What I Have Learned in My First Two Weeks as an Author

by Coach Larry Weber

My second week in, and I am still learning a lot about how publishing works. There is still a lot I don't understand.

Publishing a book has been a new experience for me in every way — including learning how Amazon rankings work. They shift constantly depending on the day, the category, which promotions are running, and whether the book is a new release or an established title. The rankings are all different depending on what category you are placed in by the Amazon algorithm. It is a more complicated system than I expected, and honestly, the numbers do not truly matter.

What matters to me is simpler: is this book reaching people who need it? That is the only metric I have ever coached by — and it is the only one that matters to me now.

I have been a coach for over forty years in some capacity. In that time, I have learned that the things worth doing are rarely the things that show up cleanly on a scoreboard. Formation takes time. Character is built in the hard moments, not announced on a leaderboard.

If you are an athlete grinding through a hard season, this was written for you. If you are a coach who believes your work goes deeper than the scoreboard — this was written for you. If you are a parent looking for a real faith conversation with your teenager, this was written for you.

Four chapters. Rooted in Scripture. You can read it in one sitting and carry it for a season.

A note on what is coming:

Based on a better understanding of how the publishing process works since the Kindle edition launched a little over a week ago, I have made a few small refinements to the manuscript. The message is the same. The four chapters are the same. But the book is a little stronger.

A paperback edition will be available by about May 1, 2026, for those of you who prefer something you can hold, mark up, hand to an athlete before a race, or leave on a teammate's chair.

The Kindle edition is available now at $4.99.

One final note I want to share openly: all net proceeds from Jesus on the Track go directly to the youth running programs I support. It is not about the money on a personal level. It was written to help young people find something real in the hard moments of competition and life.

If you have read it and it helped you in any way, I would be genuinely grateful if you left a short, honest review on Amazon. That is how other athletes and coaches find it. Two minutes of your time could put this book in the hands of someone who needs it.

Your hard days have a purpose. Run with God.

Blessings — Coach Larry Weber Philippians 4:13

Jesus on the Track on Amazon: Amazon.com: JESUS ON THE TRACK: A Christian Athlete's Guide to Handling Hard Days, Building Mental Toughness, and Growing in Faith eBook: Weber, Larry: Kindle Store