I WROTE A BOOK!!

What a raving success.

That’s right—read it and weep: I WROTE A BOOK!!

(I did actually weep, btw.)

Sure, it’s a very small and incredibly specific book—“niche” I guessed I’d say if I wanted to sound a bit wanky—but the point is I DID IT. Yay me.

The book is called UnProductive—how to get things done as a (broke) new mum. (Because if you’re loaded you can just outsource everything to your butler.)

I wrote it for new mums. Basically. it’s just all the stuff I wish someone had told me when I was a new mum and I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown/thought I was failing at everything/didn’t know you were meant to cut grapes in half.

And here it is:

(I shortened by name as my surname doesn’t fit on the spine properly.)

Truthfully, I started it in 2023 and finished it in 2024—but then I lost my nerve. I told myself ‘no one would want to read it’, and ‘who’d listen to me anyway?’ So UnProductive remained closeted away in my Google Drive, never to see the light of day (bit like the full Epstein files).

Then last year I had an Elizabeth-Gilbert-esque epiphany and realised I didn’t need to publish it for other people, I just needed to publish it for me. To show myself I could—so I did.

Will the book be a raving success and on every bookseller list? No. (The marketing budget is abysmal.) But is it a success? YES. Because I finished it, I put it out there, I did it. That’s the success—anything else is just extra.

Sometimes we need to do things, not for glory or fame or recognition, but simply to prove to ourselves we can. To do anything brave or gutsy, a key element seems to be self belief. Yet—in the words of Mind Over Matter (RIP)—‘the hardest thing in the world is making your self believe.’

But this is proof I can do it. I do believe.

Self-publishing a book has required an interesting culmination of my skills across the various jobs I’ve had—writing, formatting, coding an eBook, editing, using the publishing platform, knowing the process etc. Funny how life works like that. I’m forever grateful I learned how to read code from a very clever Web Master. It’s served me well.

I’m on the bits (all the mistakes found on the proof copy!) and then I’ll send a link for everyone to enjoy.

Of course, I’d love it if you read it; but, as mentioned, it’s very niche. So even if you don’t read it, it’s still been a success and I’m very grateful that you’ve read this newsletter—which is essentially just me boasting.

But if you can’t be your own cheerleader, who can? Eh?

Back to regular programming from next week. So good to be back in your inbox in 2026! (Or Spam folder—I won’t take it personally.)