Note: I wrote this post on my “Writer on the Side” blog, but I’m cross-posting it here because it’s relevant to the topic of virtual teams and working remotely.
This is a fairly long post, so if you don’t have a lot of time to read, here is the TL;DR version.
- I’m writing a short book about remote teams (and how team members can play some fun and team-building games while they’re all working from home)
- 100% of the profits (for a month after the book is available for preorder) will be donated to supporting COVID-19 efforts
- I’ll be sharing everything about the process, including choosing a title, writing the book, publishing the book, and actual sales numbers (as well as how much money I’ll raise)
You might be interested in different parts of this journey, so here are the shortcuts for you to stay plugged in:
- If you’re only interested in buying the book when it’s out and supporting the cause, click here to sign up.
- If you’re interested in how to write and publish a book, click here to sign up for updates.
- If you’re interested in both, you just need to sign up the second link above (i.e. about how to write and publish a book) because I’ll be sending you the link when it’s out (so you don’t need to sign up to the first link)
Alright, here are the details and why I’m doing this.
Note: You can also listen to this article on my podcast rather than read it by clicking here.
A Little Background
My name is Hassan Osman. I’m the host of the “Writer on the Side,” a free podcast that teaches full-time employees how to write and publish books on the side.
I’m a writer on the side myself. I’m currently a Director at Cisco Systems (note: views are my own and not those of Cisco), and I’ve published several Amazon Bestselling books while working a full-time job.
I write short books for busy managers and focus on topics that help leaders manage their remote teams. A couple of my books include “Influencing Virtual Teams” and “Don’t Reply All.”
I’ve been working remotely for most of my career (I’m based out of Boston, MA), and I’ve studied issues related to virtual teams. I also run a blog called “The Couch Manager” where I share tips about working from home.
Why Am I Doing This?
As I write this post (in late March 2020), the world is going through a major coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A lot of people have lost their jobs, and those who didn’t are now forced to work from home.
I’ve been extremely fortunate that I work for Cisco Systems, a company that is a technology leader in the space of collaboration & working remotely (the folks behind Webex). I was already working remotely before the pandemic hit and I’m thankful that the impact on my own job has been minimal.
Others haven’t been so lucky.
In an effort to give back, I wanted to come up with an idea that can help the maximum number of people by leveraging my knowledge & skills in writing books and managing virtual teams.
And given that I have some free time on the weeknights & weekends (and that I’m stuck at home with my family for at least another month), I thought I’d use some of that time to give back.
My Three Goals
I have three main goals that I’d like to accomplish:
- Teach people how to write & publish a book: I hope to encourage anyone who has considered writing a book to finally write one. I hope I can inspire you to use some of your free time while you’re at home to create your book, and I’m going to show you everything I’ll be doing (including how much money I raise).
- Help remote teams through virtual team building activities: A big pain point for remote teams today is that they’re feeling isolated. The book I plan to write will give those teams a set of games and activities that will help with their team-building efforts.
- Raise Money for COVID-19 relief efforts: Ultimately, the main goal of this exercise is to raise some money and help those who need it during those difficult times. I plan on donating 100% of the profits from the book to one or more COVID-19 relief efforts (for a full month after the book is available for preorder).
All About the Money
You might have some questions about the money, so I thought I’d list them out here:
- Where will all the money go? I’m not sure yet, but it will definitely go toward one or more COVID-19 relief efforts. There are a few funds that I’ll consider and will update this post once I figure it out.
- Why are you donating profits for only one month? I expect most sales to happen during the first 30 days of publication (because this is a hot topic). I might end up extending the timeline after my book is published. However, I have to time-box this because I honestly don’t know what the future might hold. I’m fortunate that I don’t need the money from this now, but I might need it in the future to cover costs, etc., depending on several unforeseen factors.
- What exactly do you mean by profits? Those are the profits that are directly related to the book. I will share exactly how much I’ll pay for expenses like design, formatting, processing fees, etc., and how much revenue I’ll make, and calculate the total net profits that I’ll donate.
- When will you make the payment to those COVID-19 efforts? I don’t know yet because I’m not sure which platform or processes I’ll use and when I’ll receive payments. The donations will be made as soon as I receive the funds in my account (I’ll share screenshots 🙂 )
Why Did I Choose this Topic?
I’ll write a detailed post explaining why soon, but in summary, there’s a huge demand for this topic these days. I also have data from my blog that reinforces interest in this topic.
How Much Time Will This Take?
I hope to get this book published in a month. However, it might take a bit longer. That’s because my time is limited. I have a demanding full-time job and a family to take care of during this time. I also have to document the journey, which takes up even more time.
A Special Note to People working in Healthcare and Other Essential Services
I would be remiss if I didn’t state this.
To anyone who works in healthcare, including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, lab technicians, and support staff. And to anyone who works in other essential services, including first responders, grocery store employees, and transportation workers.
A huge thank you for everything you do.
While a lot of us have the privilege of working from home during this time, you’re out there risking your own safety to help others ❤️
How to Stay Connected
Here’s how to tag along.
- If you’re only interested in buying the book when it’s out and supporting the cause, click here to sign up.
- If you’re interested in how to write and publish a book, click here to sign up for the updates.
- If you’re interested in both, you just need to sign up the second link above (i.e. about how to write and publish a book) because I’ll be sending you the link when it’s out (so you don’t need to sign up to the first link)
You can also follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Stay safe,
Hassan
