First book edit complete

The journey I’ve taken from having that very first acorn of an idea to holding a finished manuscript still feels more than a little surreal. And when I say finished manuscript, by that I mean I’ve now done most of my bit. After my editor, Michael, completed the first major edit, I then reviewed all the changes, made adjustments to improve readability and finished off the last few outstanding sections. 

Once I’d adjusted to the initially confronting visual of all the red changes in my Word document, as I read my way through my own book I could genuinely see how this process was adding to the readability and delivery of the content. And if I gently put my ego to one side, that is ultimately what is most important. I mean, who doesn’t want to get 100%, a cool sticker and a smiley face from the teacher? If my work is better as a result of these changes, then count me in.   

It's the first time I’ve read the book cover to cover this year, and the good news is I’m now even more excited about getting it out into the world. The training that inspired the book content has been one of my most popular programs already this year.   

For many of my clients, there has been a tangible shift towards the need to ‘sell’ more effectively and to be more strategic and consultative in their approach. Consequently, it has accelerated the need to get more people through the training.  

This book won’t just make this valuable content more accessible; it will physically sit on the desks of those I work with every single week. It will help them to ‘stay current’, reference key points right when they need to, and provide those crucial reminders that quietly transform a presentation. It can help move the dial from simply hoping to win, round to confidently knowing how your strategic story can make a winning presentation.  

I asked Michael, the editor, what he took away after his first read so I could understand if the right messages were landing. Here’s what stood out for him:  

“You show readers how to focus on the right roles and people in the audience, how to narrow down and effectively communicate your key content, and how to ensure your audience walks away with the message and information you want them to. A very valuable book that I'll be reading again before my next presentation.”  

Now, it’s on to cover design and internal layouts while sharing this draft with the early readers for their reviews. My writing may be coming to an end, but there’s still plenty left to do.