What’s it actually like to write a book, get a book deal, and get published with a major publisher? In an exclusive interview (for reals), I asked Ash Ambirge, whose debut book launched today with Penguin Random House! I told Ash that you, dear friend, are thinking of writing a non-fiction book but aren’t sure if it’s worth the time and effort. What does she want you to know? Check it out…
Before we dive in, you should know that Ash is an internet entrepreneur, author, creative writer, and advocate for women being brave and doing disobedient things with their lives and careers.
She’s also kinda sweary. Do not read on if you’re offended by the f word and assholes.
Ash went from $26 and sleeping in her car in a Kmart parking lot to earning her first million dollars with nothing more than a laptop and an idea, and today she’s all about inspiring other young women to use their talents as a lever for reinvention—whether you need to escape your safe but predictable life, or you’re trying desperately to escape the trailer park like she once did.
Today she is the founder of The Middle Finger Project®, which is both the name of her Webby award-winning blog as well the title of her first book.
Annnnnd, if you read to the end of this interview, you’ll find a free excerpt of her new book. You don’t even need to give me your email. It’s totally free. (Thanks for sharing, Ash!)
Liz: Ash! What made you decide to go ahead and do this book thing? Why did you commit to it?”
Ash: I'm a huge advocate for giving your brain a place to live outside of your skull—a separate "container," if you will. I talk about this religiously as a function of my work, encouraging women to find their voice and use it to build whatever the f*ck they want to.
As a part of that, we talk about the importance of taking your knowledge and turning it into a product, because this is how we can help people from around the world while simultaneously helping ourselves in a way that scales. The digital era has made scaling easier than ever! You can take your brain and put it into an online course, a podcast, an email series. Whatever you want. These are all new types of containers.
But books? Books were the original container.
A book has always been a product created with one's mind, and there's something so romantic about that. I've always romanticized books as a whole, and so the idea of creating one of my very own, with its spine and its cover and its ability to transform lives around the world in a classic kind of way—it felt beautiful to me.
And so I decided to pursue that beauty.
Liz: What was the hardest thing about writing the book? Why did you keep going despite this challenge?
Ash: The hardest thing, by far, was balancing input and expertise from industry experts with your own gut and instinct.
I'm notorious for doing things in fresh, original ways, and sometimes those ideas butted up against traditional wisdom. So the question becomes: to what extent do you trust other people's ideas versus your own?
As an advisor myself, I know that people hire me because they WANT to be told what I think. But that doesn't mean I don't want them to stop thinking for themselves—nor should they.
I think it's about forming an educated opinion, using the advice and guidance of people who have been there and done that. So that's how I tried to view the advice of the folks I was working with: useful intel to help me make informed decisions.
But in the end, I wanted the book to feel like mine—not something written using someone else's structure, or their opening, or their heavy-handed edits. But it's hard having those conversations. Like: “I respect your input...AND here's what I'm going to do."
Liz: You wrote a blog post saying you flip-flopped between feeling on top of the world with your writing and feeling like you had no idea what you were doing. How did you cope with those flip-flops?
Ash: Oh, for me that was part of the fun! If you always know what you're doing, you're not doing anything worthwhile. Because you're not doing anything new.
By definition, doing something that expands your horizons is going to require you to feel like an asshole, half the time. And what a fun experience, to be humbled that way. And to be able to look at the world through fresh eyes again. I love a beginner's lens!
Even though you do feel completely out of your depth, half the time. What a rush!
Liz: What have you loved most about this book journey so far? How has that made you feel?
Ash: You know what I love about it? It feels BIG enough.
So often, we waste our lives and our time working on projects that are not ~really~ worthy of our potential. We do work for clients that we aren't that excited about, and we work on projects for ourselves that we don't love that much, either, but that "make sense" or have "high revenue potential."
But something can make sense and still make you miserable—so I try not to use that logic when deciding on what projects to embark on. I try very hard to consider what ACTUALLY makes me creatively horny, and follow it all the way home, baby.
This project? So, so creatively horny. That's how it's made me feel. ;)
Liz: What advice do you have for anyone wanting to write a self-help, how-to, or memoir book?
Ash: Nobody cares about your story.
They care about what it means for them.
That doesn't mean you can't tell your story; it simply means you must tell it through the lens of what it means for the greater good of all of us.
Where are the universals? The truths? The raw material that makes us all human?
That's what a book is about. Not an author's journey, but what it means for the rest of us.
Liz: Thank you, Ash! You rock.
What’s The Middle Finger Project about?
Curious what the book’s about? So was my son when I received my copy today.
Here’s what you need to know:
Fresh, funny, and fearless, The Middle Finger Project is a point-by-point primer on how to get unstuck, slay imposter syndrome, trust in your own worth and ability, and become a strong, capable, wonderful, weird, brilliant, ballsy, unfuckwithable YOU.
"Don't worry, this isn't a book about God, nor is it a book about Ryan Gosling (second in command). But it is a book about authority and becoming your own." —Ash Ambirge
According to Ash:
Number of hours Ash has spent to date working on this:
1,872 hours
Number of humans who have worked on this:
At least 22 (not counting all of the fabulous production people whose names I do not know), but otherwise including: agents, editors, publishers, proofreaders, assistants, publicists, marketers, designers, and folks on both sides of the pond.
A free excerpt of the book
Ash was kind enough to gift me an advanced reading copy of the ebook, which I devoured.
And I was still thrilled to get my physical copy today! It’s that good. I can’t wait to go back through this bad boy with a highlighter.
I’m also sending copies to friends. (Ahem, if you hate your job and we’re best buds, there’s one headed your way. You’re welcome.)
But if you don’t want to hold your breath for that, Ash is generously giving you a free excerpt from her new book. You don’t even need to give your email. It’s totally free. Just click here for the PDF.
Then, shoot me an email and let me know what you think. Love it? Think she’s crazy? Has she inspired you to finally write your book? I can’t wait to hear.