Alas.

After all this time, you’ve crafted something great.

Starting from those ideas in your head, you’ve self-educated, planned, prepared, procrastinated, anticipated, taken notes and finally started writing, rewriting and editing.

And now, there you sit, eager and excited, steward of your final product–your content.

Will they love it or hate or think it’s just okay? Will they be back for more? Where will your content take you?

The answers to these questions will never be known until you click that little button labeled “Publish.”

For some, pushing it is too much risk to bear. For others, it’s all too easy. What is it for you?

If you’re facing the button, let me tell you what’s going to happen after you click it:

Publicity

You will have self-published something. Maybe it’s unremarkable, or maybe it’s magic–but it’s something. And by doing that you’ve made a huge leap from content consumer to content producer. The freedom to express yourself in the comfort of your own voice across the expanding and evolving web has just been activated.

Connectivity

You will make connections with people through the variety and integrity of your ideas. They will listen to what you tell them and will respond accordingly. Welcome to 21st century dialog.

Responsibility

You will be accepting responsibility for your words and your ideas–so choose what you say carefully. But don’t be afraid to take a stand.

Attention

You are actively joining the new attention economy where free content (such as yours) can attract enough attention to make you an overnight authority on a subject you’re deeply passionate about.

Permanence

You are contributing to the permanent record of public knowledge while building the foundations of your own legacy.

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Yes, “Publish” is that powerful.

All you have to do now is push the button.