Be better than Thoreau when writing your book

Many movers and shakers have used The Slowdown to publish books and other brand-related content.

Celebrities with new books include, Matthew McConaughey, Mariah Carey, Michael J. Fox, Mindy Kaling and Jerry Seinfeld.

Many would-be authors are waiting for the ultimate Publishing Package to come their way. They're hoping that the deal will come with a million dollar contract, a ghost writer and a publicity team.

But that's not how it works. In fact, as with most projects, working with others can actually complicate things.

Even the great Henry David Thoreau (pictured above), who famously wrote about Walden's Pond, had issues with publishers.

A Calvin H. Greene who lived in my city of Rochester, Michigan (Rochester was then a county) wrote a fanboy letter to Thoreau in Massachusetts back in the mid 1880s.

The Michigander was inquiring about Thoreau's earlier work, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Unable to find a copy of the book to purchase, he wrote to Thoreau "who had been forced to purchase all unsold copies from the publisher."

The author responded to Greene in January of 1856 to say:

"I am glad to hear that my [writing] has interested you – that perchance it holds some truth still as far off as Michigan," wrote Thoreau.

"The 'Week' has so poor a publisher that it is quite uncertain whether you will find it in any shop ... The price is $1.25. If you care enough for it to send me that sum by mail (stamps will do for change), I will forward you a copy by the same conveyance."

You can do better than Thoreau

My point is that you don't have to suffer through strange publishing arrangements these days.

In fact, it's incredibly easy to write, publish and distribute your own book, especially if you follow my proven success formula.

I can't think of a presenter or speaker who wouldn't benefit from taking action on this--especially now.

Thoreau coveted a simpler life and now that our lives have slowed down a bit this is the perfect time to write a book.

Let me know if you want to talk about what's possible. And check out my book, Work Hacks and Hmmm...Little Ideas With BIG Results on Amazon.