Join The Spacious Path (Restful) Book Launch Team (+ gifts when you pre-order!)
I’ve been looking forward to writing this post almost as long as I’ve been writing my book. Finally, I get to invite a team to join me in launching my very first book into the world. Some of you have been keeping me company on the internet since I first started showing up here in 2006. We’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. AND HERE IT IS! I’ve written thousands and thousands of words over the past 17 years, but I’ve never written a book, and I’ve never had a launch team before. I can’t imagine celebrating this moment without those of you who keep me company here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here.
Pre-order the book: Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
If you want to join the team, here’s everything you need to know.
WAIT, YOU HAVE A BOOK COMING OUT?!
I do! It’s called The Spacious Path: Practicing the Restful Way of Jesus in a Fragmented World and it releases on June 20. That’s a little bit less than seven weeks from today. (About 45 days, but who’s counting?!?)
WHAT’S A LAUNCH TEAM?
The Spacious Path: Practicing the Restful Way of Jesus in a Fragmented World is the book I can’t wait to share with the world, and the (Restful) Book Launch Team is the name for the group of people I’m inviting to help me spread the word in the most restful way possible.
GOT IT, BUT WHAT’S A RESTFUL LAUNCH TEAM?
“Launching a book” is the commonly-used term for the project of introducing a book into the world. (Not unrelated: we use the same verb for sending our children into the world.) But the word “launch” makes me think about space-age weaponry rather than the gentle stroll around a prayer labyrinth that I hope my book evokes. So “launch team” feels a bit dissonant for a book I hope will, at the very least, persuade readers to take a nap once a week.
Our restful book launch could be known as a book club for people who need the book to help them more than they can help the book. People who join the restful book launch team don’t need to pressure themselves or others to read the whole book, and they don’t need to become marketers, authors, or experts on the subject matter.
THAT SOUNDS AMAZING. BUT WHAT DOES A (RESTFUL) LAUNCH TEAM DO?
I simply ask that you pre-order the book and then share about it before, during, and after the release date (June 20) through your community, blogs, websites, social media, and/or by leaving reviews on retailer sites.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
First, you’ll get a free digital download of the book delivered to your email inbox, and you can begin reading it right away. No one has read the book yet beyond my editors, my husband, and a few lucky friends. Even the people who’ve read an advanced copy and written endorsements haven’t seen the truly finished (and much improved) final draft that launch team members will receive.
You’ll also receive a reading guide each week leading up to the book's release. The reading guide will cover a couple of chapters of my book at a time and will include curated reflection questions and practices to help you consider how Jesus might be inviting you to practice a restful Rule of Life.
Twice a week I’ll post exclusive content on the (Restful) Launch Team site (on a platform called Substack) and can’t wait to share with you some of the goodies I’ve been preparing, including:
audio recordings of me reading various parts of the book.
beautiful printable resources illustrated by my super-skillful and generous friend, Amy Barker Willers.
curated playlists for each part of the book (obviously) to keep you company as you think about and share what you’re reading with your community.
invitations to exclusive book discussions with me and members of my First Readers team*, plus an occasional surprise guest (I’ll be recording these events to share on the (Restful) Launch Team site).
extra book content that I saved just for you
the ability to listen and comment in conversations with fellow launch team members.
The reading guide is intended to serve as an encouraging invitation for you to apply what you’re reading in the book. No assignments. No commitments. Return to it next week or next year!
WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
Pre-order the book: Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Enter your email in the form below.*
Watch your email inbox for free wall art today and the full digital download of the book on Tuesday, May 9.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ON THE TEAM?
As many people as pre-order the book can join the (Restful) Book Launch Team. I’m looking for fifteen team members to become my FIRST READERS DISCUSSION GROUP.
WAIT. WHAT’S A FIRST READERS DISCUSSION GROUP?
In order to keep The Spacious Path Book Launch Team a restful, spacious place for as many people as possible, I’m not anticipating everyone will actually be able to read the entire book before June 20. But I definitely want to hear what people who are reading the book are thinking, feeling, and doing in their real lives as a result of reading the book. So, I’m recruiting 15 first readers to join me for six book discussions between now and the end of June. We’ll record our conversations and share them with the whole launch team on Substack.
GREAT! SO HOW DO I APPLY AND WHEN WILL I FIND OUT IF I’M IN?
You can email me right here to let me know you’d like to join the First Readers Discussion Group. I’ll pick 15 members from the emails I receive and will largely base the selection on your availability to both read and meet for the virtual book discussions. I will take submissions through Wednesday, May 10.
If you are selected for the First Readers Discussion Group, you’ll receive an email by May 13th. (Save Wednesday evenings in May and June—but don’t sweat it if you have one or two conflicts.) I hope you’re one of the 15! I can’t wait to do this together.
Unable to be part of the launch team but interested in reading the book? The Spacious Path is now available for pre-order. Secure your copy on Bookshop, Amazon or Barnes and Noble and you’ll get the surprise delight of having my book magically appear in your mailbox or on your e-reader after June 20.