Today is the day. Publishing day. My book, Transform Procurement: The Value of E-auctions, comes out today. I implemented my first e-auction program basically without guidance, and I’m hoping my book helps give people a quick roadmap so they don’t have to take two years and make every mistake along the way like I did. Working titles for my book included “The Human Side of E-auctions” and “E-auctions Are Not Evil,” and both of those titles still apply. Both of them still convey what I’m trying to accomplish – e-auctions get a bad rap but are not evil. To implement them well, to transform procurement and capture value, a team MUST consider the human side of implementing e-auctions. How you talk about e-auctions makes all the difference and my recent work with clients shows that so clearly. So without further ado, here’s my book journey (so far!), and some things I wish I had known.
Timeline
I started my book with an outline after a friend suggested I write my book in August 2019. I think I wrote that outline in an airport on the way back from a company leadership conference, and I still have the planner page with that original outline (see the graphic attached to this article). I opened a google doc and wrote the paragraph that eventually started my introduction. And then I closed the google doc and ignored it. For four years. In that time I moved from being a Director with a team of 12 to a VP with a team of 150, worked on leading our transformation from five distinct US procurement teams into one supply chain team, and just generally focused on my corporate career. Then there was a political shakeup in the ranks above me and I left that company for another one in October 2022. I survived that new job for a year and we parted ways mutually in October 2023. Then I was left figuring out what was next.
By the time I decided to start building my own business, my father had published his first book in 2015 and was drafting his second. (They’re on computer mathematics and called “The End of Error” and “Every Bit Counts” in case you’re interested. Apparently writing books in super niche topics is genetic?) While my brother did primary beta reading/editing responsibility on my dad’s first book, I was in a position to do it for his second. So my dad and I started exchanging chapters of our books. I sent him chapters 1 and 2 on November 15, 2023, and sent Chapter 9 (now Chapter 8 because of the editing process) on March 15, 2024. I wasn’t in a hurry to write it, and I also didn’t fully write sequentially even though I sent them to my dad that way. I wrote chapters in the order that appealed to me, and then I would edit through them before sending them to my dad.
Then a LinkedIn connection I met on a plane perhaps a year or two earlier mentioned an editor in a post. She said her company had worked with Jessica Burdg on several projects and was recommending her editing work. That was a sign from the universe, so I sent Jessica a note in May 2024 and asked her what the next steps were (being completely clueless and not even sure what path I should go down). Jessica did a lovely “editorial letter” where she made suggestions and gave me an overview of some strengths and opportunities of my manuscript. Her biggest piece of advice was: More stories. Any time I made a point I should tell a story to strengthen what I was trying to say. So I did a major edit over the summer and sent it back to her again for a full editing cycle in October 2024. At the same time, I asked her for advice/referrals on what was next.
Jessica connected me with Rose Friel, who owns Forward Lit Consulting. While Jessica worked on my manuscript, I met with Rose and she sent me a lovely guide on the three paths to publishing:
- Traditional/Trade – what most people think of, this is with a major publisher who pays you for your book and takes some of the royalties. It probably means you have a very wide audience
- Hybrid – you pay a small publisher to publish and they take care of cover, editing, perhaps some marketing, and you keep all the royalties
- Self-publishing – the full do-it-yourself path where you subcontract all the pieces (project managing, cover design, editing, etc.) and retain full control over the process
I didn’t want to climb the learning curve for self-publishing and my book is too niche for traditional, so I wanted to go the hybrid route. Rose introduced me to Sierra Melcher who runs Red Thread Publishing in October 2024. I signed my contract with Red Thread and then submitted my manuscript for their editing process December 5, 2024. Side note: I learned they typically get manuscripts earlier in the process. My starting with an edited manuscript was pretty unusual. If I was doing it again, I think I’d go to them after the stage when I got that first editorial letter from Jessica.
I got my publisher-edited manuscript at the end of January 2025 due to the holidays (otherwise it would have been faster) and started requesting book blurbs in the meantime. I worked through the edits in February and resubmitted the manuscript 99% complete March 7, 2025.
Now it really started to come together! I got my first author proof on April 6th after working through cover design, formatting, and other details (my unboxing video that makes me cringe a bit is here in case you want to watch me awkwardly open the first copy I could hold in my hands). I went through and made formatting notes (weird page breaks, making graphics bigger, etc.) on April 11, 2025, and got my second author proof April 24.
My publisher sent me social media graphics, which is part of what you can get with a hybrid publisher, and I spent a few hours on May 5th scheduling social media posts on LinkedIn and Facebook so I wouldn’t have to remember to do it every day. I also scheduled a book release party for myself when two of my NAWBO sisters and mentors pointed out to me that I really needed to do so (thanks Kendra and Suzanne!). They pointed out to me that it doesn’t have to be a “buy my book” party, it can be a “celebrate this accomplishment with me” party.
Pre-orders released on May 13th, which is also the day I hit #1 Amazon bestseller status in three categories! I also got to #1 on the hot new release list in Finance and was #43 in the entire Management and Leadership category (right between The New One Minute Manager and Ikigai & Kaizen, both of which are excellent)!
That brings us to today. Release day. Today I’m a bestselling published author. It’s not time to let up, next is making sure I can get my book in the hands of those who need it. The first piece of my “book tour” includes being part of ISM World 2025 June 1-3, sponsored by Synertrade and then presenting at the SIG one-day event in Chicago June 5th. I want people to know that e-auctions are not dead, that there is a way to run them that doesn’t destroy supplier relationships or become a race to the bottom, and that my book can help them on their journey.
Here’s the abbreviated timeline in case you’re interested in the short version:
August-September 2019 – write outline
October 2023-March 2024 – draft main manuscript
May 2024 – first professional edit/directional letter
October-November 2024 – second professional edit
November 2024 – find a publisher
December 2024-January 2025 – publisher edit
February-March 2025 – go through publisher edit and resubmit final copy
April 2025 – author proof(s)
May 2025 – final touches, pre-order, release, and celebration
June 2025 – “book tour” at ISM World and SIG|ORG one-day conference
Things I Learned/Wish I Knew/Was Glad I Heeded
I am a little notorious in my family for making a “lessons learned” document after certain events. I have one for every family and girls’ trip. I have one for my daughter’s freshman band experience (because that one sideswiped me like I couldn’t believe). I have one for prom (what time is the best time for the hair appointment?). This is probably the deep-seated continuous improvement streak in me, but regardless of why I’m like this, here’s my thoughts from writing and publishing a book. Perhaps in a year I’ll have a few more on having a newly released book…
- Write drunk, edit sober. I first received this advice when working on my Master’s degree thesis, and I’ve tried to heed it since. This doesn’t mean literally writing drunk, of course. It means putting words on a page. Without fear, without inhibition. In the modern day, this also does NOT mean using a large language AI to write for you (like ChatGPT) when it comes to a book. Scope of work? Absolutely. Book? Ugh. No. Know that once you’ve written it, you’ll clean it up in editing. And it’s ok to even decide to throw it all out. Draft fearlessly. Leave the careful, thoughtful bit for editing.
- Schedule a time to write or you won’t do it. This advice is everywhere, I’m not unique in offering it. We all have times of the day that are best for our writing. I usually write this blog midday or early afternoon because that works best for me. I also mostly followed this for writing my book, but for me it was more that I knew when I was planning to write each week and would do it then. I didn’t tend to put it on a calendar, but do what works for you.
- Know who your audience is. This one is a big one, and I’m not entirely sure I nailed it. But if you’re having trouble focusing your narrative or it feels scattered, start by writing down a description of the person you’re writing your book for. What do they care about? What do they prioritize? What are they struggling with? What do they worry about/want/need/fear? Then write your book as if you’re writing to that imaginary person.
- Know your goal for your book. Does it help people? With what? This is true whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.
- You don’t have to write your book sequentially. Start with the chapter that excites you to write it and that you’re most clear about. An outline can be very helpful to stay organized, but don’t get stuck with your computer cursor blinking at you right after a fateful “Chapter One”.
- Find a good beta reader. This person doesn’t have to be an English (or whatever language) major, or a writer, or anything like that. But they do have to be meticulous with good spelling and grammar, and they need to also understand who you’re writing for. It was helpful that my dad doesn’t know much about supply chain management. He could call me on jargon I didn’t even realize I was using. I was a good beta reader for him because even though I’m not big into computer mathematics, I could tell him when the tone of his writing was edging too far into arrogance or ranting (yes, my dad ranted in a math book. He has a bit of a feud with another mathematician and that tends to show up in his writing).
- Your target for a basic nonfiction book is 20,000 to 40,000 words. I couldn’t seem to find this guidance anywhere, despite looking early on. My book is about 27,000 words with everything included and is right around 100 pages when printed in paperback (6 inches by 9 inches). My publisher has a threshold where they consider it to be a “longer” book if it’s more than 40,000 words.
- Decide your top priority in a publisher. Are you looking for a community? Expertise in your specific field? Lowest cost? How much hand-holding or guidance do you want? What do you want the product to look and feel like in the end? For a few dollars, you can buy a book done by a publisher you’re considering and just see if you like how it looks and feels. There are options within a publisher, of course, but just like a craft brewery often has a signature flavor, most publishers have a bit of a feel to them.
- You won’t make money off royalties (unless you’re with one of the big publishers). Your book is likely to be more about getting your message out, building authority, and reaching people you can help. Especially in today’s world, royalties just aren’t a lot of money compared to speaking engagements, keynotes, and other doors a published, bestselling book can open.
- The whole preorder on Amazon process is pretty weird. This is where the help of a publisher was best for me as I simply didn’t want to climb that learning curve. There are lots of things to know about which categories are the right ones for your book, how to reach that #1 bestseller status, how to write the book description, formatting/uploading the manuscript, how to get author proofs and those first author copies, and all kinds of other stuff I was so glad I had help with. Amazon lets individual publishers (which is probably what you are even if working with a small publisher/publishing hybrid) do a preorder for the ebook, but not the hard copy/paperback. Which is strange. Again, publisher expertise is magic here.
- My brain turned to goo on the day pre-orders open. I didn’t expect this. I don’t remember it happening to me on the day I turned in my Master’s thesis or similar major points in my life, but I really felt like I couldn’t accomplish anything on the day my book opened for pre-order. I wished I had pre-composed the email to my friends and family asking them to buy a copy of the ebook because it was suddenly hard to write. I’ve heard this happens to some people on the day their book actually releases, so perhaps it will happen to me again today. But I should have just scheduled an “off” day on the day preorders opened.
If you’ve read this far and would like to download the graphics from my book as well as a simple Excel e-auction implementation Gantt chart, you can do so on the right side of the page here. There are also international links to the book on that same page.
That’s my published author journey so far. If you think you might have a book in you, would like a warm introduction to a very supportive and lovely publisher (Red Thread Publishing), or would just like to talk, let’s chat. If you’d like to get these articles weekly straight to your inbox and never miss one, sign up for my newsletter.
My book, Transform Procurement: The Value of E-auctions is now available in ebook and paperback formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F79T6F25
