Dream Come True: I’ve Got a Book Deal!

This time next year (give or take) I will be a published author!

This week I mailed out a signed contract for my first-ever book deal, giving me the freedom to announce it to you guys. I will be published by Hyperion, the publisher of fine titles such as the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series, and of course my favorite author on simplicity, Elaine St. James. Hyperion is distributed by HarperCollins.

The working title of my book right now is “The Power of Less” … I’d like to say more about it, but I’m still fine-tuning the table of contents. Suffice it to say that it will be about simplifying your work and personal life, and doing more with less. What it isn’t is a repackaging of my Zen To Done ebook or Zen Habits content … I want it to be original content, so that you’ll find value in it in addition to what you’ve already read here.

Dream Come True
I’ve dreamed of being a published author since reading Lloyd Alexander, Watership Down and other such favorites in elementary school. I always wanted to be a writer in some form, and during my years of journalism, I always told myself that even if I wasn’t writing polished prose, at least I was working as a writer, crafting words, and that my book deal would come … someday.

Today is that day. I’m living my dream.

Of course, I always thought I’d do it writing fiction, but still … the thought of seeing my name on the cover of a book … it’s still unbelievable to me. I don’t think I’ll really believe it until I see it.

The book deal has also helped me realize my dream of being a full-time blogger (and writer), giving me that extra financial security needed to quit my day job. I could have done it without the deal, but this sealed it … and now that I’ve quit, I have no excuse not to write the book.

So How Did I Get a Book Deal?
I will write more about this later, but it was done in several (not so) easy steps:

1. Build a successful blog.

2. Come up with a kick-ass idea for a book.

3. Write a proposal for it.

4. Get a kick-ass agent (thanks Holly!).

5. Well, that was about it.

OK, so that wasn’t the best step-by-step guide I’ve ever written. I’ll write a more thorough explanation soon, via my next project (to be announced next).

And Now What Does This Mean For Zen Habits?
Not much, really. I have divided my day between writing the book, writing Zen Habits posts, and working on a couple other smaller projects. My focus will be on the book and Zen Habits, because they are both my true loves (aside from Eva of course). Is it possible that I have too many true loves? Yes. I can’t help myself. The book, Zen Habits, and Eva are just too much fun and too wonderful to choose between.

My posting schedule here at Zen Habits will stay the same. Quality shouldn’t change either. Of course, I will be doing a lot of copying and pasting from last year’s posts (kidding!).

I’m very excited, guys! Can you tell? :)

Note: I highly doubt that my book will be published on a printing press like the one shown above. But wouldn’t that be cool?

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