The publishing industry has gone through a seismic shift in the last few decades. From a market monopolized by a handful of players, the internet and writing platforms have opened new doors for all writers. Now all it takes is a bit of talent and a strong following for a writer to get their works published.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the path is easy. Even without having to go through the bottleneck of one of the major publishers, you still need to work to get your book published. It requires a lot of time and effort to make your book fit for release and even more to get a publisher to pick it up. That is a process that can last weeks or months.

One author, Evan Winter understood this struggle and highlighted it in his book. Evan’s series the Burning Series made waves in the fantasy community for its fascinating story, wonderful character, and its unique perspective. The world of the series is based around African culture and mythology, something not often seen in fiction.

Creating something unique does have its challenges, but it was all worth it for the sake of achieving his dream and improving as a writer. Evan reflected in an interview he did. When asked about one line from his book that he could share with his fans.

“The days without difficulty are the days you do not improve.”

I don’t see this as being about the hardships society might place on us or the stones that fortune may throw. I see it as a call to action that seeks the next hill, mountain, or star system by never letting yesterday’s achievements be good enough. It’s not about feeling unworthy or inadequate, it’s about feeling hopeful and finding joy in the journey. It’s about the push, the push towards being more today than we were before.

-Evan Winter, Author