I’ve had an idea. Well, the spark of an idea but I’m slightly reluctant to share it with such a broad audience in case it doesn’t happen and I fail publicly - again. However, given the current state of our life right now alongside becoming surprisingly comfortable with public failure, I’m convinced that now could quite possibly be the best time to do it so here goes… I’m going to write a book.
As someone who has written a blog every week for 6 years and kept a diary every day since age 12, this might seem like a natural progression but as a book designer, who has worked with lots of authors, I know better than most how extraordinarily hard writing a book is. I’ve seen some of the smartest people I know work extremely hard to write a book then be battered by the brutal reality of not selling as many copies as they thought they would. It takes huge amounts of time, effort and money with most successful authors I know being stoked if they just break even.
I’m under no illusion that this would not be a money making venture however it seems that needing money, about $70K to be precise, is the catalyst for kick starting this project that I’ve fantasised about for years. The cruel reality of not making any money from the sale of our land last week has caused a seismic shift in my outlook on life. I’ve moved through the stages of grieving relatively quickly (something we’re good at by now). Denial, bargaining, anger, then depression and have finally landed at acceptance but this time acceptance feels fiery.
I’m angry. I’m cross because I’ve spent so much effort hoping that things work out. Twenty years as a book designer. Ten years of working on HUCX. 12 months waiting for our land to sell so we can get out of debt. All these things were meant to bring success and security. None of them have turned out how we planned and I’ve had enough. The events of last week have left me with no other choice but to drastically take my destiny into my own hands. I'm going to combine all of the above expertise and experiences into a project that I have always wanted to do! It’s not for Matt, it's not for the kids, it's not for HUCX or The Design Dept, but it's for me. And (hopefully) you!
Writing a book isn’t going to be easy. It could take 6 months or it could take 6 years but I’m determined to create something I’m proud of. A book that represents all of the effort we’ve put into our lives over the last 10 years. A book that inspires others and encourages resilience. A book that is an actual book! I want to print it locally and not have any e-pubs because my blog is the digital version. The book has to be a real thing that smells like fresh ink and has a nice weight to it because that's why I love books. It's definitely going to be expensive to print and ship but I’m looking into crowd funding that part of it. Mum said she’d pay a hundred bucks for a book so that's a start…
Where to start is the next obvious question so I spoke to a very clever writing friend of mine Melissa Watts from Nine Cups Writing about where to begin and she said the most important task is to really understand ‘the Why’. Why do I want to write a book? It's important to have an incredibly strong and motivating ‘why’ because when things get tough, which they will, you really need a good reason to keep going.
Asking the "7 Whys" is a popular exercise used to get to the crux of a problem or reason behind a goal. Continuing to ask ‘why?’, at least 7 times, ultimately removes the superficial layers of reasoning to get to the nitty gritty of something. Today I’m going to ask Why should I write a book to see if the reason is strong enough to fuel the long and arduous journey ahead.
Why do I want to write a book?
I believe we have a good story worth sharing. With 300,000 words online already I feel as if my input is already there, ready to go, I just need to make sense of it and figure out how to bring it together into a cohesive story that people want to read.
Why would people want to read your story?
People can’t help but slow down and look at a car crash. We’re intrigued by catastrophe. Not that our life is a car crash but we’ve taken lots of big risks and they haven't paid off. It’s a very human story. I always thought I’d write a book about our success but writing it as an elaborate fundraiser to help pay off our debt from not succeeding is a better reason for why people would want to read my book.
Why would people pay for your book?
So many people have asked how they can help us over the years and it would be fantastic to say - yes, you can help - please buy my book. Since I’ll be able to cover most of the production overheads myself (design and marketing) it makes sense to use crowd funding as a way to pay for printing. Once the book is written I’ll ask readers to pre-order my book and pay whatever they can. If I only get enough for 10 books, then I’ll only print 10. I’m hoping to sell at least 100.
Why does making money matter?
I’m so sick and tired of waiting for financial success! I’ve always been in debt and it's depressing. Living from pay check to pay check is exhausting. I want to create another income stream that draws from all our experiences and lessons we’ve learned. I want to prove that catastrophe is a catalyst. I want this project to make a positive impact on those who read it.
Why does making an impact matter?
At the end of the day, impact and influence are our most valuable assets. Making a positive impact on people is an incredibly rewarding and powerful gift. Writing a book would fast track the growth and reach of that impact. Not only would I be able to share my story but I want it to create opportunities far beyond sitting in front of my computer typing.
Why do you want these opportunities?
I want to live an interesting life and the only way that is going to happen is if I put my hand up and ask for it! I want to get paid to travel to places and talk to people about being me. I want my life to be a series of awesome and amazing adventures. I want things to happen that you could never plan for because they're so extraordinary.
Why will writing a book lead to an extraordinary life?
It might not but we have to be resourceful and lean into what we have. I’m a book designer who writes. I’ve got so many stories to tell that I’m not sure where to begin. I’ve felt the power of inspiring others to take risks or do something they didn’t think they’re capable of. Honestly, we already live an extraordinary life (one I’m very proud of) so writing this book would be a great personal achievement and like everything else in life, its success (or not) will be good news or a good story.
