From my weekly reading updates in my newsletter and the constant book giveaways on this blog, by now you know I love to read. So of course it has always been a goal of mine to write a book someday. Well that is officially happening in 2013! I haven’t shared too much about it over the last few months because I was scared that it would fall through, but I have been working with a publisher. And now I can say I have officially signed a contract and IT IS HAPPENING!
Book Inspiration
There are two women I spoke to during my networking challenge interviews in 2012 that really put my book writing plans in place. The first interview was with Jessica Miller, C0-Author of A Woman’s Guide To Successful Negotiations. At the end of the interview when the camera was off we talked about the steps she took to write her book and I mentioned that someday I want to write a book. She told me, “You probably already have a book ready to go with everything you have already written on your blog.” That was a light bulb moment.
Another light bulb moment was after my networking challenge with Jennifer Crittendon, Author of The Discreet Guide For Executive Women: How To Work Well With Men. I told her after the camera was off that I wanted to write a book. She offered to meet me for coffee and share her stories about publishing. In that meeting, she gave me the confidence I needed to write a book and helped me figure out whether to go the self-publishing or publisher route. She was the first person to tell me that she would buy my book even before I knew what my book was about.
When I first announced that I wanted to write a book on this post last May, there were lots of comments from other readers who said that they couldn’t wait to read it. My book has changed subjects and titles 100 times since May so I am sure there will be more books in my future because I still have a lot of other book ideas. But, I have a feeling that I will be learning A LOT from my very first book which I am looking forward to sharing with you in the upcoming months.
Publisher vs. Self-publishing
So I know the first question that you are thinking. “Why did you go with a publisher instead of self-publishing? Don’t you want to be in control of your book and earn way more money from it?”
Yes, BUT, I also know I wouldn’t write it without a deadline. If someone didn’t need to receive my first chapter by the end of this week, it wouldn’t get done. I am too busy and am juggling way too many things. I have started to write a book myself a million times. (Trust me, I have 5 first drafts of different books saved on my computer right now). But, I always stop. Why? Because I had no one doing it with me and no one to get feedback from. Now, I have someone who is excited to read my first chapter and is going to offer me suggestions to improve it. We are a team! That’s why I wanted to go the publisher route. Will I do it again? I don’t know! But, right now I am glad I have a deadline that I have to meet this week.
What Is The Book About?
The moment you have been all waiting for! Yes, I can tell you what it’s about and I am very excited to because I wish I had a book like this when I first started out in the professional world. The book will be a guide for professional women about how to manage men. Of course I don’t have too many more details yet because not much of it has been written yet. But, I have done a ton of research while putting together the outline and I am loving the topic! I have worked as a Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton for the past 7 years. My consulting work has been primarily with the military and government so I have spent A LOT of time working with and managing men. I wish someone had given me a guidebook on how to manage men before I started. There are a lot of things that I wish I would have known that I had to learn the hard way. And I am hearing from a lot of readers as well that managing the men that you work with is difficult to figure out so get ready for your guidebook coming soon!
My goal is to help women who were once nervous about managing and working with the men on their teams become confident in what they bring to the table. They no longer feel like they have to be unlike themselves to fit in because they know their unique managerial style AND know what goes on inside a man’s head. There are many stereotypes and double standards that we often have to break so my goal is that this book will help you brush them aside, be confident in your strengths and be the best leader that you can possibly be.
When Will The Book Come Out?
Expect to see the book on Amazon.com by May-13!
I will be sharing more over the next few months but for now, THANK YOU for all your support and encouragement. I posted this on Facebook last night and already have 81 likes and 21 comments. You have no idea how much that support means to me!