This month I’m inviting 30 magical authors to share how writing a book has created transformation in their lives as part of The Magical Portal Project.
And I knew that I had to have a conversation with this magical being – Sean Patrick, founder of That Guy’s House publishing and author of That Guy Who Loves The Universe.
I first connected with Sean when I was looking for a publisher for my second book, UNBOUND, and as soon as I spoke with him I knew That Guy’s House were the perfect fit for me. Since then, we’ve collaborated on launching The Unbound Press and the magic continues!
Take a look at our conversation below and you’ll also find a full transcription of the interview if you’re a reader, rather than a watcher.
Find out more and join the free Magical Portal Project here.
Nicola: Hello and welcome to this episode of Unbound. I’m Nicola Humber, author of Unbound and founder of The Unbound Press. Today, I am very excited to be talking with one of my very favorite people in the whole world, Sean Patrick.
Sean: Hello, Nicola, thank you for having me.
Nicola: Oh you’re so welcome! These episodes in August are part of the Magical Portal Project, which is all about the transformation that happens when we write books. And Ssan, you actually you’re the only guy .
Sean: Oh well you know what, Nicola, that’s the story of my life, don’t worry. I was the only guy in my class at uni.
Nicola: Really?
Sean: Yeah, it’s just my thing, so don’t worry.
Nicola: It’s absolutely perfect. I knew that I wanted you to be part of this, you had to be part of this.
Sean: Thank you.
Nicola: Sean is author of “That Guy Who Loves the Universe” and also founder of That Guy’s House, who are a publishing company, but so much more .
Sean: Yes.
Nicola: Doesn’t really do it justice. That Guy’s House was my publisher for my second book, Unbound, I connected with Sean. I knew that it was the perfect fit, to publish Unbound and that led to us collaborating on launching The Unbound Press, which is the publishing imprint that I run for unbound women, who want to share their stories, so.
Sean: Which has been incredible, and it’s not even a year old yet.
Nicola: Exactly.
Sean: Not even a year, yeah.
Nicola: know, I know. There’s so much more to come around that. So I knew that Sean would be the perfect person to talk about the transformation that happens when we write a book and how it can change your life in the most unexpected ways. I’m really excited to delve into that with you today.
Sean: Thanks so much.
Nicola: So Sean, let’s go back to before you wrote That Guy Who Loves the Universe.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: What made you decide to write a book?
Sean: I feel as if, I feel like I was the same as so many people, where it was just on the cards for my life at some point.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: I’m glad you asked that, because thinking about it, it wasn’t any grandiose moment, really. It was just a very simple next step that I would put a portion of my life’s story down in the format of book. So, yeah, I feel like it was just always there and then the decision made me when it was time.
Nicola: That comes through a lot, actually, people are like,
Sean: Absolutely.
Nicola: ”Well, I didn’t decide, the book decided.
Sean: Yeah, and it’s yeah, it’s so funny, I’ve never been asked that before, but actually it did make me think, I was like, “Oh it wasn’t like any big decision.” It was just, you know, I started to write what was a book.
Nicola: Yeah, yeah. Have you always been a writer, have you always written?
Sean: Yes I have. I’ve definitely always been a storyteller.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: I’ll definitely say that, of course, you know at school, excelled and loved English, was always a reader, but definitely more so, always a storyteller with even fictionally, or using my own biography, was always putting that A to Z around an experience and yeah, and yeah, calling it it’s own narrative.
Nicola: I love it, because when we were speaking about this, I was like, “You could either write something, “or we could have a conversation.” And you said, “Yeah, I’m not a writer, “we’ll have a conversation.”
Sean: Yeah, if I was writing a piece I know I’d write something good, but what I love more about something like this is, like what all will come will be from somewhere else. Do you know what I mean?
Nicola: Exactly.
Sean: Whereas if I wrote something as more of a process that goes into this, yeah, and I know for some people, it’s the opposite. Like if they’re writing, it gets the free flow.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Yeah, so for me the free flow comes in conversation and writing is more of a process for me but I know it’s opposites for some people.
Nicola: Yeah, absolutely. I think for me, it’s very often when I have a conversation with somebody, that sparks something off and then I’ll go and write about it.
Sean: Yes.
Nicola: I need that inspiration to go away and write.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: So the process of writing That Guy Who Loves the Universe, what was that like for you?
Sean: It was really important. The book is about when I was 22, I hit the millennial course of life crisis of really just not knowing who, what, why, where, when of life. Dealing with some unprocessed life trauma and I state it like that because I don’t think anyone gets anywhere without having experienced something that really shook them, whether it was obvious or unobvious.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: And I was so lucky that the university, gave me this opportunity to go live in Hong Kong for half a year and that was really my coming of age story, in my early 20s. So it was just too profound. That experience to me, was too profound to have not had a morph to life in some way. That’s where writing a book came in. So that was the life story side of it. There’s two other layers to the book. One, being relaying and sharing any spiritual or wellness knowledge that I had accrued and practiced and had success with. It’s weird to use the word success with spiritual knowledge, but having the spiritual principles that I have implemented in my life have really made a difference.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: Then the third layer to the book was, actually going out and discovering more. So it wasn’t enough just relying on my back catalog of experience and spiritual practice. It was actually identifying what the theme of this book is around modern day spirituality and how people connect with what we call God, what we call the universe, what we call spirit and actually, what I already knew took me so far, it took me 90% of the way, but it was really great to cross that finish line and actually go and investigate. So for example, I went to an atheist group. Kind of undercover. They knew I was writing a book, but they didn’t know what I was writing a book about.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: But actually to learn about why I think the connection to God is so good, it’s really important I explore the opposite, which is atheism.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: So, yeah. It was three fold. It was my story, it was my spiritual practice and it was also investigating that topic. That really did give the book, three dimensions for me, it was great.
Nicola: I love that. Was there anything that you learned, through that kind of like exploration phase, that third phase, that stuck with you?
Sean: I mean I think that it was probably, even though it made up, like I said, only 10% of the book, because I am an active person, who wants to be in conversation. That was probably the most exciting part for me, to actually be arranging meetings, going to speak to people about the topic, learning more, because I think especially in this world of spiritual and self help books, we are as the authors, the experts on the topic, which is great. There’s something really nice, especially when I was in an investigative role, I wasn’t teaching, I was in that role of student completely. I wasn’t trying to get at my own angle or anything. I was learning, I was just gathering the information.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: So that, there’s something about that, which is really, well it’s more egoless.
NIcola: Yes.
Sean: Yeah, I got to step back and say, “Even though I want the book “to be about this, and the book is about this. “This is the part where someone else gets “to do the talking.”
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And wow, that was great.
Nicola: Yeah, I love that and I think that’s really helpful for people to hear, because we feel like it’s all gonna, if we’re writing a book, it’s all gonna come from us.
Sean: Oh, absolutely and you know what, I do say to people, because authors come to me and they’re at that idea phase of their book and I say, “Okay, this is gonna be two fold. “Writing the book is as much an adventure “as releasing the book and going on book tour, “et cetera.”
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: So often you have your book planned out, but make the actual writing of the book an adventure and journey itself. And arrange people you’re gonna speak with. Think of topics you’re gonna research. Start your own flow charts of how you’re relating this to this, to that, to that. Like treat it as if you’re going on this epic investigative journey, even if it’s just into yourselves.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: But don’t and I mean this, do not write a book for finishing book’s sake. Doesn’t make sense.
Nicola: No, yeah.
Sean: Don’t write a book, you know you want to get it finished in 30 days. Because it is a once in a lifetime journey. Yes you can write book two, book three, book four, but writing that book, is a once in a lifetime journey. Writing your first book is a once in a lifetime journey.
Nicola: Oh yeah, absolutely.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: It’s a very different experience
Sean: Absolutely and you hear of this and I think this is actually a great shame, where so many you know, spiritual teachers that we love, after they’ve done book three, people start to say, “Oh it’s nothing they haven’t heard before.” Or, “That was the same as their earlier book.” I can’t say I don’t agree and I’m like, “It’s such a shame.” Because especially somebody who’s been a good spiritual teacher, and they really could go and explore such a huge topic. I mean and there’s other things in play, there’s deadlines, there’s what’s going to sell, et cetera, but I really think to plunge yourself into inner exploration, or an outer exploration, is how you write a book.
Nicola: Oh yeah.
Sean: Don’t write a book to get a book done.
Nicola: Allow yourself to have that exploration, that process.
Sean: Absolutely. And you’ll be surprised, I mean I know when we worked together, your book was done in a couple months, if I recall.
Nicola: Well yeah, it was done in a couple of months, sure, but I’d done this huge like, exploration before.
Sean: Before, yeah, yeah. And there’s some authors I work with that you know, it’s been over two years and they’re working on that project and I say, “That’s great, that’s fine.” There’s some authors that flows through in a certain way. But yeah, never just regurgitate information, and write a book to get it done. Make it an adventure.
Nicola: Yeah, there’s something about it being active, I think.
Sean: Absolutely.
Nicola: Yeah, it’s not just sitting at a desk going, “Okay, “what do I know, what do I write?” It’s like, actually, that’s what I’m loving, which this is unexpected really about this project, like speaking to different people about their process and reading the pieces that have come in, the really specific themes that are coming through. A lot of it is affirming what I already thought and sensed about the writing process. But it’s giving me new perspectives. I feel that my next book will be about writing in some way, so like this is like great.
Sean: Yes! Yeah and well this is your exploration.
Nicola: Exactly. And I’m doing it without even realizing that’s what it was!
Sean: This is not how the universe works. This is not how the universe works. It’s like, “Let me have a plan.” It’s so ridiculous.
Nicola: I know. So, on that kind of note, on that theme, how did your book lead to you launching a publishing company, That Guy’s House?
Sean: Yeah, so I was back and forth with publishers and I really wanted that traditional book deal.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: So after a couple years of it not working out, not getting signed for a traditional book deal, I knew I had in my hands something that well I knew it was almost in my thinking then, it was like, “Well this was almost get enough “to get the full treatment from a publishing house.” I was like, “So I’m gonna give it that myself.” I was like, “I want to give my book “more than it would’ve had, just by being “an e-book on Amazon, “for example.”
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: So it was really just for the fact this project in my head, I knew was, I wanted to give the full treatment to my book, the ISBNs, I set up the imprint, I learned about distribution, et cetera. I released my book under, my book was called, “That Guy Who Loves the Universe”, the publishing company was That Guy’s House and it really honestly was just to release my book.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: It was just to release my book. You know, and the universe is still sending people to me months later asking, “Well do you help people writing a book “and then publish it?” I thought, “I guess I do, I guess I do.” Then, within less than a year, it was my full time job, it was a fully functioning company and we’re here now, about to go into our third year, and we’re working with over seventy authors now. It’s just incredible. But we definitely, once again, like I said, about making plans, I had no strategy in place, about launching a publishing company and recruiting and finding self help and spiritual authors. If anything, it’s just been a huge, huge blessing to be submerged more into this world of, what is spiritual and self help writing.
Nicola: So what was that like for you? Like you say it’s a huge blessing and totally unplanned, you haven’t planned. This wasn’t part of your life strategy to launch a publishing company.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: What’s it been like, to be taken in this direction?
Sean: Do you wanna know what it’s been? It’s been, well a business in any way, is turbulent, so I can definitely say it was probably best that I was so naive, because I never would’ve started, yeah.
Nicola: Yeah .
Sean: But because I was just doing what was in front of me, it was what it was. I’ve really, what it’s been like for me is, and this is even something now I’m learning more and more. I run a publishing company, but more importantly, and I really appreciate what you said at the very beginning was, it’s a publishing company, but it’s so much more.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: Really is a spiritual and wellness company.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And we publish books because, I just have a great respect and love for this world of spiritual and spirituality and self help and in the early stage of doing this publishing company, I started to get invited to speak at places about publishing, writing and creative writing. I showed up at these places and realized, I don’t know much about writing so to speak, but I know so much about writing a spiritual book, a self help book, or a memoir.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: It’s really been the journey for me has really been understanding that I’ve got a very unique calling here, which is, how to craft and how to write a spirituality self help, or personal memoir.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Really kind of honor that and to fall, continue to fall in love with this world that we live in. All of these kind of books, it’s incredible, like I love being in a world, that when I say the names Marianne Williamson and Louise Hay, people go, “Okay, okay.”
Nicola: Yeah, some people don’t know, do they ?
Sean: They don’t know. They don’t and it’s like, “Oh my God, “but I love that.” Yeah and I love that I’m in a world that you can be fully recording this interview, I didn’t need to just check with you, so that I could say, the universe, God, life clime, I knew I could just say it.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: So yeah, I’ve learned to be very humble and reverent though I don’t take myself all that seriously so that word’s a bit heavy. But there is a calling to this specific world of spiritual works.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: I told myself, that’s the entire universe, that’s an entire calling. Actually, you know, the kind of books we’re putting out in the world, are books that people read and have a great uplifting experience from. They’re books on some level will change people.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And it’s, well it’s like enjoying the excitement of that.
Nicola: Oh, do you know what? I’m feeling quite emotional, as you’re speaking. Because there’s something here and yeah, I actually talk about this in Unbound about one of the principles is to truly live your gift and that’s so unique, to each one of us, and what I’m hearing you say there, is how your book adds, you know how you chose to publish it, actually has led you more deeply into living your like very specific and unique gift in the world.
Sean: Oh, absolutely. And it’s been so good for me, because I know for the first year and a half, you know, I’d meet someone else who was in publishing and I’d have no desire to chat with them, meet with them, because publishing in it’s real form, is not what my life calling is.
Nicola: Right.
Sean: Publishing spiritual self help and memoirs is.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: It’s been that whole, that deeper calling here. Like I said, I’m not going to accept an invitation to speak on creative writing somewhere. If someone wants me to speak about wellness, spirituality and sharing your life story, then I’m your guy.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: But I think especially when I was forced into the book world, like what was publishing? I was out there doing a book thing and I was talking to this person, realizing that do you wanna know what? 95% was irrelevant.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Because of this very specific world we’re dealing with.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: It’s incredible, it’s a to me, it’s our universe, it’s incredible. But you go out into the world, of spiritualness and you go out into the world, and you actually find it’s so much here, which I can’t offer to you and can offer.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Yeah. And yeah, I think to anyone, if you’re an author writing your book, actually you’re probably gonna find your teaching, your calling, your lesson, probably is very unique and that’s great.
Nicola: Oh my goodness, yeah, it is. Allow it to be.
Sean: Yes, allow it to be.
Nicola: Unique.
Sean: Absolutely.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And I’m falling in love with and I’ve got a little quote in my diary which says, “Enjoy the absurdity of your world.” And what I mean by that is, in this world that we live in. Like I said, we can talk about divine plan, God, the universe having a better plan than we do, outside points of view. You know, we could be talking this other very random language. But I’m not gonna concern myself with that. I’m gonna stay in the statement of, “What is this world?” And that’s what I encourage authors and writers to do, is stay in the excitement of your topic, because it’s so easy to stack in additional work and say, “Well if, Bill the bus driver “read this book, he’d probably think I was crazy.” And it’s like, “Well so be it.” That’s a lesson I get my authors to do. I always say, “Okay we’re gonna write “the introduction first, “but what the introduction is, it’s your permission slip “to write your book.”
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: It goes, “Dear reader” and then you just lay it out there. “This book will talk about witchcraft.” “This book will talk about spiritual principle.” And effectively, you’re giving, you’re prefacing your audience, but you’re really giving yourself a permission slip, because you don’t wanna go in censoring yourself.
Nicola: No, not one little bit. Not one little bit. And actually, I had this conversation with one of the Unbound Press authors the other day, you know, there can be this concern, “Well what will people think?” But actually, I think your book and this is a good thing. It will be invisible to a lot of people. It just won’t register.
Sean: No.
Nicola: For the people who don’t get it. You know, Bill the bus driver, is not gonna, you know.
Sean: Absolutely, like I I have this experience where I was interviewing interns recently. I met some very skilled, talented people. But to my own fault, of not making it clear in the advert, people had to know about this world of spirituality and self help, which they didn’t. I thought to myself, “Do you wanna know what? “look at something like Comic-con. “This huge, huge universe of characters and books “and all that, I don’t know. “But to some people, it’s their entire universe, “but when something happens in that world, “I don’t know about it.”
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: So you are right, they will be invisible to me.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And yeah, Bill the bus driver, or Debbie in accounting.
Nicola: Exactly.
Sean: I don’t want to give a stereotype roles. I’m not saying anything about those roles. Yeah.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Or, your book may just never come across their universe, the same way someone like Louise Hay, hello, hasn’t either. So don’t take it personally. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing.
Nicola: It’s a great thing, because then, you know, because there can be all of this fear about, “Oh yeah, but people will just think I’m crazy, “if I’m writing about it.”
Sean: Yes.
Nicola: ”So, are people “gonna judge me and criticize me?” Most people, even if they see something relating to your book, like online, they’ll just scroll past it, because it won’t even register.
Sean: It won’t even, absolutely. Absolutely, so yeah, I absolutely would say, don’t censor yourselves. Give yourself the permission to write about what you want to write about. But here’s something I can really share. With my very limited experience in that world of traditional publishing and when I say traditional, I mean someone buys your book and then effectively, they take creative control, et cetera. Whereas, another way we work with authors, they’re a lot more involved in the process than, yeah.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: But in that world, you know, I’m really, you know, I got edits of my manuscript back that were very different to what I had written. I had cover suggestions that were very different to what I wanted. I thought, “I understand there’s this whole “consumer marketing side ecology in place, “whereas chapters with this title will sell more books “with this on the front will sell more.” However, I honestly think, I’m happy to explore this, but I currently do think that an author being excited and proud of their book, with how it looks and what’s on the inside, is what’s gonna sell a lot of copies.
Nicola: Yeah, it’s energetic, isn’t it?
Sean: Energetic, absolutely. And you know when you make decisions based on, “Well this might make it more appealing “to more people.” I think you’re actually doing your book a disservice there. And like, it doesn’t mean, don’t give it a great cover and making sure it’s available everywhere. It means makes sure that, when someone gets hold of your book, you are happy for that to have happened. I can speak more to this with, in regards to the experience that I had with traditional publishing, my book was the first book to come out with my company, That Guy’s House. So, I didn’t know about interior formats, I didn’t know about book sizes. So the first run of my book, was a six by nine, which was too big for my book.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Nicola: White cover, doesn’t play well. And the interior, as far as I was concerned, just looked like a word document. You know, there was, there was no artistic flair there, because it was the first book, I didn’t know how. I wasn’t proud of that first edition of the book. It still sold well. It got me a lot of press and PR, et cetera. But, I wasn’t then giving my book out as Christmas gifts.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: If someone’s there, “I got a copy of your book.” I wasn’t like, happy that they had it. And it was last year, I did a second edition of the book, because you know I knew how then and I made it five by eight.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And in the largest font to beautifully be designed. It was a cream cover, et cetera, and it was just those things. So I can speak to, if you’re not proud of your finished product, you’re gonna become inhibited in how you’re sharing that message and not even on a grand scale, just on the case of someone calls you up and said, “Wow I got your book.” And if your first feeling is like, “Oh!” Then,
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Something’s gone wrong.
Nicola: It’s a contraction, isn’t it, you know?
Sean: Yes.
Nicola: You don’t wanna be contracting around your book and, yeah I was gonna say something, but it’s completely gone .
Sean: Maybe it’s perfect that you don’t want to be contracting around your book.
Nicola: Exactly . I’ll just leave that there.
Sean: Yeah you want it to be a expansive experience.
Nicola: Exactly.
Sean: And I can really speak to you and I with That Guy’s House and The Unbound Press. That really is what we’re fueled by with, “Come and write the book that you wanna write. “Package it up the way you think it’s best packaged up “and have final say over the interior content.” That doesn’t mean that’s not professional either on them things. But it means it’s author driven.
Nicola: Yeah, yeah.
Sean: That’s what’s so important, because you really are, and not to freak anybody out, but you are leaving a tattoo on the universe, the book doesn’t go away.
Nicola; No.
Sean: Yeah, like you will release a book, there’ll be a copy out there and I can speak to the UK in the British Library, you know, in 200 years time, if your great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter wants to get a hold to the copy, she will be able to. You really are leaving something on this universe, which isn’t, doesn’t go away. Yet, invisible to most, but there.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: That’s why you really want to make sure it’s something that you’re really proud of.
Nicola: Yeah and make sure it’s you, you know?
Sean: And make sure it’s you, absolutely.
Nicola: We’re coming up towards the end of the conversation. I knew it would fly by.
Sean: I didn’t know the time, I was like, “Oh.”
Nicola: I know, it’s like we’ve only been talking for five minutes, surely. I just wanna speak briefly about community.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: The community that you can create around your writing.
Sean: Yes.
Nicola: Because you’re such a gorgeous demonstration of this, Sean. I know it’s important to me at The Unbound Press and it was so inspiring for me, to see you model that, with That Guy’s House. I’d never imagined, that kind of publishing and writing a book could be like that. So, tell me a little bit about that, how has that been for you, creating this community? Was it very intentional, right from the beginning? Or is it one of these things again, that was–
Sean: Oh no, that was definitely intentional right from the beginning, I’d say the example and I think a publishing company does this really well is, Hay House.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: They have the I Can Do It events, the Ignite events. I know they have all the Christmas party, et cetera. I use it in every great example of, you know, you’re not just becoming a writer for an organization, you are becoming a member of that community.
Nicola: Mm-hmm .
Sean: So with That Guy’s House, it really important to me that the ways I could to replicate that, with having regular group calls with the office, have a Facebook community. Having the annual retreats, which the artists can go on. We’ve done LA, we’ve done Bali, we’re doing Bali again next year, it’s really having the, me and you are going to be there. Yeah.
Sean: Yeah, having those activities or those meetings in place, so you’re not just a lone entity, writing a book. Because I knew when I wrote my book, because I was just me at the time.
Nicola; Mm-hmm .
Sean: And it’s such a huge stride, and with so many people it’s happened over the years, it can be anti-climatic, if you don’t have cheerleaders in place.
Nicola: Yeah, yeah.
Sean: I also think I can really say about my own publishing endeavors are, we effectively create a cheerleading posse, when your book comes out.
Nicola: Yes they do.
Sean: And as you’re writing too.
Nicola; Yeah, yeah.
Sean: Yeah, otherwise yeah, things once again, it was the whole, going back to the beginning in the conversation, when I started That Guy’s House. So I was like, “Well I’ve got a book in my hands, “that I think really deserves something.” Then it got what it deserves, so to speak, in regards to package, distribution, et cetera.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: Yeah, having a community around your writing, becomes your cheerleading squad and in my case, in your case, we’re working with other authors of similar books. But even to create a community around your topic and start to share with them, “Well these are the book cover designs I got, “what do you like?” Or, “What do you think of this chapter?” Or, even having a monthly reading group, where people feed with creative communities around their topic of publishing,
Nicola; Yeah.
Sean: That community around the topic of your book.
Nicola: Yeah, yeah. And I think sometimes, people don’t feel that that’s even possible for, writing can seem like such, like solitary pursuit. So it’s really inspiring to create this kind of thing. It’s exciting and it helps to get you through the writing process, as well.
Sean: Oh absolutely, because you’re that one, “Well I’ve got five proofreaders.” I feel as if that most people could at least find three people, even if it’s family, that become the product management team of your book, whatever you want.
Nicola: Yep.
Sean: But effectively, that’s people you sit with once a month, you discuss the content and you discuss the design, et cetera.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: You discuss the release strategy. Because your book is a big project. You can’t risk it minimally. I know of many publishers out there who do churn up books, the bestseller sake, and the people that are more focused on helping us speaking clear, et cetera, you know it serves its job. But your book is no small feat. So to actually have some steering and guidance around it, is great.
Nicola: Absolutely, absolutely. You know, what’s been coming through in everything that you’ve said, Sean, it’s about honoring your book, this book that wants to come through you. You kind of have a responsibility to your book, don’t you?
Sean: Absolutely and also, for anyone who is on the fence about, “Should I write a book?” Or do you know you’re writing a book, but you haven’t done it yet. It’s really sitting with the, “What book is my soul calling me to write?”
Nicola; Yep.
Sean: And if you get this thing of, “But a lot of people wouldn’t buy that.” First thing, what do you know?
Nicola: Yep.
Sean: Secondly, I can guarantee writing a book that was true to you, that sells less copies than writing something that wasn’t, but is more commercially successful, that will feel better.
Nicola: Yeah.
Sean: And I have to emphasize that okay, your book sales are one thing and they’re wonderful when it’s money, it’s money in this world. But effectively, like I didn’t think my publishing company wants to back up my book, as I’m sure you did.
Nicola: No, not at all.
Sean: It’s clients you’ll find, if they were treating you whole the other, even if you’re writing fiction, the other fiction authors you may work with. It’s more about contributing to your field as a whole.
Nicola: Yes.
Sean: A book really becomes a souvenir of you. So effectively, you think, “Well this book is a souvenir of me.” You don’t go into you know, the Guggenheim, go to the gift shop and go, “Oh.” You go to everything that’s got to offer and then you’ve got a souvenir.
Nicola: Yeah. Exactly. So, so powerful. Yeah, oh my goodness. You know I could talk to you all day.
Sean: No, I, we just keep wrapping up and going on and on.
Nicola: I know, so, we are going to wrap up now.
Sean: No, we have to. People you know, people might be getting bored. I don’t think so.
Nicola: Surely not .
Sean: No, no, no.
Nicola: Sean, for people watching this, listening to this, what’s the best way for them to connect with you and find out more about what you do?
Sean: Oh amazing. You can go to Thatguyshouse.com. You can find me on Instagram at Shawn Patrick Parker, or at That Guy’s House. Then you can just email my company directly through authors@thatguyshouse.com.
Nicola: Perfect, perfect. We’ll send the links around the video, so people can find you easily.
Sean: Amazing.
Nicola: Thank you so much, for having this conversation.
Sean: No, thank you so much. This has been gorgeous, beautiful, longer than I expected, but I am so happy it was.
Nicola: But thank you or everything you’re doing in the world and being such an inspiration to me personally like you know, working with you has changed my life, so I’m deeply grateful for that.
Sean: Oh, thank you so much and yeah, it’s all in the universe is the one moving the pieces there.
Nicola: Exactly.
Sean: Yeah.
Nicola: Exactly. All right, my love. Thank you so much.
Sean: Bye.
Nicola: And we’ll see you again soon, for another episode of Unbound. Bye!
Find out more about Sean and his work at: https://www.thatguyshouse.com
