Jeff Davis

“How long did it take to write?”

It’s the first question I get about the book.

And what I found most interesting was how closely the process followed the classic Pareto 80/20 rule.

Writing the manuscript — the part I thought would take 80% of the effort — took just 20% of the time. Two months over December and January.

Getting it printed and launched took another eight months.

I had a broad timeline that kept me accountable without putting too much pressure on the process. It allowed me to nudge things forward at a sustainable pace, doing bits and pieces on the train or after work.

But there were some surprising deep dives along the way.

Working out licensing for copyrighted material. Writing my own copyright statement. Navigating barcodes and ISBNs. Finding and working with editors, designers and printers. And then tackling all the post-production details — websites, ABNs and finding a venue for the launch.

I have a whole new appreciation for the value a publisher brings!

But having done it myself, I’d absolutely do it again.

Sometimes the biggest part of creating something isn’t the creation itself. It’s everything required to bring it to life.