An Update on My Next Book
In a Nutshell
The core issue is that the speaker's previous book failed because it tried to do too much, making it impossible to explain in a single paragraph, while "Fifty Shades of Grey" succeeded by creating a simple, clear concept. This principle applies to the current book about focus and saying "no," which is taking too long to develop because the concept isn't simple enough yet—though the content itself is high quality after being reduced from 870 to 350 pages. The speaker is evaluating publishing options and needs to finalize the concept to complete the book within eight weeks.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The third book, dedicated to chefs, failed because it tried to do too much. It was like three books in one with an extremely complicated idea that was not simple. The book sold around 120,000 copies in the first week thanks to the loyal audience who trusted the recommendation, but it would not succeed with readers who encountered it without prior knowledge on platforms like Amazon.
Presentations fail because of too much information, not because of too little. This principle applies equally to books. The key question is whether an idea immediately conjures up a simple image in the person's mind. Maintaining excellence is no easy feat.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" succeeded completely in creating a simple, clear concept that turned the work into a global phenomenon. The third book, while still considered great, was really three or four books rolled into one, making it almost impossible to convey in a single paragraph.
This principle applies across many areas of life, including product development. Entrepreneurs often try to add every possible feature to new consumer products. The advice given is to wait for future iterations rather than overloading the initial version. The battle lies in eliminating features.
Steve Jobs was extremely good at simplification. He could have added the app store on the first day of the iPhone but chose not to. He focused on making the device do ten things really well, then slowly built on that foundation. The first generation iPhone survived without copy and paste functionality.
The "crowded bar test" requires being able to explain what a product does in two sentences so that listeners respond with interest to check it out. This is distinct from the elevator pitch concept.
The current book is taking so long to develop because the concept is not yet ready. Market analysis can be conducted to confirm or deny concerns, but when the concept was tested with busy friends by describing it as a book about saying "no" and focus in a world full of noise, they immediately wanted the draft. However, nine out of ten people who are not friends or podcast guests show only mild interest.
The question arises whether most people are looking for more things to say "yes" to because they lack opportunities. This is being considered as a potential title or address for the book. The description may have an unclear promise, or the concept may seem negative rather than positive.
A third of the book is actually about how to pick the one or two things that change everything and say "yes" to them. The book's website should focus more on this positive aspect. This will require significant effort to renew many of the book's ideas or explanatory materials.
The book does not try to do too much. Every reader who actually read it as an experience reader said they never felt bored and would give this book to friends more than any other books. All content has been rated by trial readers and proofreaders with scores of 8, 9, or 10 out of 10 in terms of quality. The remaining content represents the elite of its kind.
The goal is to finish the book in the next eight weeks. There is no publisher obligation or advance payment, which has drawbacks because it becomes easy to postpone for another six months among other priorities. The decision is under consideration but will be resolved.
Authors Equity is being considered for publishing. This company has James Clear as one of its biggest investors, with 25-30 million copies sold. Clear is described as a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon in practical, instructional books. The team at Authors Equity is considered great.
The actual implementation timelines for releasing the book in print are being investigated. While Kindle and Audible-only versions were considered, the book is viewed as suitable for gifting and would make a good physical gift. The more digital devices feed distraction, the more valuable a format that forces focus on a single task becomes.
The book is practical rather than for passive reading. Dedicating 4-5 hours of work to the book should save 100 hours the following year for busy people. The printed version is considered superior for focus compared to digital alternatives.
The timeframe for creating a physical book depends on multiple factors including first edition size and whether the formatting is simple black and white or two colors. For a polished book with professional editing and formatting rather than self-publishing, the process from finished manuscript to completion takes approximately one year.
Emergency publishing scenarios, such as following the death of Princess Diana, can achieve print and release within 3 months if made top priority. Most publishers have primary distribution in the United States with printers located there, though many print abroad, which affects timelines.
Options being considered include not printing initially, printing a small quantity, or doing one print run of 10,000 copies. Print-on-demand publishing allows quick release with significantly improved quality, though having a single edition of 10,000 copies available might be strategically interesting.
The book was reduced from 870 pages to approximately 350 pages. This represents significant deletion, with everything now rated highly by trial readers and proofreaders.
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