My Author Journey

I did not set out to become an Amazon number one author. I just wanted to tell a story.

For a long time, I thought an author was somebody who could sit down and write a whole book. I had plenty of stories and ideas, but the size of the task stopped me before I began. Anthologies showed me that I did not have to start with a full manuscript.

Why a full book felt out of reach

A book takes more than words. It needs structure, concentration, editing, decisions and the energy to return to the same piece of work again and again. When you live with chronic pain and limited capacity, that can feel enormous before you have written the first chapter.

I knew I had something to say. I simply needed a more manageable way to say it.

Then I discovered anthologies

In an anthology, each contributor writes one chapter around a shared theme. There is an editor, a deadline and a group of people working towards the same finished book. I did not have to carry the whole project on my own. I could concentrate on telling one story properly.

I do not see that as a shortcut or a lesser form of authorship. For me, it was an accessible way in. I could start, finish and share one piece of work without waiting for my health, energy and circumstances to become perfect. We all know that perfect day may never arrive.

One chapter led to another

My stories and professional experiences now sit alongside those of contributors from around the world. Invisible No More; Invincible Forever More gave women space to write about moving from invisibility into a more empowered life. The Book I Read: Stories of Transformation looked at the books and ideas that changed people. Midlife Awakening included my chapter, “Livestreaming Saved Me from Myself.” Later, Bold Risks, Big Rewards included “Choosing Compassion Amid Chaos.”

I also contributed to all five volumes of Ross Brand’s 100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions. Those chapters allowed me to share what I was seeing in livestreaming, digital communication and creator-led media. Each one started as a focused piece of writing. Over time, they became a body of work.

Then came the Amazon rankings

I was not chasing a title or trying to win an Amazon category. I wanted to tell stories that might help somebody feel seen, understood or less alone. The number one rankings and bestseller status came through the combined work of contributors, publishers, readers and the communities supporting each launch.

Suddenly, I could call myself an Amazon number one and international bestselling author. Of course I value that achievement. But the part that still matters most to me is that a chapter I once thought would be too difficult to write became part of a real book that people could hold, read and share.

There is more than one way to become an author

We tend to speak about authorship as though there are only two choices: write an entire manuscript or remain somebody who hopes to write one day. Anthologies gave me another option. You can begin with one lived experience, one lesson, one piece of professional knowledge or one story you do not want to lose.

That story might begin as a written chapter, a recorded conversation or a collection of voice notes that an editor helps shape. Accessibility, to me, means recognising that there can be more than one valid route into the work.

Accessible does not mean lowering the standard

Changing the way a person writes does not mean accepting poorer work. The finished chapter still needs honesty, clarity, editing and care. What changes is the assumption that every writer must work in exactly the same way or begin with the biggest possible version of the project.

I have seen the same principle in other parts of my life. When physical rooms became difficult for me to enter, livestreaming gave me an online room. When a whole book felt too large to begin, an anthology gave me one chapter to focus on.

It changed how I interview other authors

Becoming an author changed the way I speak to writers on Writers Corner Live Show and Books with Bridgetti. I understand the excitement of publishing, but I also understand how vulnerable it can feel to put a personal story into the world. I am interested in what happened behind the book, not only the finished cover or the ranking beside it.

Since those first anthologies, I have also created practical livestreaming guides and children’s stories. I still come back to the same lesson: begin with the part you can manage, tell the truth and let the work grow from there.

If a whole book feels too big, start with the story you can tell now.