EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: THE BEGINNINGS OF A BOOK

slow living book announcement

I sent out a rather exciting newsletter last week sharing some news. Thanks for all your kind words of congratulations.

If you missed the update, you’ll be wondering what I am talking about. I am thrilled and a little anxious to be able to finally tell you all that I am writing a book. It’s so exciting to think that my words and photographs are going to be published.

The book is about slow living and how to simplify our lives. Living slowly and simply is so necessary in todays busy, over stimulated world. Knowing how to slow down and reconnect to yourself is essential for our happiness and wellbeing.

I have been sitting on this news for quite a while now and was actually initially contacted by the publishers last year. After the first wave of excitement had passed it took a good few months to get my head around what I was about to embark upon, and I wanted (and needed) some time to digest it all. 

Then I was going to share the news after Christmas but I was so engrossed in actually writing the book, and every time I thought about telling folk it made me feel super anxious. I know that’s partly down to fear and self doubt, so I have been practising lots of self compassion, and taking it easy on myself. It’s been so helpful for me to acknowledge that everyone who has ever written a book for the first time has been in my exact same position and I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings.

Thankfully I have a wonderfully supportive husband and family and friends all who have been giving me positive words of encouragement.

Now, after months of research and writing, I have actually finished the first draft of the manuscript, so it feels safer to tell everyone, although I am sure there will be edits and re-writes. 

Currently, I am working on the photography for the book. I had to submit some photographs before Christmas which the publishers loved and am taking some more seasonal photos at the moment too.

I will share more details of the process as it happens, but of course it is all new to me (hence the anxiety flare ups). We often don’t see or hear about the process of something, only the final product. I know I will learn a lot, not just about how to write and publish a book, but about myself throughout this process, in fact I have already learnt a whole heap.


Melanie BarnesComment