2 min read

So, what is “book in public”?

Blue background. Centered, is the phrase "What is 'book in public'" and the book in public logo

At its foundation, book in public is an experiment–a new way to build community with other writers as we embark on the journey of writing a book. I hope, however, that it becomes so much more than an experiment. I envision a space (a virtual place) where writers can find inspiration, share stories, and connect as they create worlds, write their own stories, or share insights, ask questions, and convey lessons gathered from business, history, or the world around us.

I was inspired by the concept of “building in public,” which I’ve seen again and again in the tech community, where I’ve spent many years of my career. There are many resources on the topic of building in public including a great Medium post by Gaby Goldberg. Among the list of reasons for building in public, she notes that it:

  • Creates a narrative that an audience can follow & get behind
  • Builds trust
  • Makes you more approachable
  • Builds your status as an expert in a specific field
  • Invites immediate feedback from users following your journey

All of these things are important when building a business or launching a product. And when I thought about it, they are just as important when building an audience and writing a book–especially if you hope that it gets published and read!

I wrote and published my first book in 2020 and learned so much in the process. However, despite friends who wrote, a collaborative publisher, and an incredible editor, I found the writing process to be relatively lonely (of course, the pandemic didn’t help in that dimension). I wanted more support. I wanted to hear how others had approached the writing, editing, publishing and marketing processes and wanted to have a group of people who I could test ideas with, share insecurities, or celebrate milestones along the way.

Over time, I found more support and even a wonderful community of fellow writers and a writing buddy, all of whom are generous with their expertise and time. Still, I realized I needed something additional–specifically, a way to get feedback and unlock more resources in real time as well as a mechanism to hold myself accountable.

The truth is, I need and value the pressure of delivering on commitments I’ve told others I’ve made. For example, I wouldn’t have run the Big Sur Marathon if I hadn’t told everyone that I was training for it!

While taking a walk one morning, I realized that I could merge the tech concept that fills my Twitter feed with my writing journey and, in that moment, book in public was born.

Via tweets and IG posts, and longer form articles on this site, I plan to open up my process and welcome in others who are aspiring or active writers. Needless to say, this is just the beginning. I don’t know where it’ll end up, but I look forward to finding out!