Kristi, I have a 90-page book proposal for "Life Lessons From Poker" that broke records and got more no's from book agents and publishers than "Chicken Soup From the Soul" 🤪
Parts of it rivaled Fifty Shades of Grey, and I was told it was more a memoir rather than a self-help book. 😁
Even though I'm on a sabbatical from poker competition, the lessons I've learned play a big part in my life.
I bet your original version is far better than you think! Sometimes we over-edit to make it better. I overdo that.
I'm glad you're starting over telling your story. I'm looking forward to sharing the journey with you 💜
The gritty was pulled and is still unpublished. However, the overarching belief — shifting the way you think creates your reality — was published as MindShift On-Demand in 2017 and still ranks well on Amazon.
I gave up on the big publishers, bought an ISBN block, and formed a publishing company. I'm my Mama Peggy's daughter, Git-er-Done! She instilled that in me decades before The Cable Guy, lol
The book proposal prompted my Substack pub name, Poker's Life Lessons.
This sounds amazing! I can sympathize with the pain of going back to reread past chapters of your journey, especially when it was written in a much more innocent voice (I speak as someone who thought self-publishing a novella at 15 years old was a good idea…the plus side was it seemed no one had the heart to give me a bad review 😅🥴). Past you AND present you both deserve a big hug! It makes me so happy to hear that you are committing to this project and breathing new life into a personal story that clearly matters deeply. The fact that it has already resonated with others is huge! That’s why our stories are important to share. Wishing you best of luck! And hey, if you ever need help or guidance getting your improved writing on the page, One Brilliant Arc Media is full of experienced editors, writers, and coaches who would love to work with you! 🙂
Thank you so much for all your words of encouragement, both here and in Veronica's chat thread. I genuinely appreciate it as I know nothing about book publishing or writing one. My saving grace is that at least my writing has improved a great deal since this first crappy little book 😁
I love this!!!😂and totally get it....please sign me up for the beach hut next to yours while we ✍️ 🤣🤣
I'm on ch 12 of what I guess is a memoir...but yes it's taking forever and yes life goes on during that time!! (Still lacking my last few chapters) but we got this!!👊👊 Have 1/2 contemplated self publishing w releasing chapters on here, sounds like a great idea!
HA!! Jessica, thank you and yes....I'll meet you at the beach and we can motivate each other in the next hut over 😂😂 It's such a big undertaking but the cool thing about releasing on Substack is there's no real pressure. It's just a "blog post"! That should be easy lol.
That’s what I have been doing with my other publication. Writing each week to the point of a book. It’s been fun going back through pictures and past historical calendar events to get the story straight. I’m excited for you. It’s so much fun writing a book this way. And you can do this anywhere you want.
Yes Karen, I’m excited as well. A big part of how I write in chronological order is going through my external hard drive. It’s organized by date of each trip and there were 36 of them! Pictures say a thousand words and tell me exactly where I was at and when.
I had to be organized! I was a destination writer/blogger and really needed to keep track of everything, event by event. 😄 I would've lost half my stories without the photos.
ohhhhh that makes perfect sense! I guess I would have been too 😄. I am getting better now that I know there may be a day when I go through my photos now — whew!!!
Seems you and Tom Kuegler got bit by the same 2025 piranha (cuz writing a book based on travel memoirs is so much more than just a bug). I’m so excited to be in this ride with you as a supporter encourager cheerleader and friend.
And no, I’m not gonna take my divorce memoir off the Amazon shelf and vow to rewrite it. I will hug the version of myself who wrote it and tell her “things get better, I promise!”
Is Tom doing this as well? I knew from way back that he was a travel vlogger. We've chatted a bit about our similarities in the travel arena.
Onward and upward! I've got my coaching page all set as well but first I'm going to have a few kind souls look at it and give me first impressions. 😁 (insert fear here!!)
Here’s an idea for you, Kristie. Turn it into a novel. You will have permission to embellish it then. You have already written it as personal experience. Write a different version of it second time.
I think that’s what I’m trying to do as I serialize it here on Substack. I don’t think it’s anywhere near novel-worthy at this point lol. It’s also not very long but committing to doing it there will be the spark I need to start over.
Kristi, I think this is a fantastic idea. Can't wait to read the first chapter.
And the thing is the second time that you're going through it there may have been things that you missed or now because you've grown as we all do as time passes you'll have a different perspective or take on it.
First of all, Kristi, you are not a shitty writer. The lovely and funny words you cascade out in your newsletters are ample proof of that. I'll bet you weren't a shitty writer when you self-published that book either. The simple truth is that writing a book--fiction, memoir, non-fiction, graphic novel, poetry--is hard. Particularly when we're attempting it for the first time. It's a "learn by doing" kind of experience for many of us (me included). I can't get my fingers on it, but I once read a short essay on writing that proclaimed "Writing is hard because it's supposed to be. The fact that it's hard means you're doing it right."
I'm thrilled that you've dusted off that self-published book and are giving it a spit shine. Can't wait to read the serialized version. If you ever need a pep talk, you know where to find me. :)
Cathy, this was great to hear coming from you because I know where you're at in your journey and what your Substack is about. We're just learning and doing as we go. And thank you for the offer of pep talking! Maybe it'll be you coaching me someday 😁
Yes, once you say it out loud, you gotta do it or we will heckle you! Not to be braggy, but timelines really work--participating in the annual November Novel Writing Month competition set me up with manuscripts for four of my published books.
During the Golden Globes this week, Brady Corbet said it took him seven years to finish The Brutalist. Brutal! Seven years! That's too long!
I didn't know that Goosebumps had “choose your own ending” chapter books---remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series? They were rainy day gold as a kid!
Yes Goosebumps had plenty of those! My son started reading chapter books when he was like six years old and Goosebumps were his go-to. Good times!
I've heard of Nanowrimo but I'm just afraid of commitment lol. I guess November is a long way off now so I'll plug away at this in the meantime. The good news is I don't have to create anything new for a long time because I have 130,000+ words already written. Just needs a spitshine.
130,000 words!!! Are you writing the next Goldfinch or My Name is Barbra (Streisand's memoir is 970 pages)? The spit shine phase is the best spot to be in--I love downloading the original story from my head, that's always such a big relief. Then, sitting back and just fancifying parts is pure pleasure!
Kristi, I have a 90-page book proposal for "Life Lessons From Poker" that broke records and got more no's from book agents and publishers than "Chicken Soup From the Soul" 🤪
Parts of it rivaled Fifty Shades of Grey, and I was told it was more a memoir rather than a self-help book. 😁
Even though I'm on a sabbatical from poker competition, the lessons I've learned play a big part in my life.
I bet your original version is far better than you think! Sometimes we over-edit to make it better. I overdo that.
I'm glad you're starting over telling your story. I'm looking forward to sharing the journey with you 💜
Wow that's interesting, hey? So are you saying it's a published book now after all those rejections?
And, my old book truly is pretty crappy lol. It's obvious nobody edited it or even proofed it 🤣
I'm approaching this rewrite with more joy and gratitude than the original so I think it'll make all the difference.
The gritty was pulled and is still unpublished. However, the overarching belief — shifting the way you think creates your reality — was published as MindShift On-Demand in 2017 and still ranks well on Amazon.
I gave up on the big publishers, bought an ISBN block, and formed a publishing company. I'm my Mama Peggy's daughter, Git-er-Done! She instilled that in me decades before The Cable Guy, lol
The book proposal prompted my Substack pub name, Poker's Life Lessons.
This sounds amazing! I can sympathize with the pain of going back to reread past chapters of your journey, especially when it was written in a much more innocent voice (I speak as someone who thought self-publishing a novella at 15 years old was a good idea…the plus side was it seemed no one had the heart to give me a bad review 😅🥴). Past you AND present you both deserve a big hug! It makes me so happy to hear that you are committing to this project and breathing new life into a personal story that clearly matters deeply. The fact that it has already resonated with others is huge! That’s why our stories are important to share. Wishing you best of luck! And hey, if you ever need help or guidance getting your improved writing on the page, One Brilliant Arc Media is full of experienced editors, writers, and coaches who would love to work with you! 🙂
Thank you so much for all your words of encouragement, both here and in Veronica's chat thread. I genuinely appreciate it as I know nothing about book publishing or writing one. My saving grace is that at least my writing has improved a great deal since this first crappy little book 😁
I appreciate this, thank you!
I love this!!!😂and totally get it....please sign me up for the beach hut next to yours while we ✍️ 🤣🤣
I'm on ch 12 of what I guess is a memoir...but yes it's taking forever and yes life goes on during that time!! (Still lacking my last few chapters) but we got this!!👊👊 Have 1/2 contemplated self publishing w releasing chapters on here, sounds like a great idea!
Looking forward to reading!!💜
HA!! Jessica, thank you and yes....I'll meet you at the beach and we can motivate each other in the next hut over 😂😂 It's such a big undertaking but the cool thing about releasing on Substack is there's no real pressure. It's just a "blog post"! That should be easy lol.
I'm so excited for you! Why do I have a feeling the original book wasn't as bad as you say. Hmmm.
"There there shitty writer..." Haha. Don't we all say that on a crappy day?
I would love to read those unleashed chapters!
Don't worry, they're coming!! Starting Tuesday!
Go get ‘em Kristi, Mazel Tov!
I love hearing about your plans, Kristi. And I'm excited to be on this journey with you!
Thanks Paulette! It's quite the ride, great to have you along 😊
That’s what I have been doing with my other publication. Writing each week to the point of a book. It’s been fun going back through pictures and past historical calendar events to get the story straight. I’m excited for you. It’s so much fun writing a book this way. And you can do this anywhere you want.
Yes Karen, I’m excited as well. A big part of how I write in chronological order is going through my external hard drive. It’s organized by date of each trip and there were 36 of them! Pictures say a thousand words and tell me exactly where I was at and when.
Ok you are Super organized 😆 I thought I was but still had to hunt. I love the reminisce with each segment. I can’t wait to read your adventure.
I had to be organized! I was a destination writer/blogger and really needed to keep track of everything, event by event. 😄 I would've lost half my stories without the photos.
ohhhhh that makes perfect sense! I guess I would have been too 😄. I am getting better now that I know there may be a day when I go through my photos now — whew!!!
I’m ready for chapter 1!!!
To be honest, so am I!! I pulled it out and rewrote the draft today! It took me allllll the way back to 2003 with fond memories 😊❤️
Seems you and Tom Kuegler got bit by the same 2025 piranha (cuz writing a book based on travel memoirs is so much more than just a bug). I’m so excited to be in this ride with you as a supporter encourager cheerleader and friend.
And no, I’m not gonna take my divorce memoir off the Amazon shelf and vow to rewrite it. I will hug the version of myself who wrote it and tell her “things get better, I promise!”
Is Tom doing this as well? I knew from way back that he was a travel vlogger. We've chatted a bit about our similarities in the travel arena.
Onward and upward! I've got my coaching page all set as well but first I'm going to have a few kind souls look at it and give me first impressions. 😁 (insert fear here!!)
🙋🏻♀️pick me! I’ll be a kind soul to look over your coaching page.
Yes, Tom is publishing a chapter a month of his travel book. But it’s more than that. It’s a life book.
Travel kind of turns into life eventually!
And ummm...yaay, thank you! I'll send you a link to the page shortly. 😊
I only front rum to people who I can sit a spell with and have one myself🤭
Absolutely understandable 🤣 I used to guard my rum like it was the last glass on earth 🧉
“I have no timeline for this lofty goal, although judging from the first book, I think it could take me the rest of my life.”
🤣🤣🤣 I feel this DEEP in my bones! Cheers to the (possibly very long) journey!
Lol I knew at least one person would relate!! Thanks for the camaraderie 😁
Here’s an idea for you, Kristie. Turn it into a novel. You will have permission to embellish it then. You have already written it as personal experience. Write a different version of it second time.
I think that’s what I’m trying to do as I serialize it here on Substack. I don’t think it’s anywhere near novel-worthy at this point lol. It’s also not very long but committing to doing it there will be the spark I need to start over.
Good plan. Maybe the third iteration will be a novel. I already like the plot. It has a lot of potential.
Thanks Neera, that means a lot coming from you...a lady who knows how to write and publish books!
Kristi, I think this is a fantastic idea. Can't wait to read the first chapter.
And the thing is the second time that you're going through it there may have been things that you missed or now because you've grown as we all do as time passes you'll have a different perspective or take on it.
I'm excited for you and I support you 100%
Happy new year 🎉
Kathleen, thank you so much for this. And you're right, I see things completely differently now...more objectively I guess you could say. Stay tuned!
i'm very much looking forward to it.
First of all, Kristi, you are not a shitty writer. The lovely and funny words you cascade out in your newsletters are ample proof of that. I'll bet you weren't a shitty writer when you self-published that book either. The simple truth is that writing a book--fiction, memoir, non-fiction, graphic novel, poetry--is hard. Particularly when we're attempting it for the first time. It's a "learn by doing" kind of experience for many of us (me included). I can't get my fingers on it, but I once read a short essay on writing that proclaimed "Writing is hard because it's supposed to be. The fact that it's hard means you're doing it right."
I'm thrilled that you've dusted off that self-published book and are giving it a spit shine. Can't wait to read the serialized version. If you ever need a pep talk, you know where to find me. :)
Cathy, this was great to hear coming from you because I know where you're at in your journey and what your Substack is about. We're just learning and doing as we go. And thank you for the offer of pep talking! Maybe it'll be you coaching me someday 😁
Yes, once you say it out loud, you gotta do it or we will heckle you! Not to be braggy, but timelines really work--participating in the annual November Novel Writing Month competition set me up with manuscripts for four of my published books.
During the Golden Globes this week, Brady Corbet said it took him seven years to finish The Brutalist. Brutal! Seven years! That's too long!
I didn't know that Goosebumps had “choose your own ending” chapter books---remember the Choose Your Own Adventure series? They were rainy day gold as a kid!
Yes Goosebumps had plenty of those! My son started reading chapter books when he was like six years old and Goosebumps were his go-to. Good times!
I've heard of Nanowrimo but I'm just afraid of commitment lol. I guess November is a long way off now so I'll plug away at this in the meantime. The good news is I don't have to create anything new for a long time because I have 130,000+ words already written. Just needs a spitshine.
130,000 words!!! Are you writing the next Goldfinch or My Name is Barbra (Streisand's memoir is 970 pages)? The spit shine phase is the best spot to be in--I love downloading the original story from my head, that's always such a big relief. Then, sitting back and just fancifying parts is pure pleasure!
Hahahaa I lied!! I don't even know how many words but it felt like 130K while I was writing it 🤣
That's funny. Regardless, I'm impressed! Might as well put those good words to use!