Why I Said "No" to Working With My Favorite Authors…

I was walking around my in-laws’ property, barely a bar of cell service, when I saw the message.

It was in LinkedIn from Christopher Lochhead 🇺🇸🇮🇱🏴☠️ (you know the Category Pirates guy?)

“I’m working on something and I think you can help me.What’s your number?”

I stopped in my tracks.

Sweating.

Shaking.

This wasn’t just a message.This was the guy.

The co-author of Play Bigger, the book that changed the way I see business, brand, and the very concept of competition.

My favorites author… (along with his writing bands of course!)

In minutes we were talking.

He told me the band was getting back together.

The original authors of Play Bigger, Lochhead, Al Ramadan , plus the Play Bigger team members Mary & Jason had written a new mini book.

The Existing Market Trap.

And then he said it.

“We’d like you to be the editor.”

My heart dropped.

Not from excitement, but from the sheer weight of the ask.

Because here’s the truth: I’m not an editor. I don’t play like I’m one online. And I wasn’t about to fake it, not with this crew.

I wasn’t scared to say yes. I was honest enough to say no.

Because I knew if I took that job, I might ruin something great they were creating.

But that wasn’t the end of the call.

HE came back with something else.

“We need someone to own this. To oversee the whole process. To make sure this book gets done right.”

That, I could do.

I found them an editor. Hired him. Overaw the production plan. And took on a level of publishing leadership I’d never stepped into before.

For five weeks, I had the honor of spearheading production on the most important mini book I’ve ever touched.

We weren’t just formatting and proofing, we were shipping a category defining lighting strike.

• Print design.
• ePub formatting.
• Multiple hardcover iterations.
• Cover glitches.
• Phantom boxes showing up in print.
• Email threads & texts at midnight.
• Final checks at 6:00 a.m.

This wasn’t self-publishing. This was category warfare in real time.

And I got to be a part of it.

I learned more in five weeks than I have in five years.

And I’ll be bringing every single insight, every upgrade, to those on my Revenue Writers Newsletter.

• New production flows.
• Better quality control.
• Cleaner formatting systems.
• Fewer missed details.
• More momentum.

Because when you help ship a book for the team that taught you everything you know about category design… You don’t come back the same.

So yeah... I almost said no. (well I did to the first request)

But I’m so glad I said yes.

Much goodness to come.

Lesson?

Stick to what you are great at, pass on what you can’t help with. People will thank you for it.

– Chris Stanley

P.S. If you haven’t freaking read the Existing Market Trap… do it NOW. It’ll take about 1hr and change the way you see your business and writing forever