My First Book: the experiences of Walter Besant, James Payn, W. Clark Russell, Grant Allen, Hall Caine, George R. Sims, Rudyard Kipling, A. Conan Doyle, M.E. Braddon, F.W. Robinson, H. Rider Haggard, R.M. Ballantyne, I. Zangwill, Morley Roberts, David Christie Murray, Marie Corelli, Jerome K. Jerome, John Strange Winter, Bret Harte, "Q.", Robert Buchanan, Robert Louis Stevenson, with an introduction by Jerome K. Jerome.

"My First Book" by Various is a compilation of personal essays from famous authors from the late 1800s, where writers like Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle explore the trials and victories of starting out in the writing world. The book gives a look into the literary scene of that time, showing how much determination it took to make it. The collection begins with a charming talk between Jerome K. Jerome and a young boy named Valentine and their conversation shows Valentine’s dreams of becoming an author, his childlike love for books, and his worry for his mother. As they talk about books and stories, Valentine’s simple but thoughtful take on writing makes Jerome think back on his own hard times, the meaning of storytelling, and chasing after your dreams even when things get tough.