How I Published 137 Books in Fifteen Years
Not speed. Systems, standing research, and a refusal to start from zero twice.
By Robert Shumake · · 1 min read
Series thinking beats book thinking
A standalone book restarts every decision. A series inherits format, voice, and research infrastructure. Sixty-nine restored newspapers were possible only as a series.
Standing research
Every source I touch is filed against a topic, not a title. By the time a book begins, most of its research already exists.
Fixed windows
Three hours a day, same hours, no negotiation. Output over fifteen years is a function of consistency, not intensity.
What I would tell a new author
Pick a territory you would still be curious about in a decade. Build the filing system before the first draft. Publish the second book faster than the first, or the system is wrong.
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