Down the Final Stretch...
A Few Words on Finishing My Book & Next Steps
Almost a full year ago, I sat in the small study of an Airbnb, amidst one of the hottest Joshua Tree summers you can imagine. 114 degrees on a regular day, never dipping below 90 degrees at night. Thankfully, this space was sleek and modern, furnished with strong air conditioning.
My temporary desert home looked like a futuristic space cube, plucked from the pages of an architecture magazine and placed on the sand like a Lego. Quite the eye-catching structure, with every inch of the interior design perfectly crafted with organization and cleanliness in mind.
Meanwhile - the Substack draft page of my “Chapter 1” was anything but.
I first had the idea to write this book (at least, a version of it) a few years ago. Conversations about digital wellness, online privacy, and the awareness needed for optimal mental health permeated much of the past decade. Whether it was discussions with family, peers or coworkers about finance, socialization, dating, networking, or traveling -every topic seemed to filter through the modern digital lens.
Social Media and Smartphones were the hottest couple at this new-age shindig. You couldn’t talk about how the party was going without bringing them up.
The meat of The Social Media Detox was there. I knew I had substance. Personalized fitness guidance had married with years working in Consumer and Corporate Tech. My personal “Digital Privacy Overhaul,” an undertaking which took two years, built the blueprint for elucidating online privacy. Storytelling skills were honed in my twenties from writing screenplays for film, so a narrative for the book formed quickly.
And yet, every book starts with a page 1. A vision is not a reality, no matter how vivid in one’s mind. Every word carries weight, and I had to crank out 40,000 of them. Then edit. Then write some more. Then edit.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Fast forward eleven months, and I’m sitting at another desk of another Airbnb. This one in a large family house in Anchorage, Alaska. I’m here for ten days, to climb mountains, see some whales, and commemorate the completion of my book.
The scenery has changed, but the mission has not.
I’ve moved from one page to two hundred and forty (give or take).
Now, the real work begins. Or so I’m told.
Substack was never the final destination - just a vehicle to get me there.
And now, I’ve arrived at “Book is Done, Time to Share It With the World” Station.
I’m looking forward to this next step - publishing my writing as a cohesive work, complete with a world-class book cover (Thank You, Maria Outlaw) and the widespread availability of Kindle and Audible.
I am currently vocal-chords deep in finishing the audio version of the book, as I feel this medium reaches many who already spend hours each week listening rather than page-turning.
There is a huge delta between the esteemed mediums of creation that historically defined literature and the nascent platforms that convey knowledge to today’s youth. Find me an avid reader of novels in their middle age, and I’ll point out multiple streaming apps they’ve never heard of. Point to an established outlet of information, and I’ll name ten websites with a larger viewership or readership that never land on most book lovers’ radars.
In other words, this endeavor of mine was never just about writing a book. It was about avoiding spreading my message through Tik Tok clips while simultaneously reaching the demographic that spends a disproportionate amount of time on Tik Tok.
This trapeze maneuver culminated in a strategy that I hope will prove successful.
I will be publishing The Social Media Detox by the end of this summer, either via a large publisher or Amazon. This will include a digital version of the book via Kindle, as well as the Audible version.
I have crafted a marketing approach that best balances my personal principles with targeting the audience I wish to serve. I could have always created short clips of video content for YouTube and Instagram, giving the algorithm gods exactly what they want. But I’m invested in outsmarting the beast, not feeding it. Time will tell if my strategy proves effective.
The posted chapters will soon be removed from this Substack, as it had served its purpose.
Until then, I will share updates to my Substack subscribers with links to all available formats and locations. If you are a Kindle or Audible user, please consider reading or listening to The Social Media Detox in its entirety via those mediums. The book will likely be available in paperback as well in the near future.
I am overwhelmed with appreciation that you’ve taken the time to read this. Every writing endeavor is an undertaking, and sharing it widely is a leap of faith.
I hope many find the book informative, nurturing, and contemplative in ways that improve their lives. I hope you do as well. Please consider sharing it with others in your life that could benefit from a better balance between their online activity and real-world interaction.
Please know that I am beyond grateful for your support, committing your time to words I typed into a screen across landscapes and time zones.
With all sincerity - it means the world to me.
Thank You.
Looking Forward To What Comes Next,
—
Richard Anthony Garzarelli
(Soon-to-be wildly successful author)
((I hope)) 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
