In case you missed it (and you might have), I am writing a new book. It’s my first bylined project in nine years, and since I often wonder what to write about on here, I thought it might be fun to share about the process as I write.
The book will be traditionally published with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It’s a short nonfiction book about individualism and nonconformity, inspired by the work of the American Transcendentalists (e.g., Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson).
My deadline is February 1, 2027.
So here’s what I’m going to do. Every week between now and then (with a few exceptions for holidays and life), I’ll be sharing a brief update on what I’m doing in the project and how I’m making whatever decisions I need to make that week.
I’m going to share it all here in a new series I am simply calling “The Process.”
A new essay will come out every Monday morning, detailing what I’ve done this past week, what I’m currently working on and struggling with in the book, and the lessons I think there are to learn here for others endeavoring to do the same.
As an author, this will be my sixth book. As a writer and book collaborator (someone who helps other people write their own books), it will be something like my thirty-fifth (I’ve honestly lost count).
My intentions are to have something to write about without cannibalizing material from my book, document the somewhat messy and intuitive process of making a book, and be as useful to you as possible along the way.
Some of the topics will include:
When you know it’s time to start writing a book
How to decide what to write about
How much you should (and shouldn’t) outline
How to do research (and when to stop)
What the drafting process looks like
Why I worry about the beginning last
How working with a traditional publisher actually works
The different kinds of editing
When you know you’re done
And more . . .
Every week, I’ll write about one of the above topics in a relatively short essay. These essays are available to all subscribers, paid and free. To make sure you get the update, sign up here:
For paid subscribers, I will also be sharing excerpts of the actual book along with more behind-the-scenes details of the writing and publishing process. Think of the free version as a high-level lesson in writing and the paid version as an in-depth look at how I’m actually applying these principles.
For insiders, I won’t hold anything back. And I’ll be soliciting your questions throughout and responding in writing, audio, and video.
This is about opening the door to the writing studio, so to speak, and letting you peek inside. If you’re curious about what you see, just ask.
I will, of course, still be working with clients during this time, so my own writing will be happening mostly in the cracks of life—on writing retreats, weekends, and early mornings.
Nonetheless, I’ll keep you informed as I go, sharing where I am in the process and what the next step is.
It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so I’m sure I’ll have to remember a few things I used to take for granted. If anything, it should be an informative and amusing journey.
And if you’ve been around for a while and think any of this sounds familiar, good memory.
Two years ago, I spent twenty-five days writing a short first draft of a book that I never published. Some of you got to watch that process and learn with me as I went. That was fun, but ultimately I had to shelve the project.
The lesson for me was that without a deadline and some skin in the game, even the best ideas struggle to make their way out into the world.
Without a deadline and some skin in the game,
even the best ideas struggle to make their way out into the world.
Maybe I’ll pick that project back up later, but for now it’s on hiatus (which happens sometimes).
This one, however, I have to finish. So I will.
As I work through the book, this series, and my other professional and personal commitments, I ask that you be patient with me and conversational. Let me know what’s resonating with you, and what’s not. Help me help you—and all that.
Let’s stay in touch and make sure we’re both getting something valuable out of this.
We’ll start next week (I’ve already been writing some, so I’ll catch you up on the state of things, including how I got the deal, what my initial outline looks like, and what I’m currently considering for the structure of the book).
If you’re interested in following along, all you have to do is become a subscriber. What you’ll get—roughly—is the following:
one weekly writing lesson (for all subscribers),
one weekly snapshot of the project (for paid subs), and
one monthly community call where I’ll answer your questions (which you can submit ahead of time) and share the video afterward.
We’ll keep it fairly organic. I’ll throw in a few surprises here and there and listen to your feedback. Let’s try to remain open and flexible as we go.
Writing on Substack is both a gift and a mystery to me. I don’t always know what to post here or what content to “gate.”
Part of me wants to give all my writing away for free. I mean, why not? I don’t write just for people who can pay. I write for anyone who wants to read what I have to say. But another part wants to reward those who have been generous and faithful enough to pay me when, at times, there was no clear benefit to them.
So this is my attempt to satisfy both those desires and repay those who have been in my corner for a long while. Thank you, and I hope you like this.
My invitation, then, is threefold:
Subscribe at whatever level makes sense to you (you can easily unsubscribe; the paid version is monthly, and you can cancel at any time).
Read the posts each week and engage in the comments (you can also reply to my emails). I’ll keep a running list of the series here so that you can keep coming back to it.
Share this post with someone you know who would benefit from it and encourage them to sign up, too.
That’s it! Hopefully, I’ll see you here next week.
In the meantime, I’ve gotta get back to writing . . .
All the best,
Jeff
P.S. What would you like to see me cover in this series? What have you always wanted to know about writing, publishing, etc.? I’ll do my best to work your ideas into the series.
And I will need some inspiration for those weekly updates, so let me have it. You can share your suggestions either via email or in the comments section of this post. I look forward to hearing from you.
Below is a list of the whole series (keep checking back here throughout this journey).
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