy skinned and declare, “I’m so busy, I don’t know how I ever had time to go to work!” 

In fairness, some of them were really busy. They were running non-profits, doing good works. Taking care of grandchildren, saving the whales. But now I believe most of them were simply learning how to navigate a new relationship with Time.

Our Relationship with Time

Time is dynamic. It’s constantly re-shaping. It’s stretchy and elastic and bends in every direction. Time can feel like it’s running amuck and needs a ringing bell to control it. It can feel like it’s flying by. Or standing still.

It’s ironic that this is the season of life when we can fear we may run out of time. We have the same amount we’ve always had, and we can often do with it as we please. But as retirees we must renegotiate our relationship with it, well, from time to time.

Six years have passed since I designed my daily life around ringing bells. This flexibility can still be tricky. I can certainly feel delighted. But sometimes I can feel disoriented. Like I’m back in school in a whole new way. Like I’m in that dream where I miss the exam because I had the time wrong (I can’t be the only one who has a dream like that…).

Learning to Stretch Time

But I’ve learned a few hacks that help me dance with time:

Set a Timer

Use it to complete a task that’s unpleasant and must get done or just the opposite… when an activity threatens to dominate your day.

Leave Some White Space on Your Calendar

Catch your breath, stare out the window, or do anything else that makes you feel at peace.

Plan for Chaos

Many things take a lot longer than we think they will, and other things happen that we didn’t see coming.

Honor Your Limits

If you need three or four days (or weeks) between vacations or houseguests, take it.

Think “I choose…”

Eliminate the word should and start using choose. You decide what to do or not do, what invitation to accept or which one to decline. Empowering!

Since the year I was born, 13 presidents have been inaugurated, technology has changed our lives, air travel has become a chore, and one beloved Queen reigned over the Commonwealth. 

But I’m still a work in progress. I’m embracing Structure Lite: no bells and slightly scheduled. 

As I sign off, I see another hour has ticked by. Creativity should be checking her watch… except she doesn’t wear one. 

I hope there’s something in the fridge. It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve eaten.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How are you managing your time during retirement? What obstacles have you faced? What’s working for you?

When I first heard the word mindset in my daughter’s elementary classroom, the teacher explained that teaching children how to have a growth mindset makes them open to learning and growing.

Over the years, I had heard the term many times, but it wasn’t something I planned to explore in my own personal development. I’ve had a growth mindset all my adult life, and I didn’t find a need to go down that rabbit hole.

My generation was brought up to be in a growth everything mindset. Always push, learn new things, keep moving, be a better person, strive for excellence and so on. It was part of my being and most of those around me.

My whole adult life I’d already studied many types of personal development, self-growth, healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise, so I didn’t feel I needed yet another guru telling me what and how to think.

The Mindset Movement

Then Mindset exploded in the coaching world. Suddenly, everyone was talking about having a growth mindset, changing your mindset, exploring your limiting beliefs, and I felt the need to follow the herd. As a mission and purpose coach, I work mostly with successful people who had also spent their lives pushing to be better. This could only add to my own tool kit.

Right?

Wait, not so fast.

There is good stuff for sure, to be had in mindset, but it still never quite landed for me.

Visions vs. Reality

Maybe as a boomer (on the edge of 63), I always knew I could better my life, or work harder or save a bit more. That was ingrained in my upbringing and my peers’. But the new ‘improved’ mindset was all about imagining, and attracting (metaphysics 101 anyone?), and doing vision boards to set up your mind and emotions for what you really want.

That works to a point. A visual represents what you want and helps you go after it. Yet I know in reality we might hold ourselves back, and life always brings us along a path we might not expect. Illness, death, birth, marriages, moving and all the big milestones can (and should) move us off a goal driven path.

Small life-turns can be at play as well. A vacation, meeting someone new. A coworker is out sick, and we have to cover for them. The mindset of learning and doing and going for it (whatever ‘it’ might be), takes a back seat to grandchildren, and elderly parents, no matter our mindset.

The “More” Part

Fast forward many years later and I still struggle with mindset. I coach people (mostly women) to step into their missions and callings by writing books, getting on stage, or starting a podcast. Mindset is part of it for sure. You must believe in yourself. You must have a vision of where you want to be, and who you can help, but it’s so much more than mindset.

With age comes wisdom. Being instead of doing. Allowing instead of pushing. Setting intention instead of goals. And moving forward at our own paces and welcoming life’s twists and turns.

To get what we want in life, first we must be appreciative of what we have. Then we must have a vision of where we are going, and instead of mindset, sometimes it’s belief in ourselves that we will get there, eventually. And if you have a book to write, a podcast to share, a speech to record, have faith that the calling is yours, and you already have the wisdom to move forward.

If mindset helps you, then by all means use the trick, but it’s not the only way to enjoy your life.

Ponder This

Having read this article, do you consider yourself a practitioner of “mindset” or do you find yourself focused on “more”? When you close your eyes and envision your dreams and your goals, do you feel you can make them a reality? As a final thought, ask yourself, is it your mindset, your belief, your faith, or your life that stops you from moving toward your vision?

No matter the answers, trust yourself and your inner wisdom. If you are brave, share your thoughts in our Radically Authentic Facebook group.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you been taught to have a growth mindset or is this a relatively new concept to you? Do you think mindset and goal visualization is everything? If you think there’s more to it, what could it be?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

A former coworker once told me I should be regularly using an eye cream, even though I was still in college at the time. I really thought routine applications were a sham, but part of me was curious about what it’d feel like to give my under-eyes some newfound T.L.C. Long story short, I did invest in a drugstore eye cream and, admittedly, now see why people love dabbing product on this delicate, often overlooked area. Creams, gels and balms can not only make your eyes feel wide-awake, but they can also provide much-needed hydration and even rewind the clock on your fine lines and wrinkles.

Now that I know the importance of a quality eye cream, it’s safe to say Tula’s 24-7 Power Swipe Eye Balm deserves a place in everyone’s morning and nighttime skincare routine. The newest addition to the brand’s 24-7 technology line-up, it firms, depuffs, protects, hydrates and lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles all in one go. It also happens to be 20 percent off during the brand’s friends and family event, so grab yours before the sale ends on September 28. Just remember to enter code SAVE20 at checkout.

What’s more, the eye balm comes in an easy-to-use stick that’s also quicker and more hygienic than using your fingers straight from a jar. Use it day or night and even under makeup to combat puffy, dry, dull under-eyes.

“No more dry under-eye skin. I also feel like it overall brightens my eye area. I’m addicted to this stuff and highly recommend,” raved one five-star shopper. 

Tired, swollen eyes from binging every episode of Love Island? Swipe on Tula’s eye balm. Dry skin from wearing a full day of glam? Apply Tula’s eye balm. Essentially, this product is the answer to all of your under-eye skin concerns and TG!

RELATED: This Fast-Acting Anti-Aging Eye Balm Is ‘Nature’s Botox’ & It Apparently Works Overnight 

Photo: Tula.

Here’s an ingredient breakdown to explain why this eye balm works so well. It has a proprietary blend of six prebiotics and probiotic extracts that smooth the skin and retain moisture for a plump, youthful-looking appearance. Alongside this complex, peptides and collagen combat visible signs of aging, while hyaluronic acid and squalane provide plenty of hydration.

So far, this sounds like an all-star lineup of ingredients, but that’s not all Tula went ham with on this product. Caffeine, apple and watermelon also help firm your under-eyes and reduce puffiness. And last but not least, cocoa seed extract shields this sensitive area from blue light damage that can cause premature aging.

To get the best results, keep the stick on the skin under your eyes for a few seconds to allow the balm to warm up and soften a bit. Next, glide the product across the eye area and revel in its magical calming, nourishing, wrinkle-fighting powers.

We’re not the only ones in awe of this balm’s impressive resume. So many shoppers can attest to its benefits and results. 

“Love, love this product. It made my under-eye area feel so soft. It never felt heavy or oily,” wrote one shopper. “After about a week of everyday use, I noticed my skin was becoming more smooth and less [dark] under my eyes.”

“Not one single irritation or reaction, super hydrating and after about two weeks of consistent use, my under eyes are moisturized, less puffy and the wrinkles are faded a bit,” wrote another reviewer.

It’s high time you ditch the eye cream that’s not giving you any positive results and swap it for Tula’s 24-7 Power Swipe Eye Balm.

Jackie Goldschneider’s Brown Leather Cutout Dress

Real Housewives of New Jersey 2022 Instagram Fashion

Jackie Goldschneider slayed her look at the Bros movie premiere. She wore a super cute brown leather cutout dress that is perfect for this time of year between summer and fall. And for that reason we are going to be a Bro and share where you can get your hands on it (or one like it) below.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Amanda Uprichard Dress

Photo Credit: @jackiegoldschneider

Originally posted at: Jackie Goldschneider’s Brown Leather Cutout Dress