I’ve dreamed of being a writer—rather, an author—since I was little. Maybe you have, too.

I worked for a publisher, for years. I’ve worked with countless authors and speakers in my capacity as a program director at a major retreat. I've worked with thousands of writers in building the largest mindfulness site in the world. And I’ve written a book, and I found my own way between two not-great options.

If you want detailed advice on how to succeed on Amazon, this course (will be helpful but) is not for you. If you want detailed advice on how to get an agent and get published, this is not for you.

This course is for those who want to publish independently, sell copies, make money, and print eco-responsibly.

This course is my experience, and my path, updated continually as social media and the publishing landscape evolves (or devolves, thanks in part to Amazon). I’ll share what I know, and I’ll show you how to do it in your own way. I’m talking, here, about how to write (though you may want to do our Writing Course for more guidance, exercises, and community) your book, serialize, and build a ready audience for your work even before it’s printed, and to print and ship your own book and do so eco-responsibly. And, unlike most others paths, I'll show you a path where you can make a (good) living off of your writing.

To do what you love, that’s good for our planet, and to make money doing so. That's the dream. Doing just one of those three ain’t enough. Doing two of those three ain’t enough. Do all three. That's the Buddhist notion of "right livelihood."

This course contains everything I know about how to publish and sell the hell out of a beautiful, community-supported book, independently, eco-responsibly, and successfully.

If you’re not sure if you want to write a book, this course may discourage you. That’s a good thing. Writing any book is not for the faint of heart—and doing so independently is a pain in the arse. But it's also fulfilling, and rewarding. So, if you find yourself dissuaded, I may have saved you a great deal of time and money.

If, however, you find yourself emboldened—well, may it be of benefit!

A few practical notes on the course...

• Any and all future updates to this course will be free and automatic to anyone enrolled. Check back for updates, new interviews, new resources, updates to old technologies, new breakthroughs…and we’ll also notify you via email if you have our [email protected] on your contact list (check mark emoji!).
• Youtube and vimeo are full of beautifully-produced videos. You won’t find many elegant videos here…and I’m sorry you gotta look at my face! But you will find great quality helpful caring tips and info, that hopefully helps you on your hero/ine’s journey. You also won’t agree with everything here, I’m guessing—that’s because 1) I’m wrong, sometimes and 2) this is a very definite, unique path that “disagrees” with others paths (Amazon, self-publishing, mainstream publishing) in almost every particular. So it’s okay to disagree—no two paths will be 100% alike, but this path should show you a way to follow your own path. There’s also strong statements—like, “I don’t have Writers’ Block”—but the point isn’t pride, it’s that I’ve worked through these real issues and am sharing how, here.
• As part of this book course, you have access to our online community, Elephant Academy. Send us a request to join, and we’ll approve you as soon as we can. Community is where the magic happens—so make sure to join so you can ask questions, meet peers, and connect with mentors and Elephant editors and yours truly. ~ Waylon