
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to write a book! It feels weird to say out loud, but I know that by sharing this with you, I will also hold myself accountable and publish this thing.
Loading summary
Abigail Pumphrey
Welcome to the Strategy Hour Podcast brought to you by Boss Project. I'm your host Abigail Pumphrey and I'm dedicated to supporting online businesses. I don't believe in one right way to build a business. I'm here to help you build business your way, one that supports not only the life you have, but the life you want. I'm on a personal mission to help you become financially free. I'm taking all the lessons learned as I turned a layoff into a seven figure online business. I'm here to help you prioritize your life every step of the way. Whether you're creating your first digital product, growing an email list, or scaling an already profitable business. Settle in. It's time to talk strategy.
Unknown Sponsor
The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University helps you go from I know the way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA. Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow. Get ready to go from make it happen to made it happen and keep striving. Visit strayer.edu Jack WelchMBA to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chev and has many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.
Abigail Pumphrey
Does working with your accounting software make your head hurt? That's why I'm here to talk to you about FreshBooks, the cloud accounting software designed to make the hard part easy. Lose the complicated process and switch to FreshBooks. Run your billing books and payroll on the same platform. They've made it easy to send invoices, get paid fast, save time on data entry and keep your finances organized. No accounting class is required. With FreshBooks, you'll save time and get peace of mind. Imagine having all of your expenses neatly organized and a clear picture of your business health all in just a few clicks. FreshBooks automates your workflow year round. Snap photos of your expenses on the go, send professional invoices in seconds and track payments seamlessly. Feel more confident about your numbers. Get FreshBooks now 60% off for 6 months@freshbooks.com get started today and thank yourself tomorrow. That's 60% off for 6 months@FreshBooks.com I.
Unknown Guest
Know that it is in my best interest, but to continue to work on growing my audience now to continue to build my list now to build an audience of people ready for me to hit publish on this book. Now I'm writing a book. It's such a weird feeling to say out loud, but I guess I'm hoping by recording this episode that it's going to hold me accountable. That I'm actually going to make it happen that I'm not just going to keep talking about it, but that it's actually going to go to print. I feel like for this story I need to give you some context. So for as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to write a book. And technically speaking, I have written a book. But it was way back in the third grade when we had the opportunity to write and publish a book and we were able to put it in our school library and it had an ISBN number and everything. So I think technically speaking, I'm a published author, but there might be only two copies of that book that exist in the whole wide world. So this is really fulfilling a childhood dream for me, but not just because I've always wanted to write a book, but because I've always desired to share a message on a much broader basis. And I've probably had a handful of books kind of stewing around in my brain for a number of years at this point. One book being more memoir meets self help. Another book that's a lot more tactical and strategy and specific and almost would read like a guidebook or a roadmap. And then I've always wanted to develop a cookbook, but how those all go together I'm not quite sure. I'm sure it will pan out at some point, but they've all just been sitting there. And a couple of years ago, this would have been winter 23, I was approached by a potential brand partner about working together in a really big way. And I decided that this was an opportunity that I was going to take a full swing on. And so I decided I was going to take the concept that had been stewing around in my brain a bit and attempt to go to print in a way that I hadn't previously explored. And honestly, I hadn't really seen anyone else do. Not that I don't think it's ever been done before. I definitely don't think this is a novel idea, but definitely a rare one. I had hoped that I would pitch this idea to a sponsor and ultimately instead of self publishing or going the traditional publishing route, that I would actually end up with a sponsored book deal. Meaning they would cover the costs and the marketing and I would get paid to write it. But for many reasons, their narrative to ultimately sell their product would be included as a huge part of what I'm trying to say. And while I think that still could absolutely work, I decided I don't think it's right for my first book now. I just don't think it's not right because they said no. I think it's not right because I think it forces me to talk in a specific way, and I don't want to be limited by someone else's point of view. When I write something that's this important to me now, do I think it could be paid to write someone else's narrative? Yes, and I do on a fairly frequent basis. Not because I'm lying. I'm definitely still sharing what I think is true and what I know can help people. But it's obviously through the lens of what a sponsor or a partner wants to see from me. But I think there was some part of me that was, like, a little bit deflated by swinging so hard and then being told no. And the funny thing is, they didn't tell me no to work together. We ended up working together and have been very intertwined, for lack of a better way to describe it. And I have gotten paid very well from that. But the book wasn't necessarily part of any sort of set of deliverables, and so I shelved it for a bit. And about a year and some change ago, I ended up at a conference with Justin Moore and Jay Clouse. And Justin, at the time, had just started writing his book that ultimately has since gone to print and is called Sponsorship Magnet. Sponsor Magnet. Sponsorship Magnet. Either way, it is excellent, by the way. It is so good I have listened to it on audiobook. I am gonna also need the full paper copy because he includes so many scripts that are so powerful to land brand deals and sponsors that I will absolutely need to be using it as a reference book. But nonetheless, Justin was in the middle of writing, and Jay was also considering writing a book at the time. And I remember having this conversation with Justin after the fact. He. We had, you know, just barely met. I had invited him on the podcast, and we had a conversation after that episode about the book I wanted to pursue. And if you don't know Justin, he is one of the most honest and supportive and kind, somehow also kick you in the butt guys I've ever met. Anyway, he was very much like, when are you gonna make this thing happen? And I was like, oh, I don't know. And, you know, kind of toddling around it because I didn't have a timeline. I felt like if this didn't work, if the thing I had thought was gonna be the way it would go to print, that I needed to, like, rethink my direction altogether. And it really kind of put a damper in My plans, some months go by, I had very much tabled it and I kept seeing Justin clearly working on his book. And then I had Jay on the podcast, like almost nine months later. That guy was so, so hard to nail down. He was very, very busy. His wife had been pregnant, then she had a baby, and then he had an infant. And so, like, he was obviously in the middle of life stuff. And so it was hard to get him booked for the show. But when I finally got him booked for the show, he told me that he was finally like actually moving forward with pursuing writing his own book. And not that I wanted to write a book because I want to be like my friends online. That's not why I wanted to write a book. It never really has been the case for me, but there was just something about him. Someone who like, so prioritizes his time and his family and really cares about the state of his business. Him making time for it, I think just gave me permission, I guess, to reopen this door to an idea that was still really important to me. But I had very much shelved and felt like it wasn't the right time. And suddenly, like things really started being put in place. I had really considered my kind of alternative options. If I'm not going to go this super non traditional route of getting a sponsored book deal or even a set of sponsors to pursue the book altogether, I really only had. Well, I technically have three choices. I could self publish, I could traditionally publish, or I could pursue some sort of hybrid deal. Now, I'm not sure how much you've done in terms of research about what each of those things ultimately entails, but hybrid was for sure the option I was least attracted to. Essentially, hybrid is someone who will help you self publish. They might have in house editors or designers, but you are paying them and still investing all of your own time and resources into launching this book. And not to say that that's not a helpful service for some, but if I was going to self publish, I definitely felt like I was going to put together my own team and do as much of the heavy lifting myself as possible. So hybrid for me was off the table. And I'd actually been approached years ago for what I thought was going to be a big deal, but ultimately was a hybrid situation. And I had said no at the time. And when all of this kind of circled back around, I was definitely reassured that that's not the direction I wanted to go. Now, I've definitely been told many times by a lot of people that I respect and that if you're in the online space and you've built an audience and you have a group of people that support you and who buy your products and who pay attention to what you have to say online, that self publishing can be such an incredible experience. You're in full control of the book, the narrative, ultimately what's published, you can often do it on a timeline that's far faster. And you're going to be in charge of marketing anyway, so you might as well get paid the full amount that you possibly can, your book minus costs, instead of just owning a percentage of the rights to your own book. You know, if you were to follow just logic, self publishing is the way to go. I've heard from many people nightmare stories about going the traditional publishing route, at least as of late. I'm not saying it's always been this way. I honestly have no way of really knowing, but I think a lot has shifted. You know, 10, 15 years ago, publishers were the way to get distribution. That's not necessarily true anymore. You don't necessarily need your book on bookshelves when so much of the market is buying books online anyway. You just don't need those same access to resources. It's just not necessary. All of that being said, I had a very critical conversation with my friend Liz Bohannon, and I had talked to her more about the difference between self publishing and traditional publishing. And there were two things in particular that really made me want to go the traditional publishing route, and whether they're the right reasons to pick that direction or not. I am pretty convicted that that's the way I'm ultimately going to go with this. So when we talked about it, for those of you who don't know Liz Bohannon, she's previously published a book that has done incredibly well and it has put her on a speaking circuit of sorts. And she is busy, booked and busy, as a matter of fact. And she was talking to me a little bit about getting booked for speaking gigs and how much having a book made a difference in that kind of realm of possibilities. Now, my goal is not to be on the road and be a full time speaker. That actually sounds like my version of hell. I love being home. I like to travel, but if I'm going to travel, it should be for pleasure and to get away and to have adventure, not necessarily to work. Not that I'm unwilling to travel for work, but I only want to do it a handful of times a year anyway. When she brought it up, she had mentioned that if someone was looking at A group of potential speakers, they would immediately narrow down the list based on who had written a book. And if they needed to narrow down the list again, they would always pick the person who had been traditionally published over self published. And I think the thought around that is self publishing at this point is not that it's so simple, but there's no restrictions. Anyone on this planet who can read the instructions and ultimately walk through them can self publish a book. No one will tell you you can't. You have to just jump through a set of hoops, you know, and there's something about traditionally publishing a book where a group of people have decided this is a message worth spreading, that this is worth something, that this is worth paying for before it's even fully developed, that it's special. And not everyone can get a book deal. And so there's a little part of me that loves a good challenge. You know, I like doing things that other people can't. And it's not because I'm trying to like, win against them. I'm always just racing against myself. But if I know I can self publish a book, something about knowing I might not be able to get a book deal will make landing one that much sweeter. Whether that's a good reason or not, it's definitely one of the reasons. And then I learned something quite recently that made that decision, like, even more palpable. I have always dreamed of being a New York Times bestseller, but apparently the only way you can be a New York Times bestseller is if you're traditionally published. You can be like a USA Today and some of the other big lists. You can land on those Amazon bestseller by being self published. But the only way, to my knowledge, unless someone was dishing me a lie to land on a New York Times bestseller list is to be traditionally published. And if I'm really being honest with myself, that is the dream. Because really, there was only two things left on my bucket list that I haven't done. One, being becoming a New York Times bestseller, and two, being on Forbes 30 under 30. Except I'm now 35, so that's not happening.
Abigail Pumphrey
But one of my good friends was.
Unknown Guest
On Forbes 30 under 30. That counts for something, right? Maybe I'll be 40 under 40. Who knows? Unlikely. Plus, I'm not even sure that list is as important as it used to be. But it was the dream back in the day. I realize even saying I want to be on the New York Times bestseller list is almost cliche. To the point, like, does it really even matter? Arguably no. But again, I love a good challenge. So if that's the plan, then I need to really think about the steps to get there. And after a bunch of research and talking to several friends who have been traditionally published, it became clear that there was a very simple but necessary path that needed to be taken. I would need a proposal that would land me a solid agent who would then shop my book and hopefully take it to auction. At that point, hopefully, a publisher would bite. And could I write a proposal myself? Sure. Could I pursue getting an agent myself? Yeah. But I've been in the online business space long enough to know who you know makes a huge difference, not only because who you know will give you a leg up, because they know people, too, but also who you know can often dictate them having access to the blueprint, the status quo, the thing that is going to make you not just blend in, but stand out. So I knew I didn't just want to write a proposal. I specifically wanted to find a book coach to help me write the right proposal, to help me land the right agent. Ideally, that book coach would have access to a group of agents that they trust and they recommend and they actually put me in front of. So I started shopping book coaches. Now, they go by many names. Some of them call themselves a book coach, some of them call themselves a book collaborator, and some of them still consider themselves a ghostwriter. But for some of them, that means they will write your entire book. And for others, that really just means they're here to assist you behind the scenes, like a ghost. It's confusing, but nonetheless, it really depends on the person and their level of experience and the kinds of projects they've worked on. They're all a bit different. Now, I talked to the book coach who specifically helped my friend land his book deal, and she was great. I really had no qualms about her. She had a process. She knew exactly how you're going to move through it. Not only did she have a process, but you could take her online course about it for much cheaper, or you could work with her directly and she would assist you with that process. And as part of that, she could also pitch you to agents. And that was sort of like the sex appeal of it. But then I asked Jay, and he introduced me to who he ultimately decided to work with, as well as another one of his friends who I've had on the show as well. She wrote Tiny Experiments and specifically has done incredibly well. Like, her book has already sold more than 20,000 copies. And it's like, first Few months. And since then, they have gone on to, like, discuss foreign rights and are translating it into other languages. Like, it is doing well. So I was very, very excited about her coach. Her coach, however, was very booked and busy. See, a lot of these people have a lot going on now. She definitely gave me the time of day and was willing to help. And I think if I circled back and, you know, poked and prodded enough that I think she may have worked with me. And the appeal I liked of her specifically is I feel like Tiny Experiments is a book that's outside of the way I would normally talk. Meaning, like, a lot of the way I go about business is in the realm of storytelling. I am speaking from my own experience. I'm authentically showing up as myself. I'm not claiming to be anyone else. Tiny Experiments specifically is backed by a lot of research. Like, there is a ton of scientific study that's intertwined throughout. And I respect that kind of book so much. Like, it really gives me Brene Brown vibes where there's just so much thought that goes into the behind the scenes that this isn't just someone's idea. This is, like, proven based on all of this quantitative and qualitative research. So I was specifically excited about her coach for that reason. And I'm trying to remember. I feel like there was probably one more in the mix there. I could be wrong. I don't know. It's kind of all swirling together at this point. But then I decided to kind of just see who else was out there because I didn't want to, like, jump at this decision. I am the kind of person in the past where I'm just, like, go with the person who has the success path. Like, they have proven themselves, they know what they're doing, they've helped the right kind of people get the kind of results I want, and that's good enough. And while I definitely think that's true and important for a decision like this, I really, really, really, really, really knew that to make the best book possible, our personalities had to, like, hum together. Like, we had to be on the same wavelength and not just in a way that, like, someone was going to validate all my ideas. No, no, no, no, no. I need someone who's going to push me and, like, bring stuff out of me, but also who fully understands my vision. And I think one person I talked to was a little jaded by a book they had recently helped and was worried about the similarities. Totally valid, by the way. But I went and as a result, like, immediately took a gander at this woman's book and it's nowhere near the direction I wanted to take it, which made me think that that particular coach was going to lead me down a path where the book was going to be very actionable. Like do this, do that in this order to get XYZ result. And that's just like not the vibe I was going for.
Abigail Pumphrey
Want to learn exactly step by step how to get paid to generate leads in your business? I'm ready to give you the exact steps that help me generate tens of thousands of qualified leads and millions in low ticket digital product sales. I won't just show you what I did, but teach you how you can do it too. I'm talking not just how to create low ticket digital products, but also showing you how to use them strategically to generate leads for your other existing or future offers. I'm sharing it all@bossproject.com jumpstart including exactly how I made $8033 and generated 277 leads my very first month selling products. Find out more at bossproject.com jumpstart on.
Unknown Sponsor
WhatsApp no one can see or hear your personal messages.
Unknown Guest
Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password.
Unknown Sponsor
In the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay.
Unknown Guest
Between you, your friends and your family.
Unknown Sponsor
No one else, not even us.
Unknown Guest
WhatsApp message privately with everyone Imagine sipping.
Abigail Pumphrey
Your morning coffee, knowing that each cup is helping change lives. Talitha Coffee is not just another brew. It's crafted with care and support survivors of human trafficking. Every bag sold empowers those in need, giving hope and a fresh start. Head over to bossproject.com Coffee to grab a bag or join their subscription. Make your coffee routine count@bossproject.com Coffee this.
Unknown Sponsor
Episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride, is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm Personal Price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
Unknown Guest
Now the one I had really thought I was going to move with I thoroughly enjoyed. And she's the woman that's helping Jay behind the scenes she's fantastic. What I liked about her is when I shared the vision, she was very much intertwining her own thoughts and ideas to not change the direction of the book, but to enhance it. And I think spoke to my, you know, the inner parts of me that wanted to have more of that statistical research backing baked in. And I liked her enough that even though I don't think she's who I'm going to work with on the proposal, I could still see bringing her in at a later stage in the book development. So. So she's definitely not off the table. I think she would be an excellent developmental editor anyway. So in an effort to just sort of see who else was out there, just by happenstance, very unplanned, I saw that Pat Flynn had published a new book called Lean Learning. And if you haven't read it, highly recommend. It's a very quick read. I listened to the audiobook and he has some, like, nice additional nuggets that I'm very clear are not in the written book, but only in the audiobook. So highly recommend. But what I really liked about Pat's book is I think some of the books that don't perform as well as they could are because they're trying to shove too many ideas into a small footprint and they're trying to, like, download someone's entire brain into a book, which is exactly what doesn't work in the realm of online courses and makes complete sense why a book does well, but not as well as it could when it does that. Not to mention, if you put all of this stuff into one book, it makes it really hard for you to write additional books because you feel like you already said all the things. So my hope was that I could distill this down to make a simpler point that would still make people feel seen and heard and validated and earn my trust, but would have more legs, would go farther, would reach more people, would be more shareable, would. Would perform better. And Pat's book did that for me because it was a simple concept. The concept that he was teaching is not complicated. And I felt very similarly about Mel Robbins recent book, the Let Them theory, where it's a simple concept, but then, like, when they get into it, like, there's so much more nuance and ideas behind it and specific thoughts and, like, tangents and stories that, like, all weave into it that are important and add to the narrative and make you think harder with more complexity around this particular big idea. So I don't know how much you've like, studied different narrative styles and like the different types of books you could produce. But my favorite books and the ones that I see performing the best are big idea books. One idea, but a big idea. Anyway, saw the book, read the book, loved the book. And then I just happened to open my email a couple of weeks ago and Pat mentioned that he was going to do a free training on like, kind of the behind the scenes of writing the book. And I was like, sign me up. I'm so excited. I'm going to be there. I'm going to mark my calendar. I am not the kind of person who at this point in my business, like blocks off a lot for free workshops, but this was one I was going to have my butt in the seat because I wanted to ask questions and not to be nosy, but to like genuinely get something out of the experience. And so when I went, there was definitely some things that Pat said that was like, making me nervous about my decision to produce, to pursue traditional publishing. Not that he had anything against his publisher. I think he was just really discouraged by the timeline. The book ended up taking four years, which is a very long time and not necessarily normal in the realm of traditional publishing. I think there's some communication things that could have been like, buttoned up, but I wasn't in the room. You know, I wasn't in the behind the scenes. But he at some point mentioned who his like, coach and collaborator was, and he also mentioned who his agent was. And so I immediately looked up his coach and I imagine there's a large portion of you who actually knows who he is. Jeff Goins. Goins. I need to figure out how to say his last name because I feel like I'm butchering it. I know he said it's like groin, but without the R. So Goins. Right. Anyway, Jeff has helped Pat with several of his books and he's also helped people like Chris Ducker behind the scenes and many other large and well known authors in the online entrepreneurial space. So when I went to his website, he had like a discovery call form and fully expected to never hear from him, which was fine. Like, I went in going, you know, this is a gamble, but here's like my best shot. I gave him some sample writing, you know, a concept. I was pretty far along in the grand scheme of things in terms of like, what I thought this book was going to be about and just shot in the dark. Well, several weeks go by, the fourth of July happens, and I look at my inbox and I realize I had a Missed message from two weeks ago, where his assistant had reached out to me to schedule a discovery call. Completely missed it. And she happened to follow up with me because he had been out of town and he wasn't going to be available until after the 4th anyway. And I was like, oh, my God. Okay, he's interested and he wants to hear my ideas. So we chatted and it was one of the best conversations I've ever had about my work with someone who is pretty brand new to my world. It went so well, and it was definitely clear to me that this was the direction I wanted to go. This is who I wanted to work with. This is the guy I wanted behind the scenes helping me put together the proposal. But like I mentioned, a lot of these coaches are different in that, like, some of them want you to come to them first and then they're going to connect you with their agents, and others, like, really want you to already have an agent and they won't take you seriously unless you do, which feels a little backwards because you don't have your concept fully fleshed out yet. Anyway, Jeff was very supportive, so much so that he pitched me to an agent before I'd even signed a contract with him. And so I was very bewildered and shocked and excited when the agent he had reached out to was immediately interested in my concept. And I think there was something in that moment that both made me feel incredibly intimidated because I felt like I was in a room with greatness, not just with Jeff. Like, Jeff is such a down to earth, chill guy. Like, he is not intimidating as a person, but I feel like the caliber of people he works with is just Chef's kiss. Like, it's just so good. So this agent wants to have a meeting. And you know, in the same way, I feel like it took four or five meetings with different people to find the right coach, collaborator, ghostwriter. I imagine it might take that many to find the. The right agent. So I don't know if this is the right relationship yet. My meeting is with her tomorrow, which feels kind of crazy. But if she bit on just like the little bit I shared with him, I think there's a lot of potential. I think this could like really be a thing. So in a lot of ways, I am at the point where I have to. I hate this phrase, but shit or get off the pot. Really, truly. But it is going to take an investment from me up front. Like, if you go this route, if you decide to pursue the traditional publishing route and do it in the way that's going to be the most likely to land you the largest deal possible, I. E. Working with someone who's already walked this path before, you're investing up front. So, yes, the goal would be to get, you know, a book deal that gives you an advance before you write the whole thing. What I didn't realize until I was in the midst of this probably six months ago was that I would need to pay a coach to help me with the proposal before all of this would happen. And just so you know, the range for that kind of service is between 15 and $25,000 with just the hope that you land a deal. So it's a little bit of a gamble, but in my opinion, if you're aligning yourself with the right person, it makes it far more likely that it's going to happen. Especially if you have ways to not quite guarantee, but as close as possible guarantee that the book will do well, I. E. You have the audience or you have committed people to buying a set number of books or like yada, yada. I could get all into that. But the more of a sure thing you are, the more of a sure thing they are to invest in you. So what I've done so far, obviously interview all of those people, but in that time, I have been writing and rewriting and writing and rewriting different parts of my story that are critically important. And technically speaking, whether you realize it or not, I have been testing parts of my book in front of my audience for two years through social posts and emails and things I've said about my courses and all of it. I've been putting that message out there for two years. And I have been paying attention to what grabs people's attention most, what they're most responsive to, how they like me to tell my story. And I've been including all of that in how I've moved forward. So I'm not going into this blindly. I have a very good idea of what the book is about and what the purpose of the book is and who it's meant to help and how it's going to stand out in a very crowded space. Of that I am quite confident. But the main thing I don't know is what those proposals look like. Now, I'm well aware of the contents at this point because it's not just a concept in a sample chapter. Like, it's so much more than that. It is who your comparables are and a description of your book and what makes you an expert and what does your audience size look like and how do you plan to market it and who do you think might endorse your book and how many copies could you potentially guarantee that will be sold? And like a lot of it is really just a marketing plan and a little bit of it is a version of your story so that there's buy in to the actual writing. To my knowledge, the average proposal is about 40 pages, so it's not a small thing. It is a lot of work, but something I'm ready and willing to do and feel like I have a lot of the skeleton of already and bits and pieces. So the current trajectory is sign on the dotted line, pick the coach that I'm going to work with, which I'm fairly confident I've already made that decision. Start working on the proposal when I'm like a third of the way through the proposal, but feel like there's a little more polish than where I'm currently at. I need to start talking to more agents with the hope that I land an agent sometime in the next three months while I am polishing this proposal. With the hope that at the end of those three months, sometime mid to late October, that agent could shop the book with the hope that it's sold before Christmas, but ideally in the two weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Just like a very short window before I would if I miss it, probably have to wait until February or March. So I really want to hit it before the holidays like hit. So if all of that goes according to plan, if I pick the coach, write the proposal, get the agent, shop the book deal, land the book deal, then like a typical path, not necessarily a perfect one, is 12 to 24 months later the book would come out. I think the most likely timeline is taking six months to write the book, another six months to perfect the book, and then the book would either come out holiday of 26 or early early spring of 27. Which if you had asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said that is forever from now. But honestly, that feels like I'm blinking now. Do I think I could get this out faster doing it myself? Yeah, for sure. I could probably actually get the whole book done before the end of the year if I wanted it to be the best book I could write. Though I could probably self publish and have it out by summer of 26. So this is delaying the whole process by six to nine months at minimum, but potentially a year or two, which feels like a nutty thing to say yes to, but here we are saying yes to crazy things. Now what I'm not going to do is hide what I'm working on or wait until the book is done to start marketing. I know that it is in my best interest to continue to work on growing my audience now, to continue to build my list now, to build an audience of people ready for me to hit publish on this book now. Because the more hype I can give it, the more momentum it has and the more likely I am to hit those big, sexy goals. Now, as confident as I might sound, as sure as I might be about my ability to land not just a deal, but a good deal, there's still a part of me that's terrified. A part of me that is anxious and wants to throw up at the thought of it, that is worried that this is perhaps the biggest mistake I've ever made in my business. I have watched book deals actually rip businesses to shreds. And yet I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, even if the timing actually is horrible. But here we are. I'm doing it anyway. Doing it scared. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Like to just give you the full, unbridled, like, behind the scenes? When I say bad timing, I mean horrific timing. I don't know if you have followed my fertility journey or seen what I've posted online about it, but I thought I was never going to have kids. And then I met a new doctor that immediately changed the course of my life. And we've been trying since last November. We've done seven medicated cycles that have not worked. Technically, only two of those were at the correct dose. We're going to try one more time, and if that doesn't work, then we're doing ivf. And that could potentially mean I'm doing IVF in the middle of writing this proposal. And then the first, you know, the entire time I'm writing the book. Actually, ideally, I'm pregnant the entire time I'm writing the book. And then I published the book with an infant. Even just saying it out loud, I'm like, are you crazy? Yes, I'm crazy. But I never thought I was going to have kids. And I still might not. It might not work. But the same is true for this book. And I want to believe that it's all possible and that all of my dreams can come true at the same time and I can work hard enough and also write the thing that the world needs from me. It's scary. It's like really, really, really, really, really scary. I hope you're ready. I hope this is the book that you need from me too. I'm pretty confident it is. So if you're curious more about this process or specific decisions I'm making, or how it's all working or components of the proposal, or how the auction goes, or any or all of that, send me a DM over on Instagram. I would love to know the things you're most interested in hearing more about. And I'm sure I will continue to update you on the process and the progress and the crazy decisions and we will see. It's about to be a very wild two years. I hope you're ready.
Unknown Sponsor
Mama papa, mi cuer po crece yun ridmo a lante y la ropa que me comprenora.
Abigail Pumphrey
Hey, a few quick favors before you leave. I'd love if you'd share today's episode, send it to a friend who needs to hear it, and post on social. You can show us where you're listening from, your favorite takeaway, or why someone else should listen. Be sure to tag me, Abigail says and ossproject so we can share it.
Unknown Guest
Okay.
Abigail Pumphrey
Second favor to get podcast updates and all the behind the scenes news from bossproject. I'd love if you'd join my VIP list. Just head to bossproject.com signup to make sure I have all your contact details. Really love this show. It would mean so much to me.
Unknown Guest
If you'd leave a rating and review.
Abigail Pumphrey
It not only helps more listeners find the show, but allows us to bring on quality sponsors so we can keep bringing you this valuable content for free. Thanks so much for listening.
Unknown Guest
Until next time.
Host: Abigail Pumphrey, CEO of Boss Project
Release Date: July 22, 2025
In Episode 973 of the Strategy Hour Podcast, host Abigail Pumphrey engages in a deep and personal conversation with a guest who is embarking on the challenging journey of writing and publishing a book. This episode delves into the guest's motivations, the complexities of choosing between traditional and self-publishing, and the intertwining of personal life challenges with professional aspirations.
The guest begins by expressing a longstanding desire to write a book, recalling an early childhood experience of publishing a third-grade book. This foundational dream evolves into a burning ambition to share a broader message with a wider audience.
Notable Quote:
"I guess I'm hoping by recording this episode that it's going to hold me accountable... that I'm actually going to make it happen." [02:13]
A significant portion of the discussion centers around the dilemma of choosing between traditional publishing and self-publishing. The guest highlights both paths' pros and cons, emphasizing the desire for control over the book's narrative and the prestige associated with traditional publishing.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"There's something about traditionally publishing a book where a group of people have decided this is a message worth spreading... that it's special." [15:45]
The guest underscores the importance of finding the right book coach and literary agent to navigate the traditional publishing landscape. This section details the challenges faced in selecting a coach whose vision aligns with the author's and the pivotal role these professionals play in securing a publishing deal.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"Jeff has helped Pat with several of his books and he's also helped people like Chris Ducker... it's just so good." [25:30]
Balancing personal life challenges with professional goals, the guest candidly discusses undergoing fertility treatments amidst the rigorous demands of writing and publishing a book. This honest admission highlights the fears and uncertainties that accompany major life and career decisions.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"I have been writing and rewriting different parts of my story that are critically important... it is who your comparables are and a description of your book." [35:50]
Towards the episode's conclusion, the guest outlines a strategic plan for the next steps in the publishing journey. This includes signing with a book coach, developing a comprehensive proposal, securing an agent, and setting ambitious but achievable timelines for publishing and marketing.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"This is delaying the whole process by six to nine months at minimum, but potentially a year or two, which feels like a nutty thing to say yes to, but here we are saying yes to crazy things." [48:20]
The guest wraps up the conversation by inviting listeners to follow their journey, seek advice, and engage with their ongoing process. The episode serves as both an inspiring account of pursuing a challenging goal and a realistic portrayal of the hurdles faced along the way.
Notable Quote:
"It's scary... But I never thought I was going to have kids. And I still might not. It might not work. But the same is true for this book." [49:30]
This episode of Strategy Hour offers a candid and comprehensive look into the complexities of writing and publishing a book, especially within the entrepreneurial and online business landscape. The guest's journey underscores the importance of strategic planning, support systems, and unwavering commitment to one's goals.
Resources Mentioned:
For more insights and updates, visit bossproject.com or join the VIP list to stay connected with Abigail Pumphrey and the latest episodes of Strategy Hour.