How I Self-Published Six Books in One Year (and Counting)
If you told me a year ago that I would have six self-published books to my name by now, I definitely would not have believed you. But here I am! Six books deep, and I’m not stopping anytime soon.
From a coloring book, to a quirky children’s book series about Percy the Pickle and then to a deeply personal memoir about my journey with endometriosis. I’ve poured my heart, humor, and hard-earned wisdom into each page. But if you’re expecting a rigid, disciplined system behind this creative burst… you might be surprised.
Here’s how I did it, and how you can, too.
Where It All Began: Poetry
Back in 2020, during one of the hardest periods of my life, I started writing poems as a way to process my emotions. Over time, I built a backlog of poetry that was raw, honest, and deeply personal. I couldn’t help wanting to share it, but wanting and doing were two very different things. It took me a long time to feel comfortable sharing some of what I’d written, but after some slow, empowering moments, I eventually decided that it’s a part of me and that I didn’t really care what other people thought of it.
I remember thinking, “If just one person could read this and feel seen, it would be worth it.” That thought sparked a fire, and I started dreaming of ways to share my writing with the world.
But poetry wasn’t the only thing I wanted to create.
The Six Books I’ve Published So Far
Since the start of 2025, I’ve self-published six books. Each having its own voice and purpose:
Pickle Coloring Book (January 19th)
A fun, pickle-themed coloring book for kids and adults alike.Percy’s the Pickle’s Jungle Adventure (January 18th)
The first of my Percy the Pickle children’s books. A lighthearted adventure with a quirky, lovable protagonist.What Endometriosis Couldn’t Take from Me (March 22nd)
My most personal project, a memoir about my journey with endometriosis, available in both paperback and hardcover.Frog Coloring Book (March 26th)
Another playful coloring book, this time hopping into the world of frogs.Percy’s the Pickle’s Space Adventure (April 21st)
The second book in the Percy series, exploring new worlds and big emotions.
You might notice that my first Percy book actually ended up publishing a day before my Pickle Coloring Book, and that was a complete fluke. Once I started using Amazon KDP, I quickly learned how to set everything up, from formatting the pages to finalizing the cover. I picked up the process so fast that Percy the Pickle’s Jungle Adventure (technically the second book I wrote) finished publishing before the coloring book did! Isn’t that wild?
Why I Chose Amazon KDP
Every one of these books was published using Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and it was easier than I expected. It is a simple platform that let me upload my manuscripts, cover designs, set my pricing, and start selling within days. On Amazon KDP you have the ability to purchase author copies, which you can then sell at events, through local stores, or directly to readers. Amazon also offers a free ISBN, which is great for people starting out. The only thing you cant do on Amazon KDP is sell your book to other distributors.
That’s not the only tool I used. I also leaned on a few creative tools to bring my books to life:
Canva for page design and cover creation.
Procreate for hand-drawn illustrations of Percy and other characters.
Google Docs for writing, because sometimes simple is best.
Adobe Creative Cloud is just an all around asset to have when you are doing anything digital.
Trust me, I understand how blessed I am to have full access to these tools through my day job, and my boss is cool enough to allow me to use them anytime I want. Shameless Unparallel plug shall we? I run a marketing company with my husband and the skills I’ve learned working and running this business have made self-publishing so much easier. It’s a complete dream.
A Canva document open of the Percy the Pickle’s Space Adventure Cover Design. You’ll see that I design it separately, with the front cover on the right and back on the left. This can be uploaded into Amazon KDP as a final, print ready cover file.
My Creative Process (Spoiler: It’s a Mess)
I’d love to say I have a perfectly organized process, but if you know me, you know this isn’t true. Nothing I do is perfect, it’s organized to me but looks like chaos to everyone else, my creative flow is unpredictable and that’s exactly how I like it.
Some nights, I’m struck by inspiration while lying in bed. I’ll roll over, grab my phone, and type out a poem or a book idea in the Notes app. Other times, I sit down with my iPad and just start drawing. Whatever sparks my interest in the moment is what I focus on.
And you know what? That’s okay.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that creativity doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be honest.
My Best Tips for Self-Publishing Fast
If you’re reading this because you’re dreaming of publishing your own book (or six) here are my best tips:
Just Start. Don’t wait for perfection. Even Anne Rice had typos.
AI can be a great task master. I get overwhelmed easily, but I’ve learned to use AI like ChatGPT to help me figure out what to do first. I can give it my raw organic thoughts and it will organize it into actionable items based on what I should do first!
Stay Excited. I’ve found that the joy of creating is what keeps me going. When I’m having fun, it doesn’t feel like work.
Ask for Help. I created everything myself because I wanted to learn. I see asking for help as a great step toward completion, if I don’t understand something, I reach out to someone. Facebook writers groups have been a big help!
Push Through the Nerves. The hardest part for me is walking into local bookstores and asking them to carry my books, but it’s a part of the process. I know my limits and break this up into manageable chunks instead of speed running it through all in one day. If I do that, I wont be at my best.
Take it step by step, here I am updating my book’s content before I publish!
The Best Part? I’m Just Getting Started.
Six books in one year sounds wild, but for me, it’s been a joy. Each book I’ve published has been a chance to create, to share, and to learn. If you’ve ever thought about self-publishing, don’t overthink it. You’ll be amazed at what you can create when you give yourself the freedom to begin. Start now, learn as you go, and watch your stories come to life.
-Bree
