Summary: <br> Bucket list? Check! Three weeks ago I received an email out of the blue from a book publisher who wanted to know if I was interested in writing a book about productivity and early mornings. Well, that sounds like my favorite kind of email.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/getting-in-the-zone-7-proven-strategies/">← Previous Episode</a><br> <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/five-lessons-learned-when-starting-something-new-and-important/">Next Episode →</a><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/the-5-am-miracle-is-going-pro-i-just-signed-a-book-contract/"></a>Photo Credit: <a style="color: #808080;" href="https://www.jeffsanders.com" target="_blank">Jeff Sanders</a><br> I could have easily assumed this random message was junk mail and simply deleted it. In fact, I was highly suspicious of it when it first arrived. Who gets offers to write books in their inbox?<br> Turns out, this kind of thing actually does happen.<br> The 5 AM Miracle is Going Pro<br> Pardon me while I scream a little . . . Whoo Hooo! Book deal! Book deal! Book deal! Yeeeaaahhh!<br> Ok, enough of that. Let's get to the good stuff. The 5 AM Miracle, my <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/join-the-5-am-club/" title="Join The 5 AM Club" target="_blank">eBook</a> turned <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/the-5-am-miracle-podcast/" title="The 5 AM Miracle Podcast" target="_blank">podcast</a> is now making the next leap into a traditionally published book thanks to the wonderful people at <a href="http://ulyssespress.com/" title="Ulysses Press" target="_blank">Ulysses Press</a> in Berkeley, California.<br> In the back of my mind, for years now, I have been planning for this day. You could call it randomness, dumb luck, or coincidence, but offers like this happen for a reason. <br> It wasn't random.<br> The Journey to the Contract<br> I have been building websites since 2008, including my first, TessaAndJeff.com, which I created for my wedding. Though it's not around anymore, that little site was my beginning into the world of blogging, web design, and, yes, even podcasting.<br> The day after I got engaged Tessa and I returned from our trip to Cape Code and we were talking about how to share our wedding news. Tessa suggested I create a website and I was off to the races. It amazes me now how excited I was about it, but looking back I realize it was my beginning.<br> I saw an opportunity to create something, to experiment with my own creativity. In reality, I just wanted an excuse to have my own website.<br> Within a year I had developed a full site, complete with a plenty of pictures, blog posts, and a podcast named “Gibberish” that lasted 3 episodes and was the most rambling, incoherent audio program I could imagine.<br> In 2009 I started “Graduated and Clueless,” my first professional blog that would quickly turn into a self-published 220-page eBook and 6-hour audiobook, which you can <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com/books" title="Books" target="_blank">download for free here</a>.<br> In 2012 I transitioned my website at GraduatedAndClueless.com into JeffSanders.tv, which later transitioned to my current site here at <a href="https://www.jeffsanders.com" title="Homepage" target="_blank">JeffSanders.com</a>.<br> I literally spent thousands of hours developing these sites without making a penny. It wasn't until the last two years that I have been monetizing my work through coaching and product sales.<br> I think it's accurate to call my work a labor of love. I am in love with the creative process, seeing something appear out of nothing and knowing it only exists because I took action to create it.<br> 100% Self-Taught<br> I didn't go to school to learn how to code websites, write how-to articles, or produce productivity podcasts. Over the years, in combination with thousands of hours of consuming online vi...
