QUICK NOTE: 2 days left to earn access to a secret chapter (coming soon) and other bonuses for purchasing my new book, How to Try Again.
Buy your copy wherever books are sold by tomorrow (Saturday June 20th) and forward your receipt to 1book@stevekamb.com to be included!
I’m going to tell you a few stories and then ask for your support.
Thanks for letting me throw a weeklong book launch party this week in this newsletter!
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Today is my birthday.
I am physically tired, emotionally exhausted, and overwhelmed… in the best way possible.
Three and a half years ago, I began work on writing a new book.
I fired myself from my own company to write it. My life changed dramatically along the way. Writing a book is strange and weird and wonderful:
You spend years toiling away at sentence structure and paragraphs and stories. You spend months deeply researching topics that never end up getting used. You cut out large parts that you love but don’t quite fit.
You write jokes and puns with punchlines that you HOPE will land years later.
And every day for years you say “I”m working on a book” and your friends and family are polite and friendly, but also wondering if you’ll ever be done…
You also wonder you’ll ever be done.
But then, one day, you are “done.”
You realize the book barely resembles the one you started writing. Which makes sense, because you barely resemble the person you were when you started writing too.
And then the book comes out.
You hold your breath and hope the book resonates with readers the way you intended. But that part is now out of your hands. The book belongs to the reader, who gets to decide how its message is interpreted.
How to Try Again is out in the world, now available on bookshelves in 9 countries (with more countries and languages to come soon).
Hilariously, it’s currently a #1 new release on Amazon… ahead of a 2000-year old book from an author named Marcus Aurelius. Better luck next time with your “new release,” Marcus!
I have been working so hard to get this book out into the world.
I am at the tail end of months of behind-the-scenes work, followed by two of the most chaotic, stressful, FUN weeks of my life.
I recorded enough podcasts recently that I strained my vocal chords.
Last week, I attended Craft + Commerce in Boise, where 450 people (!) got a copy of the book early. I had these fun shirts made so people could put my face with the book cover (here I am with my friends Chenell and Cat!). This was 5 days of meeting a few hundred new people!
And then I rolled RIGHT INTO PUBLISH WEEK!
I had my book launch part at Parnassus Books here in Nashville.
The voice in my head had me wondering if folks would show up. Getting people to show up for an event, about a book, in 2026 is a tall order!
But boy did people show up.
College friends (Olivia! and Eric!), members of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, long time readers, Instagram friends, folks from other states (Cole! George! Rachel!), new people who heard about me that day…
It was a packed house:
Shout out to Tim Grahl (of StoryGrid) who facilitated the discussion, my friends Sam Vander Wielan (and her friend Jen) who flew in, Allea Grummert, Lauren Hodge (and her husband Chris) for taking me out to dinner after the event.
I'm seeing dozens and dozens of photos of my book in the wild, on bookshelves in foreign countries, and lots of photos of my book with pets, like this one from my friend Sarah Peck's pup:
It's nearing the end of my launch week. I am physically and emotionally exhausted, in the best way possible.
The adrenaline is wearing off.
I am going to crash hard once I hit send on this email, but I’m so proud of a few key things over the past few months.
Proud Thing #1: I have allowed myself to enjoy EVERY minute of this.
The messages, the emails, the videos, the phone calls, the texts, the glowing reviews, the conversations, the support. I am taking it all in, and not taking any of this for granted. Keep the good vibes coming!
I wrote the crap outta this book, and I’m so glad it’s resonating with people deeply.
After declaring “expectation bankruptcy,” I am enjoying each day.
Here’s the other thing I’m proud of.
For my birthday, I am asking for your help
As somebody who struggles to ask for help, these past few months of support and these weeks of excitement have been unbelievable.
(I feel like Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame. If you know, you know.)
I am now going to be direct and ask for your support. Thank you for letting me do this.
IF YOU HAVEN’T BOUGHT A COPY YET:
Purchase by tomorrow (6/20) and forward your receipt to
1book@stevekamb.com, you’ll get access soon to a secret chapter, a book club, and more.
If you have enjoyed this free newsletter for any amount of the past 17 years, you’re going to love this book. It’s the most personal, vulnerable thing I’ve ever written.
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT THE BOOK:
You are my hero, and I’m so so thankful!
I appreciate you. I just high-fived my computer.
If you have the ability, I have another direct ask today:
Please leave an honest review (NOT written by ChatGPT) of my book on Amazon and Goodreads! A few sentences about your favorite parts would be huge.
I wrote this book, with my human fingers and my human brain, for fellow humans. Actual honest reviews from real readers will help this book reach the right audience.
If you have a friend going through a hard time, please share this with them!
If you post a photo of your book on social media, tag me on Instagram so I can see the photos! Feel free to involve your cute pet, like Allea’s cat Tillie here:
I went through the most challenging years of my life so far while writing How to Try Again. I have been so overwhelmed by the kindness and support of everyone that I have cried a lot of joyful tears
Thank you for coming with me on this weird odyssey over the past few years.
Thank you for your support of my book.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Thank you for being you.
Thank you.
-Steve
PS: You can still get your book bonuses (including a secret chapter) if you purchase a copy by tomorrow and forward your receipt to 1book@stevekamb.com.
