I wrote the book that I wished I had in my hands 3 years ago, when my wife and I were faced with the biggest decision of our lives.
Daniel Prince – 18 December 2017
The Back Flap
So many of us are stuck on the hamster wheel of life, much like King Sisyphus who was eternally tormented, forced to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain, only to watch it roll back down again!
This book is living and working proof that by thinking just a little differently and taking what you perceive to be a risk, you can forge a better, fuller life for yourself and your family.
Step inside the life of Daniel Prince and his family, long-term family travellers, worldschoolers and digital nomads. Learn about the sharing economy and how you can leverage it to your advantage. Gain insight into the many blueprints for a better path that are out there waiting to be discovered.
This book is the perfect launchpad from which to start your journey. It’s almost impossible to put down. More importantly, it’s backed up by the proof of the author and his family’s epic journey and life transformation since quitting the rat race!
Author Daniel Prince goes to great lengths to share valuable knowledge, tips, emotions, coping mechanisms and much more. He holds nothing back in his quest to share his message with other young families. There is a way to do this! This is how one family made it possible, and how you can do it too!
Opening this book is your invitation to step off the wheel.
About the book
What is the book about?
How to escape the rat race, live life to the fullest and spend more time with your family or loved ones. My wife and I managed to do this with our 4 young kids, and we travelled the world for 2.5 years via the sharing economy. We still remain ‘out of the system’ and I have chronicled the tools tricks and hacks of long-term family travellers, worldschoolers and digital nomads.
When did you start writing the book?
November 2016
How long did it take you to write it?
11 months
Where did you get the idea from?
After being asked by so many people about how we managed to escape the 9-5, take our kids out of school, travel long-term and how we financed it, I decided it was time to help others. I wrote the book that I wished I had in my hands 3 years ago, when my wife and I were faced with the biggest decision of our lives.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Not really, it was all in my head, we had lived it and done it, I just needed to get it out of me and onto paper!
What came easily?
Writing about something I was passionate about.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The story is about our family, and all of the other amazing people we met along our journey, who can also inspire yourself and others!
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Tim Ferris’s book The Four Hour Work Week was the book that made me quit my career at age 37, sell all of our belongings, take our 4 kids out of school and travel long-term for almost 3 years.
Do you have a target reader?
I imagined it would be professional males between 35 and 50 who were tired of grinding out the rat race. But I have received feedback from all age groups and sexes, so it seems this book is for anybody!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I will generally just start tapping away at the keys, perhaps journal what I did yesterday. It helps me get into the right mind set and feel. This can be any time of day, and I prefer to stand up when typing. I also loop the same albums over and over in my earphones, generally Appetite for Destruction by Guns ’N’ Roses! This helps keep any background noise or distractions to a minimum, and because I know the music so well it rarely even registers to me that it’s even playing.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I write whatever content comes to me and then figure out where to place it in the flow of the book afterwards.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I re-read every session and edit as I go.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, I did, and she was worth her weight in gold, Ashley Dymmock De Tello!
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Yes, as said, I listened to Guns ’n’ Roses, and also the Stone Roses, I don’t know why I like roses so much!
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I tried one, but got nothing back. To be honest, in the back of my mind I always knew I would self-publish.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It’s in line with the message of my book, we have the power now to do almost anything we like. I didn’t want to bow to the mainstream publishing route. I knew I could self-publish and know for sure that my message would get out there, the way I wanted it to
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I found a designer to work with on the website, 99Designs. It is an excellent service and I have had huge response to the cover, it seems people love it!
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I winged it and I tried to market it entirely through connectivity. I used email, Facebook and Twitter. I have not spent 1 penny on PPC ads and yet my book remains in the top 5 across both categories it covers. The only thing I did do was to pay $60 to Freebooksy who helped get me some free downloads during my 5 day free promo.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
The best advice I ever read, and it was advice that pushed me over the edge was the following from Seth Godin. I hope it inspires you as it did me!
“Did you publish?
They (whoever ‘they’ is) made it easy for you to raise your hand. They made it easy for you to put your words online, your song in the cloud, your building designs, business plans and videos out in the world.
They made it easy for you to be generous, to connect, and to lead.
Did you?
Maybe today’s the day.”
About You
Where did you grow up?
In South East England
Where do you live now?
South West France
What would you like readers to know about you?
I almost didn’t make the jump, thankfully I went for it! There is nothing stopping anybody live the life they want, chase your dreams and make them reality.
What are you working on now?
More marketing!
End of Interview:
For more from Daniel, visit his website, follow him on Twitter, or like his page on Facebook.
Get your copy of Choose Life from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
