A reflection on the invisible work behind self-publishing — editing, formatting, cover design — and the strange, silent moment when a book leaves its author’s hands.

No city without its river, no village without its stream, or at least its brook. I believed this, without ever putting it into words, when I lived in France. Water can be missed like a familiar presence. Between fascination and fear, it mirrors our quietest anxieties.

A personal reflection on writing, publishing, and the difficulty of balancing creation and visibility.