Pens Down: The Strong CORE Manuscript is Out of My Hands

Deep breathe in… now release it. The file finished uploading. I clicked the button that officially sent the manuscript for Strong CORE: The Inner Work That Grows Lasting Leaders to my revisions editor for final review and now off to copy editing. Then, for the first time in months, I just sat there in the silence of my office.

Pens down.

It is a strange feeling to spend hundreds of hours pouring your soul into a document and then suddenly realize you are no longer allowed to touch it. There are no more rewrites. There are no more “just one more change” sessions where I change the say something is being presented, only to change it back. This is officially out of my hands and in the hands of the professionals who will helpmake this a reality.

The feeling is entirely surreal.

When I started this process, I knew it would be a challenge. I expected to be challenges in ways that would completely stretch me. I expected the technical hurdles of organizing my thoughts into something coherent. What I did not fully anticipate was the emotional weight of the work. Writing this book was not just an exercise in leadership development. It was an exercise in my own personal evolution. There were moments of genuine doubt, some tears, and many instances where I wondered if I actually had anything left to say. But today, the primary emotion is gratitude.

The Journey of the Last 16 Weeks

Looking back at the calendar, it has been a wild ride. Since January, my life has been measured in word counts and chapter outlines. I have spent a lot of time talking about the “pruning” process in leadership, but I had to live it while writing this manuscript. I had to cut out stories I loved because they didn’t serve the reader. I had to simplify complex ideas that I thought were brilliant but were actually just confusing.

The Strong CORE community has been the backbone of this entire process. Every time I shared a snippet or a “muse” post and received feedback, it reminded me why I was doing this. You weren’t just waiting for a product. You were participating in a process. We have been building this together, and knowing that there were people waiting to read these words kept me at the desk when I wanted to be anywhere else.

What “Pens Down” Actually Means

In the world of publishing, “pens down” is a bit of a misnomer. It does not mean I am going on a three month vacation. It means the nature of the work is changing. We are moving out of the raw creation phase and into the production phase. Here are the explicit words from the publishing company.

YOU MAY NOT:

1) Add content; 2) Delete content; 3) Reword content; 4) Rearrange content

Here is what the next few weeks look like for Strong CORE:

1. Copy Editing: A professional editor will begin going through the manuscript with a fine tooth comb. They are looking for more than just typos. They are ensuring the voice is consistent and the logic is sound. This is the stage where the rough edges get smoothed out. Chicago Manual of Style.

2. Book Cover Layout: We are finalizing the visual identity of the book. It needs to reflect the weight of the content while remaining approachable and modern. You will be brought into this part of the process.

3. Interior Formatting: This is where the manuscript starts to look like a real book. The fonts, the margins, and the placement of the “Coach Chris” insights all get locked in.

4. Proofreading: One final, exhaustive check to make sure everything is perfect before we go to print. A FULL read of the book, TWICE, is required before going to print.

This transition is necessary because a book is not just a collection of ideas. It is an experience for the reader. The work I have done so far was about the content. The work we are doing now is about the delivery.

The Inner Work That Grows Lasting Leaders

The title of the book focuses on “inner work” because that is the heart of what we do at CORE Inclusive Consulting. We often see leadership as a series of external maneuvers or strategic decisions. We think if we just have the right approach or the right checklist, we will succeed. But the reality is that leadership is a result of who you are becoming while you do the work.

People do not experience your intentions. They experience your core.

During the writing process, I had to consistenly confront my own core. I had to ask myself if I was leading in a way that aligned with the words I was putting on the page. It turns out that writing a book about leadership is the fastest way to realize where your own leadership needs growth. This manuscript is the result of that honest self reflection. It is not a textbook. It is an invitation to do the hard work of looking inward so you can lead more effectively outward.

Why This Isn’t a “Movement”

I have been very intentional about referring to Strong CORE as a community rather than a movement. Movements often feel like they are headed toward a specific, singular destination. They can feel loud and sometimes performative. A community, however, is a group of people who are committed to a shared set of values and who support each other in their individual growth.

The people who have supported this book project are not just followers. You are leaders who recognize that the old ways of “command and control” are fading. You understand that inclusive, effective leadership requires a level of self awareness that most people are unwilling to cultivate. We are a community of practitioners who are trying to get this right, one day at a time.

Looking Toward July and August

We have two major milestones on the horizon.

In July, we will have the digital launch. This will be the first time the full text is available to the world. It will be a moment for the Strong CORE community to finally see what we have been talking about for all these months.

Then, on mid-August, we have the soft launch as long as all of the logisitic work as they shoulld. I’ve been told that there is something special about holding the physical book in your hands. There is a weight to it that a digital file just cannot replicate. It represents the culmination of a vision that started long before I ever sat down to write the first chapter.

A Moment of Gratitude

I want to end this update by saying thank you.

Thank you to the early supporters who believed in this project when it was just an idea. Thank you to the people who read the early drafts and gave me the honest feedback I needed to hear.

This process has been a reminder that nothing significant is ever achieved in isolation. We like to celebrate the “author,” but the reality is that a book is a communal effort. Every conversation I have had with a client, every coaching session that challenged my perspectives, and every interaction with this community is woven into the pages of this manuscript.

The pens are down, but the journey is just getting started. I am excited to share the next phase of this process with you as we move through copy editing and design. I will continue to share behind the scenes updates and snippets as we get closer to the launch dates.

A Moment to Reflect

What is one area in your own leadership where you need to “put the pen down” and let the next phase begin? Sometimes we hold onto projects or decisions for too long because we are afraid of what happens when they are no longer in our direct control. Growth requires us to trust the process and move forward.

I would love to hear your thoughts. As we move into this production phase, what are you most curious about regarding the book? Are there specific leadership challenges you are hoping we addressed?

The manuscript is out of my hands, but our conversation is just beginning.

Stay Strong,

-Coach Chris