Does this email look a little different? It should.

Did I switch email marketing software again? Yes.

Did I want to? No.

Why did I do it?

Because SendFox integrates with KingSumo Giveaways and StoryOrigin--two things I'm actively using to grow my subscriber list so I can reach more folks.

(For my Art Like a Boss folks, I'll be sharing more about this next week as we dive into our growth season! I should've updated y'all sooner, but like, June was as long as a hiccup, and I had a late spring malaise of sorts that finally feels gone.)

Anyhow, there has been so much going on. And time makes no sense anymore.

This misunderstanding of time is largely why the big news announcement I have for you is a little more lackluster than I originally intended.

See. Okay. So.

Some of you know that June 29th is the publication date for my short story collection, Ex Libris. It's listed on some of my social profiles.

Only, I haven't been talking or leading up to this very much at all. There are multiple reasons for that. But the main one is that sometime at the end of May I decided this was going to be a test book launch.

A learning experience, if you will.

Since I've never published fiction or uploaded it to multiple platforms or dealt with distribution, the learning curve was a little too steep for me to handle while adhering to the original deadline and doing all the little things that have come up suddenly as the economy pretends like we didn't spend the last year in a depressive fog.

So, here's the announcement:

My first book, Ex Libris, a collection of short stories about books, the women who love them, and the supernatural forces that haunt them, will be released next week.

There is no preorder. Nope. You can't see the cover yet.

Yeah. This shit is real last-minute.

But for those of you who knew me before the great personal development and productivity glow up of the last five years, this probably feels like running into an old friend.

I am mostly proud of this collection. (I'm also ambivalent, because. Well. Who isn't ambivalent about their own work?) I am stoked for the cover.

But like, it just looks like things won't be done until Tuesday, which is when I'll hit publish. And even then, they'll only be available digitally. At least, for now.

The print book will come soon.

But the real reason for releasing this as imperfectly as I am is to just rip off the publishing bandaid. It's time.

No more worrying about what ifs and getting stuck in my own brain about what my career is supposed to look like. No more worrying about what random people I know will say. No more just doing shit because I'm too scared to do what I want to do.

So, I shall publish imperfectly.

On Tuesday, I'll shoot you an email when it's available. And you'll get a link to download a free story from the collection so you can get a taste of the weird shit I write when I set a timer and let my hands fly across the keyboard.

No need to rush in on buying it, especially if you want to wait on the print version. I'm not going to worry about sales or rankings with this one.

I'm just getting it out. That's the goal. Because something bigger is coming, and this is just the bandaid I need to rip off before I move forward.

And maybe this is your reminder that you can have a test run or imperfect launch if you need it.

In 2021, we are doing the work even if it's messy, gang.

On that note, thanks to everyone who attended the workshop last week on how to create an online course. I had a blast. And if you're interested in hearing me wax poetic on how routines and habits help you make space for inspiration, make sure you're following me on Instagram. I'll be going live with Sarah Steckler from the Mindful Productivity Blog on Thursday at 4 PM CDT to talk about just that!

Thanks for letting me invade your inbox! 

Marisa 

MarisaMohi.com