Behind the scenes
Last January, I started something that felt equal parts terrifying and hopeful. I stepped out from the in-house teams of traditional publishing to run my own ghostwriting and editorial services business. Now, twelve months in, I’m less starry-eyed but more satisfied—and determined to help books get out into the world. I’ve learned a lot in my quest, and one of the biggest lessons has been that unsexy work makes the difference.
All the dramatic client wins and revelatory manuscript transformations are only possible because of what happens behind the scenes. I warned you it was unsexy, but here it is: the secret is capacity management.
Big Goals, Meet Daily Smallness
Have you ever had this feeling? You start out the day with big visions and a clear sense of what matters. Then the day sweeps in like an officious middle manager with relentless smallness—emails, scheduling conflicts, draining meetings, tasks that take 3x longer than planned. It’s noon, but you're flustered, behind, feeling not in control. (Spoiler alert: you'll never be fully in control, but you CAN feel steadier).
The gap between what you want to accomplish and what actually gets done doesn’t have to be framed like “I lack willpower.” You’ve got plenty of willpower!! It’s about capacity (the power to hold, receive, absorb). And managing capacity requires feeding an unsexy, ravenous beast with data, reflection, and experimentation. Think of it as running a lab where you’re both the scientist and the subject, the artist and the medium.
My father was a scientist and an artist. He’d appreciate this approach—tracking variables, adjusting conditions, observing results without judgment, getting information to make better decisions and bigger plans. This is exactly what artists do, by the way. But they call it “play.”
Feeding the Beast: A Lab Notebook for Your Book Journey
QOE TIP #1: Start with What Matters
Feel the feels. When something makes you frustrated, anxious, or wildly hopeful, that means you care. Honor the feelings, don’t stuff them away. Write them down or transcribe them. What do you want to do with your book, your writing, your creative work? Now think: what’s getting in your way?
QOE TIP #2: Data = Power
Track your hours for one week. Where does your time actually go? You may discover that what you think is the problem often isn’t. I discovered I was spending twice as long on administrative tasks as on actual manuscript development.
QOE TIP #3: Daily Non-Negotiable Check-In
Every morning, identify 1–3 things that are important that day. It might be family time. Might be writing a chapter or researching photos for your book. These aren’t your entire to-do list—they're your anchors. (Spoiler alert: You might not get to your anchors every day. That’s not failure. Trust that you’ve got some damn good reasons to NOT complete everything mixed in with some not-so-good reasons.)
QOE TIP #4: Daily Non-Negotiable Reflection
Every evening (or morning after), look at the day before. How did you do? Did you work more quickly than expected? Did something take longer?
QOE TIP #5: Experiment Like a Scientist, Play Like an Artist
Try a task at a different time of day. Dial up your focus or attempt it in 15 minutes instead of the hour you planned. Be open to surprises. Your unsexy beast rewards curiosity.
QOE TIP #6: Weekly Debrief
At the end of the week, give yourself credit. What worked? What didn’t? What will you try next? Feel the feels, then focus on what can be adjusted.
What Changed for Me
I think about what I say yes to and what I don't. I approach my daily and weekly schedules like an artist and a scientist, with discipline, as a practice—which means I have a lifetime to perfect. I note when work that once satisfied me now leaves me empty. The benefit is twofold: I free myself to do better work, and I connect excellent professionals I respect to the jobs I can't do anymore.
The results showed up. I hit deadlines—and insist that authors hit them too. I give myself and my clients buffer time. I have time for good conversations—one of the most uplifting parts of my work. I can be flexible, and authors know they can be too. It's not perfect, but it's so so so much better than feeling like being behind or trying to play catchup or waiting for the dust to settle. (Spoiler: The dust never really settles, so better to just get started.) Some projects cost more than their fee suggests—and I'd rather spend my energy on author care than negotiating around work that doesn't fit my standards.
In 2026, Why This Matters to Me
2026 is already tumultuous. I'm building a space where those who need to raise their voices for change have a place to do it. Books, writing, reading—this is serious business. People need to escape, to dream, to get a book into the world that changes it. They need to read something that sees them. This work can change people and change the world.
I want to help. But I can only help when I'm working with my capacity, not steamrolling over it. When I’m building rich, collaborative partnerships, not just scrambling through service relationships.
The unsexy beast needs feeding: data, reflection, problem-solving like a lab. And probably a lot more conversations that start with “No, but here's who could help you better than I can.”
What the world needs is smart, savvy, empathetic books of all stripes. And I want to get them into the world.
In Your Corner
What does capacity management look like for your book journey? Take one week to track where your time goes. You might be surprised by what the lab reveals.
And if you’re wrestling with the gap between your book vision and your daily reality, let’s talk. Book a 15-minute free call, and we’ll explore what's getting in your way—and what might shift if you fed your own unsexy beast.
Elizabeth Smith is a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book strategist with two decades of publishing experience—and a southpaw with a mean right hook. Between a NYC boxing gym and her Mojave Desert maison, she helps thinkers, creatives, and organizations articulate their ideas through books that resonate deeply.
And check out my Queen of Everything newsletter: Subscribe to get creative and practical tips for your book journey delivered monthly. .
