I wrote a book! 'OVERRIDE! What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility.'

For the past couple years I’ve been quietly working on a project. Even I didn’t know I was writing a book when I started. As of May 2024 it’s not only no longer under wraps, it’s out in the world! Introducing…. OVERRIDE! What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility.

The world can feel heavy and hard, but I wanted to create a book that helps people reflect, take action, and PLAY. Change can feel hard and it’s not always comfortable. But it’s also possible.

OVERRIDE! is an invitation to see a world of possibilities we’ve never considered through reflective prompts, mindset shifts, creative exercises, and strategies for action. In order to override, new action is required to have a different outcome. What if there was another way?

I like to think of this pocket-sized book as a next-generation The Artist’s Way meets The War of Art with a side of Big Magic.

The 220 pocket-sized book was intentionally designed to be small, digestible, and can fit in your pocket. (Don’t be fooled, writing a succinct book was not less work. It was a powerful exercise in digging into what I really wanted to say. Throughout the process beta readers and editors definitely called me out on the areas I was wishy washy on!). It was really important to me that it’s a book you can travel with and take on the go. As a book lover, it’s often hard for me to decide what to carry with me when I travel because so many books are so heavy.

The book not only is meant to disrupt through its form, but also the words inside. It’s designed to be written in, pages folded, marked up, add sticky notes, and loved. This is not a precious object. It’s designed to be used and revisited. Read straight through or turn to any page on any given day for a message or reminder you may need to hear. A playbook doesn’t suggest you do everything at once, but rather run the play that you need in that moment. We have to stop taking life too seriously and PLAY.

The book feels like both a stepping stone into, and extension of my workshops Write Your Own Rules and Mapping Your Path. So many conversations inside my community helped shape so much of what I explore inside, which I’m incredibly grateful for.

Even the way I decided to publish—self/independent rather than traditional publishing—feels like part of the mission of this book: to shake things up and leave behind the status quo. I knew this book needed to be out in the world sooner rather than later, hence I never even considered traditional publishing. I didn’t want to deal with months—or years of trying to get an agent, publisher, and rejection (all par for course in the publishing world).

Publishers want an outline and a plan but that’s not how I work. I needed to write my way through this one. I also had way more creative control by self-publishing. I not only wrote it, but I designed it, and did all the illustrations (cover and inside). Oh, and on top of it, I started my own publishing imprint: ANOTHER WAY PRESS.

When you buy OVERRIDE! You’re directly supporting me as a writer and creator. My book is already available worldwide too, unlike traditional publishing. Each copy is printed on demand, making for less waste. Books are printed in the US, Canada, UK, France, India, and Australia. Talk about global!

At the moment OVERRIDE! is only available in print (it’s designed to be touched, held, and marked up), but an e-book is in the works. I plan on opening up distribution to include Amazon and others (however, Amazon takes a bigger percentage and the cover paper quality isn’t as good).

To get more updates on my book, sign up for my companion OVERRIDE! Substack (currently a work in progress), and be sure to sign up for my Connect the Dots newsletter and follow me on Instagram (@pretavoyager + @overridebook) for upcoming book events, both online and in-person).

Oh, and of course, you can order your own copy at override-book.com! Tell all your friends!

I look forward to sharing more of the behind the scenes and lessons learned (the hard way) about (self)publishing a book. It’s been a wild ride, and there’s so much to share. I’m in this for the long game! Let’s enjoy the ride!

Author portraits by Katie Mitchell Photography and Your Paris Photographer.