Well, it’s done.
On July 1, I turned in the manuscript for “The Findlay Market Cookbook.” It’s a whopper: 54,000 words, about 220 pages, full of 70+ interviews with local farmers and food entrepreneurs and about 125 recipes. The biggest project I’ve ever undertaken, by far.
And my goodness, was this a learning experience—from start to finish. I wrote about this Marathon Project (MP) several months ago on my blog and in my newsletter. (In fact, that post, in March, was the last one I’ve added to my blog. Yeah, I’ve been busy.) At that point, about 2 months into the MP, I had discovered some project-management tricks that would help manage a long-term gig, including breaking the MP into chunks and doing the pre-work necessary to make things move smoothly.
Now that I’ve wrapped up much of the work involved in the MP (marketing and promotional work will happen when the book is published this fall), I thought I’d document and share more of what I’ve learned during the experience. And I’m sure more “a-ha’s” will emerge the farther away from the MP I get.
image via creative commons license
The MP is smaller than you think it is. If you’re a “get-er-done” kind of person, one who tackles the to-do list with relentless pursuit and who’s not comfortable until tasks are finished, the Marathon Project will loom large on your plate from the very start. Until you finish, it will remain a constant presence on your mind and your calendar. The thing is, the MP is psychologically larger than it actually is. It will consume you … if you let it.
That said, the MP is large. And you probably won’t fully appreciate its magnitude until you’ve wrapped the project. Only when I finished the last step of my cookbook project—when I compiled all the profiles and recipes and front matter and miscellaneous stuff, about 200 separate pieces, into a single document—did I realize just how BIG this MP was. Only then did I truly feel a sense of accomplishment. When you reach the finish line of your MP, look back and consider all the ground you’ve covered.
Know that you’ll hit the wall, and trust that the inspiration you need will come. I had about 10 final profiles to write for the book and was scrambling to gather recipes—and I couldn’t keep going. I hit the wall. I was just going through the motions, totally un-fired-up about the project. Then Julie Kramer, the photographer, shared some of the images she was getting for the book. They were amazing. Perfect for the project. Those shots gave me the dose of inspiration I needed. When you hit the wall in an MP, keep your eyes open for something that will give you the buzz to get to the finish.
Business development efforts shouldn’t cease. For the final month of the project, I graciously declined several other gigs so that I could focus solely on the book, and I let my clients know that I’d again be available in a few weeks. It was scary to say no to business, but I felt I needed to. During that time, though, I also cut off other marketing channels: didn’t contribute to my blog, put the newsletter on hiatus, neglected business-development follow-ups. This was not smart. Next time I find an MP on my plate, I’ll be more disciplined about carefully keeping the marketing machine turning.
Find a way to celebrate. When you reach the finish line on a Marathon Project, do something deliberate and meaningful to celebrate, particularly if it’s a team effort. Lunch, happy hour, an afternoon off … find a way to reward the effort and acknowledge your quality work.
Finish that Marathon, catch your breath, and then get back to doing the great work you do.
Working on a project that I can help with? Get in touch—I’m ready to start something new!