$72.04 and a Whole Lot of Proof: My First Royalties as a Legit Author

Next week I receive my very first book royalties, and the amount is $72.04.

To even be eligible for a payout, you have to make at least $50. As a first-time author, I didn’t just reach the threshold — I passed it. 🥹🙌🏾

That alone speaks.

A few weeks ago, I wrote on my blog that 2026 would be a year of abundance for me. I said no brittle areas — not emotionally, not spiritually, and not financially. I even spoke “overcrowded bank account” out loud. Some people laugh at words like that. I don’t. Words carry weight. Words carry direction.

And now here I am, holding proof in the form of my very first online royalty.

This isn’t about the number.
This is about what the number represents.

It represents that someone, somewhere, saw value in my words and chose to spend their money on something I created. That means I’m not just “someone who wrote a book.” I am a legit author in the real world, in the marketplace, where readers decide what lives and what fades.

Someone once told me I wouldn’t make any money from my book.

But here’s the thing — God always has the final say.

$72.04 isn’t the finish line. It’s the receipt of obedience. It’s the evidence that showing up, being consistent, and believing beyond what you can see actually produces something tangible.

This is just the beginning.

I’m not chasing money. I’m walking in purpose — and provision follows purpose.

So if you’re reading this and you’re in the early stages of something — writing, building, dreaming, creating — let this be your reminder: small beginnings don’t mean small endings. Zechariah 4:10New Living Translation

¹⁰ Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

(The seven lamps^[a] represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)

Sometimes they just mean you’re standing at the door of something bigger than you imagined.

2026 is already speaking.
And I’m listening. ✨📖