Marie asked Michael Alan Peck:

Was it hard to publish your first book? Did someone publish it for you or did you publish it yourself?

Michael Alan Peck It wasn't hard, Marie, but there's no question that it was a lot of hard work. As I'm sure you know, however, there's work and then there's work. The second kind is the work you have to do, even if you don't enjoy it, while the first is a labor of love. And writing a book, for me, is most definitely the first kind. If it weren't, I wouldn't be able to do it.

I self-published my novel because I wanted as little as possible to come between me and the reader. When I was writing screenplays and trying to break into Hollywood, I was the last person in line in terms of influencing how my own creation would take shape. My agent and manager had more power than I did, as did the producers and many others in the food chain. So when I decided to write fiction, I was very happy to discover the self-publishing option.

With self-publishing, I'm able to hire the same editors and designers the publishing houses use, but there's one important distinction: I have final say over what ends up in the reader's hands. And that makes all the difference to me. When you journey to The Commons, you're seeing the world and its characters as I wrote them. If you love them, I've succeeded. If you don't, then at least I know I'm responsible for that and not someone who forced a change I didn't agree with.

That's my promise to you, the reader. What you see is what I created. And that's what keeps me creating more.

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