Publishing my book has been the experience of a lifetime.

I’ve learned so much about myself, discovered new horizons of creativity, met so many fascinating people, and heard stories from all over the world about how my message has made a difference for others.

Writing a book gave me the opportunity to dig deep into my soul and find out who I was and what I was truly made of. And it has already transformed the trajectory of my career and business through the vastly greater level of exposure it has brought to my ideas.

I encourage any writer who has an important message to share and wants to do so on the biggest possible scale to consider publishing a book. It is a singular experience that will be one of the achievements you are most proud of when you look back on your life.

Over the past few years, I’ve done my best to document every small step of my learning and progress toward publication. I’ve collected, analyzed, and summarized a ton of resources that helped me navigate the process, from finding an agent to landing a book deal to writing the manuscript.

Today, I want to pay back some of the incalculable generosity shown to me by so many friends, mentors, advisors, and of course, loyal readers and share back my best advice on how to follow in my footsteps.

Each of the links below will take you to a separate resource I’ve shared in the past. In this article, I’ll weave them together into a coherent process you can follow from start to finish. 

The Four Pathways of Modern Book Publishing

This is an opinionated explanation of the 4 main ways to publish a book these days, including my reasoning for choosing the most difficult one: Traditional publishing. 

The Case for Traditional Book Publishing

This piece explains my rationale for seeking a traditional publisher instead of self-publishing my book, and why having an online audience and a portfolio of digital products paradoxically makes traditional publishing more attractive, not less.

My 10-Step Book Publishing Strategy

This is the overarching strategy I used for launching my book in very broad strokes. We are currently between steps 7-9 in this plan, and so far it’s gone remarkably according to plan.

The Complete Guide to Landing a Book Deal Series

When I first signed with my literary agent, she recommended I read the book The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published to give me a map of what the journey would look like. I decided to summarize the massive book in my own words to fully internalize its advice. This 8-part series serves as a comprehensive roadmap to traditional book publishing from start to finish.

The Building a Second Brain Book Proposal

Here’s the exact proposal that led to a 4-way competitive auction among major U.S. publishers and a winning bid of $325,000, which I’m told was a spectacular outcome, especially for a first-time author.

BASB Book Updates

A collection of play-by-play monthly updates I sent out to my followers over two years as my book progressed. 

Book Pre-Order Bonuses

A complete list of the pre-order bonuses I offered, which we’re continuing to offer after the release date.

The Psychological Toll of Writing a Book

To balance out the enthusiasm and optimism, here’s an honest recount of the psychological, emotional, and physical toll this project took on me and my family. We always hear about the successes and the victories, but I want to be transparent about the personal impacts as well.

The Making of a Bestseller

This 5-part series will give you a complete behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Building a Second Brain.
  1. Was Traditional Publishing Worth It? 
  2. The Project Management of a Bestselling Book
  3. The 5 Pillars of My Writing Process
  4. The Financial Reality of a Traditionally Published Book – a Complete Breakdown
  5. The 6 Pillars of Our Book Promotion Strategy

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