How to Optimize for Creative Freedom and Time Freedom

I never considered trying to get traditionally published. My whole path has been about trying to figure everything out on my own terms. What I'm really trying to do on my current path is optimize for creative freedom and time freedom. When you're going with a traditional publisher, you have a much longer launch timeline than self-publishing.

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From a certain outside perspective, turning down a $200,000 two-book deal from a traditional publishing house makes no sense. But for today's guest, Paul Millerd, it fits perfectly into his operating paradigm of what David Whyte calls the pathless path.

After climbing the ranks in corporate consulting but feeling increasingly empty, Paul shifted away from chasing status and approval, and started his own business his own way. Now the mantra he lives (and writes) by is “coming alive over getting ahead.”

In this conversation we dive into how he felt when he got the offer from the publisher, the "old Paul" resurfacing during his meetings with them, and how he has fared on his self-publishing journey in the two years that the book has been out.

More About Paul: Paul Millerd is an independent writer, freelancer, coach, and digital creator. He is the author of The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life, in which he explores the invisible scripts that constrain our lives. He is also the host of The Pathless Path podcast, where he talks with the most interesting people on unconventional paths.

📝 Permission: To self-publish your book!

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Paul on the web, IG: @pathlesspaul, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube
Articles: Paul’s substack, essays, Reflections on Saying No to a Book Deal & Betting on Myself #219, Original Twitter thread, and From Blog to Book: How to Self-Publish on Your Own Terms
Swag: StickerMule (Bubble Envelopes)
Tools and Templates: Jenny’s Author Toolkit