On December 9, 2017, I uploaded The Perfect Generation to Kindle Scout, basically a popularity contest to try and get a legit publishing contract through Amazon’s Kindle Press publishing arm.

I read enough blog posts from authors who had gone through Scout to know that it was more good than bad. Plus, it would give me a little breathing room to finish and edit my reader magnet, which I’d want whether Amazon published me or I did it myself.

The first few days blew me away. The book was very po...