My Relationship with Books, Reading, and Why I Decided to Become an Author.
From a childhood manuscript on loose-leaf paper to a 376-page Second Edition.
I remember being a voracious reader in my early childhood years. I would tackle the Summer reading lists for school, had no problem digesting academic content, and I had a genuine love for books. In elementary school, I expanded on my love and started writing a knockoff version of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings meets C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Needless to say, I never published it, albeit I got 20 or so pages into the manuscript, written on loose-leaf paper stapled together. As I got older, my love started to diminish, but it was less about the books themselves and more about the context in which I had to read.
Despite never continuing my childhood fiction novel, I continued to come up with ideas and premises for what, in my mind, would have been good stories should I have chosen to commit to them. Influenced by works like Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, classics from authors like Mark Twain, and varying Christian authors, the list of books I read at a young age was as unabridged and challenging as it was diverse.
By the time I entered my senior year of high school, I rarely read outside of the classroom, and even then, it was with half-hearted effort. That was until I fell into the world of self-development. Reading returned from a place of requirement to a place of genuine interest. Sure, one can argue that reading in the context of self-development can feel obligatory at times; however, the return was not about getting good grades, it was about getting good at life. That appeared to me to be worthwhile.
When I was 18, a fleeting idea of an autobiography crossed my mind. In retrospect, it was an absurdity to consider being so young, but the fledgling motivations of youthful ambition and perhaps arrogance had begun to take form. On my birthday that same year, my grandfather, whom I wasn’t close to growing up, gifted me a copy of James Allen’s As A Man Thinketh. I picked up Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich of which I traveled with to new continents. By this time, I was convinced that books were the key to progress, action of which I later learned was equally as important. My love for New-Thought eventually evolved into a hobby, as today I own early 20th century copies of books from varying authors such as Dale Carnegie and Andrew Carnegie, and was lucky enough to have purchased a full volume set of Hill’s The Law of Success, which predates WWII.
As I explored myself and became increasingly aware of what I wanted to achieve in life outside of satisfactory “riches” as the old-New-Thought verbiage went, I also understood that becoming an author was one of the most effective ways of bolstering one’s credibility. To beget and earn the title of author was indicative of true effort and corresponding accomplishment. 2020 was a substantial year for my professional career as it was when I fell in love with personal branding and began to understand the blue ocean opportunity that existed in the market. What if I could be the person who drives increasing awareness of this subject? My understanding of the subject then pales in comparison to what I now know, and yet that youthful ambition would come to serve me. Except this time…I would follow through in successfully writing and publishing a book.
I had a general premise, the title, and knew what I wanted it to be, and at the same time, not be. There was no shortage of books on branding and social media, many of which became obsolete shortly after their publication. I was aiming for something evergreen and all-encompassing. It was on a short walk outside of my home a thought crept in my mind, “What if there was something so powerful that you could get nations to do your bidding, millions of people to follow you, and be able to have a direct impact on the world’s future landscape?” This quote is taken directly from Opening Words in the first edition of Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence.
Over the following months, I would write in bursts until I eventually had a barebones manuscript. It was free of formatting, shy of 7,000 words, and at the time, I thought it was wonderful. It is easy to turn this article into a dive on publishing and distribution, but I will save that premise for content to come. Skipping the intricacies, I ultimately published my Manifesto, amply titled as it was more of an introductory proclamation than anything, on November 1st, 2021. It is with gratitude that I reflect on my work, as I purposely avoided calling it a book. Still, the moment I received my first copy in the mail, I remember telling myself that it could be so much better. I would reread its contents in the hopes that I would find more value within its pages. It was during these moments that I concluded a second edition was required, not just for those who supported me and my credibility, but more so for my peace of mind.
Eventually, in March of 2025, I published my second edition (opens in a new tab). An extensive look into what I coined as the World’s First Philosophy of Personal Branding. At 376 pages, 65,000~ words, and a relative textbook, it was the culmination of my relationship with reading and books, personal development, and demonstrated my ability to evolve from youthful ambition to a true professional’s outlook, armed with scholarly tact. It is with gratitude that I can say it became a Top 10 Amazon Best Seller in Public Relations, as it was the #1 New Release in Public Relations on Amazon. Without my first edition, I would have never learned the valuable lessons in reference to editing, distribution, or formatting.
It is my hope with this article that you evaluate your own relationship with reading and books. Are you someone who reads for pleasure or for growth? Possibly both. I would encourage you to consider beginning or finishing that book you have always wanted to write. The barriers to entry are ridiculously low, whereas the upside remains significant. As I discuss in the second edition, people build their personal brands for 3 reasons. Money, Mission, and Vanity. A book might just be the thing that helps you accomplish your aims, and everyone either has experience or a story worth sharing. Remember, as this is something I frequently told myself
“Anyone can publish a book, not everyone can publish something worth reading.”
If you would like to pick up a copy of my book, Personal Branding: A Manifesto on Fame and Influence, you can do so here (opens in a new tab).
First published on Medium (opens in a new tab) on July 10, 2025. Lightly edited for this site.
