I’m not a big fan of the saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” Sometimes the “village” has values of which I am not too fond. Having said that, I’m a big fan of using a village to help write a book. My new book, Fully and Creatively Alive: How to Live a More Joyfully Fulfilling Life, was just released yesterday. You can buy it here. I couldn’t have done it without a great deal of help.

Now that my book has been published, I want to recognize the people that helped me make it happen.

1. Allison Fallon and Author Launch. When I first had the idea to write a book, I found this platform that provides a step-by-step process to help authors write books. It’s a series of videos helping authors through each and every step of writing a book. Without this invaluable tool I wouldn’t have a book today. Author Launch has become Author Guides, and you can find it here.
2. A team. I had four people who read the book along the way, helped with advice, promotion, minor editing, and various kinds of help. The team included Brian Fricke, Tim Wesemann, Tanner Olson, and Leah Mitchell.
3. Creative entrepreneurs. My whole book is based on the stories of creative entrepreneurs. A good many were willing to freely give of their time for me to interview them. You’ll have to find their names and their stories in the book, but trust me when I say that they are an incredible inspiration to me and to many others. The interviews were fascinating. As I did each one of them the time flew by. This is why I’m planning on starting a podcast based on this format: interviewing creative entrepreneurs.
4. An Editor. I am so thankful for Mark Zimmermann. He is a professional editor for Creative Communications for the Parish, for whom I have written. He was willing to help me out by being my editor. He made corrections and changes that I would have never known to make. What a valuable asset an editor is.
5. Designers. Good designers make a book pop. They help it stand out from a distance and make it pleasant on the eyes when reading it. Megan Phillips is a fashion designer who lives in New York City and does graphic design on the side. She designed the beautiful cover of the book. Lindsay Galvin is a professional graphic and book designer who did the interior of the book. She made it look far better than I could have imagined. I can’t recommend them both highly enough.
6. My family. My wife supported me even when I used time to write the book that could have been dedicated to her. She encouraged me every step of the way. I never felt like I was robbing her by spending time writing the book. She never made me feel guilty. She was excited for me at each milestone. In addition, both of our children, Ashlyn and Ben (and their spouse/fiancé), were so helpful in reading the book, offering feedback, and bringing support. The book would not have been published without all of them. I am eternally thankful to my family.
7. The reader. There is no point in writing a book if nobody will read it. I am amazed at the number of people who have already expressed an interest, are already reading it, and are purchasing it on Amazon. The reader is the reason most every writer writes. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for reading the book.

When have you noticed that it takes a village to accomplish a big project?