The book teaches readers how to create a five-year plan and has actionable career, finance, wellness, and relationship advice to help them achieve their goals. Early reviewers have called it “the book every twentysomething needs,” “the go-to guide for life after college,” and “basically the Google Maps for post-grad life.”

If you would like to order the book, it is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is selling quickly — Barnes and Noble has already restocked and Amazon has only nine copies left. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, is partnering with BookShop.org, an online bookstore whose mission is to facilitate online selling for independent bookstores. Small businesses are struggling right now and BookShop.org lets you safely purchase books online while supporting your local neighborhood bookstores. You can buy the book on BookShop here. It is also available digitally on Kindle or NOOK.

If you love the book, please share a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. This helps make the book more visible to potential readers. You can also spread the word on social media with the hashtag #WhatNextTheBook. If you post, please tag me so I can share it and say thank you! I’m @ElanaLynGross on Instagram and @ElanaLyn on Twitter.

I hope you’ll join me for my digital book launch party with my favorite networking group Six Degrees Society on April 28 at 7:30 pm EST. This Friday, I’ll be talking about the book with my mentor Kelly Hoey on her new show Planet Hoey Live at 5:00 pm EST. (You can tune in here!)

I hope that What Next?: Your Five-Year Plan for Life after College will help college seniors and recent graduates navigate this unprecedented time. The advice is helpful no matter how long it has been since you graduated from college!

I got a book deal largely because of my blog, so I am grateful for all of your support from the moment I first started writing the book to today, publication day. Writing a book takes early mornings, late nights, copious cups of coffee, and a strong support system and I am happy to have you as part of mine.

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Step 1: Write and edit the book proposal. (July 19 to August 30)

My process for landing a book deal was unique because an acquisitions editor reached out to me about the book idea. I wrote a book proposal for how I would approach the book and included a proposed table of contents, the introduction, sample chapters, and ideas for activities and sidebars in the book. Normally, I would have had to write a proposal, pitch literary agents, sign with a literary agent, and then pitch publishing houses.

Step 2: Negotiate the contract and sign the book deal. (August 30 to September 18)

I am fortunate to work with Leigh Eisenman from MacKenzie Wolf Literary Agency. She negotiated the offer and all of the terms of the book deal. It was so helpful to have her advocating on my behalf and negotiating the advance as well as all of the details like who would have the copyright. Leigh is a lawyer, so it was so helpful because she not only understands all of the publishing terms and procures that I didn’t know but she also understands legal contracts.

Step 3: Write and submit the first draft of the manuscript. (September 2 to October 23)

I started writing the book on September 2. The first 30% was due on September 23 and I got some feedback that was helpful for writing the rest of the book. I handed in all 100% on October 23. I did some writing early in the morning and after work, but I got most of the writing done over the weekends. I often wrote from 8 am to 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday. I challenged myself to write about 1,000 words a day during the week and at least 5,000 on the weekends and started sharing my word count progress on Instagram. I handed in the about 60,000-word first draft on October 23 then took the weekend off and went to a spa with my mom!

Step 4: Write the activities and sidebars throughout the book and all the additional materials. (October 28 to November 6)

Each chapter has one activity and two sidebars with extra information like definitions and facts. I also handed in the dedication and acknowledgments.

Step 5: Work with a development editor to edit each part individually. (November 1 to December 11)

I received an editorial letter from my development editor with high-level notes about the book. After that, he started editing each part of the book and sending it back to me to make edits. My development editor switched after we edited the first and second parts of the book so she read those again to make sure all the edits were consistent. She sent each part to me again as well as parts three and four and I made the edits. The development editors made the book exponentially better⁠⁠—they are so talented.

Step 6: The book is edited by a copyeditor.

A copyeditor read the entire book to check grammar, spelling, typos, and make sure the book adheres to house style.

Step 7: I edited the book again and handed in the second draft of the manuscript. I send a draft of the book to other authors for blurbs.

Once I got back the copyedited version, I read the entire book again and made edits. After that, I read it again and made another round of edits, and sent it to my editor. I sent a draft of the book to authors I admire to collect blurbs (AKA the short reviews you see on the back of most books).

Step 8: The book is getting formatted and I fact-check the entire book.

Now the book is getting formatted and I’m busy fact-checking the entire book. I wrote CK’s (for check) next to all the facts and I’m checking them all. We were all so careful at every editing round, but I want to triple check now that I have more time to dedicate to it.

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What you send to an agent depends on the type of book you are pitching. If you write fiction, the agent will want to see the full manuscript. If you write nonfiction, you’ll send a book proposal. Your agent will help you polish both, but you need to have a great first draft to get signed with a literary agent.

Some agents will have you send something shorter to query them initially instead of sending the full manuscript or proposal so check their website to learn how they want you to pitch them. Here are the most common ways to pitch a literary agent.

Query letter:

At the top of the letter, include your name and contact info and address it to a particular agent. A query letter is a one-page pitch for your book. Include the title and subtitle, the genre and category, the word count, and a short few-sentence summary of the book. Think of a combination of what you’d tell a friend if you were telling them about your book and what would be the description on the back of the book. Then add a short bio that includes any publications you’ve written for and what you do for work. Thank them for your time and sign the letter. 

Novel synopsis:

This is a one to two-page summary of the entire story. Explain when and where the story takes place and the main characters then summarize the main points of the story. Include the conflict in the book and the narrative arc. You should also include the ending. Write it in the third person.

Nonfiction book proposal:

A nonfiction book proposal is essentially a business plan for your book. I’ll write another post on how to write a nonfiction book proposal and the sections to include. Unlike fiction, nonfiction writers don’t have to write the entire manuscript to pitch a book. Focus on how the book will help the reader because that helps to show why there is a need for the book and why people will buy it.

Novel proposal:

Include a short elevator pitch for the book, a short bio, who the target audience is, a one-page synopsis, and two or three sample chapters. You could also include competitive titles, which are books that are similar to yours, and a few sentences on how you plan to market the book.

Sample chapters:

If you wrote a novel, it makes sense to send the first chapters. If you are writing non-fiction, send a few chapters that stand well on their own so the reader “gets it” even if they don’t have the full manuscript.

Most agencies will also say how soon you can follow up, so check that too so you don’t follow up too soon!

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Agents have relationships with editors at the publishing houses, they can help you edit your manuscript or proposal, and they advocate for you throughout the process of making the deal. Your book may go to auction or you could immediately get a book deal with one publishing house. Either way, it’s beneficial to have an agent who can negotiate your offer and your book contract.

You do need to pay an agent — they often get 15% of your advance and royalties. But in my experience, it is well worth it!

How I found a literary agent:

I found my literary agent Leigh Eisenman from MacKenzie Wolf because my friend Ashley Feinstein Gerstley worked with Leigh for her book “The 30-Day Money Cleanse.” Ashley sent Leigh a proposal I worked on for a few months before my book!

Leigh and I worked together on the proposal for a few months and started to pitch it at one publishing house, but then I got into Columbia Journalism School and decided to press pause. I started working right after graduation and was settling into the job when an acquisitions editor from Adams Media at Simon & Schuster reached out about “What Next?: Your Five-Year Guide to Life after College.”

How to find a literary agent:

I looked for agents on my own before Ashley kindly sent my proposal to Leigh. I recommend looking for agents on resources like Publisher’s Marketplace, Agent Query, and Query Tracker. Another big tip is to look at books like yours. Head to the bookstore and check the acknowledgments page because almost all authors will thank their agent.

How to query a literary agent:

What you send to an agent depends on the type of book you are pitching. If you write fiction, the agent will want to see the full manuscript. If you write nonfiction, you’ll send a book proposal. Your agent will help you polish both, but you need to have a great first draft to get signed with a literary agent.

Some agents will have you send something shorter to query them, so check their website to learn how they want you to pitch them. Some of the most common types are a query letter (a one-page pitch), a novel synopsis (a one to two-page summary of your entire story, including the ending), a nonfiction book proposal (a long document that is essentially a business plan for your book), a novel proposal (usually your query letter, a synopsis, and a chapter), or sample chapters. Most agencies will also say how soon you can follow up, so check that too so you don’t follow up too soon!

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I handed in the first draft of the manuscript for “What Next: Your Five-Year Guide to Life after College” last week. Since I had to keep it a secret for a while, I thought it would be fun to share a little bit of the behind-the-scenes. I’ll also be sharing more on Elana Lyn, including a new series of advice for other people who want to land a book deal.

I was walking from work to the subway on July 19 when I saw an email from Julia, an acquisitions editor at Adams Media, asking if I’d be interested in writing a five-year guide for life after college. I immediately responded and said “YES” and we set up a call with Leigh. We aligned on the vision for the book right from the start and then I had about two weeks to send the first draft of the proposal which included a sample chapter and introduction and the table of contents. We went back and forth a bit to get it right and I got an offer on August 28 and the first draft of the contract on August 30.

I started writing on September 2 and handed in the first draft of the 60,000-ish word manuscript on October 23. It’s been a whirlwind filled with very early mornings and very late nights before and after work and many weekends that I started writing at 7 am and didn’t stop until at least 7 pm. I wasn’t sure if I could do it…but I did thanks to the encouragement of some friends and family and especially my mom who is the only person who has read the entire manuscript and provided meticulous edits.

“What Next: Your Five-Year Plan to Life after College” is a detailed guide to how to put together a five-year plan for life after college. It has the advice and tools people need to feel successful in all aspects of post-grad life, including work, finances, wellness, and relationships.

It is surreal, but the book is already available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Indie Bound. I already bought a copy, and my mom proudly informed me that she bought 10!

P.S. This is what the writing process looked like — just like Carrie Bradshaw, right?!

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Start small: 

I started by writing for smaller publications to find my voice. The publications I chose had syndication partnerships with bigger publications like Mashable, FastCompany, and Time so some of my articles were published on those sites. I simply wanted to gain experience and write about topics I cared about — but it was a confidence boost to have my pieces selected by editors at larger publications.

Get organized:

I have been tracking my income and expenses with QuickBooks for two years. QuickBooks makes it easy to find tax deductions and keep my finances organized by capturing receipts of business expenses, automatically tracking mileage, and categorizing my business expenses. (You can also link it to your business bank account to make it even easier!) I have the app on my phone so I can check it and add information on the go. Some publications do direct deposits or have invoice forms but, when they don’t I use the QuickBooks Self-Employed invoice tool to send and track invoices.

Write a blog:

I was able to transition from law to marketing and journalism because of blogging. I enjoy having a spot to publish anything I want without having to get a pitch approved. I share everything from interviews with women I admire to new beauty product finds to career advice. I think it’s important for everyone to have a personal brand and Elana Lyn is mine. I also use it for my portfolio.

Keep pitching:

You need to constantly pitch and sell new article ideas. I spend 15 minutes every morning writing down as many ideas as possible. Always make sure the story topic and the voice and tone of your pitch matches the publication. Read past issues and articles to make sure they haven’t already covered your idea. You also have to learn not to let rejection mess with your confidence or keep you from sending the pitch. There are a thousand reasons a pitch might not be accepted, for example, the publication not having the budget or that someone is already working on a similar piece. It doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea or something to pitch to other outlets or publish on your blog.

Stick to the Ven Diagram:

When I was on the Her Campus panel last year, one of the panelists said that there is a ven diagram for being a successful freelancer. It is: be nice, meet your deadlines, and do a great job. It’s that simple and I’ve found that it’s true! Your editors will love you and they’ll send you assignments and be more likely to accept your pitches.

Know your worth:

Once you’ve written four or more well-written articles for a publication, ask to become a regular contributor. I think this is the key to succeeding as a freelance writer, at least until you start getting very high-paying assignments. It’s scary to ask because you don’t want to be rejected, but the worst that can happen is they say “no” but pitch one-off assignments. The best case is that they say “yes” and you have a guaranteed base income each month.

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It’s difficult to set a budget as a freelancer when you don’t know the exact amount you’ll make each month. My income often fluctuates from month-to-month depending on the number of pitches I send in addition to the articles I write for clients. Some months are more profitable than others, so it’s crucial to budget responsibly and not go on a shopping spree because you had a good month…just to find out that the month is not as profitable as you hoped.

Here are some budgeting tips that have helped me budget as a freelancer.

Estimate your net income and expenses:

I track my income and business expenses in QuickBooks right away. QuickBooks makes it easy to find tax deductions and keep my finances organized by capturing receipts of business expenses, automatically tracking mileage, and categorizing my business expenses. (You can also link it to your business bank account to make it even easier!) I have the app on my phone so I can check it and add information on the go. Being diligent about bookkeeping is the best way to determine the average amount you make each month and each year. 

Estimate your taxes so there are no surprises:

Keeping your bookkeeping organized and up-to-date will make your life 1,000% easier when you file your taxes. (No one wants to sift a huge stack of receipts and invoices right before taxes are due!) I love QuickBooks because it will factor in your income and expenses to find tax deductions and estimate your quarterly and annual taxes so you can budget accordingly. (There’s nothing worse than realizing you owe way more to the IRS than you had been banking on!)

When you work at a full-time job, your taxes are taken out of each paycheck and you don’t have to think about paying your taxes until everyone’s favorite season — tax season! As a freelancer, your taxes aren’t withheld automatically and you have to pay both annual and quarterly taxes. Your quarterly taxes will fluctuate based on your income for the quarter so I think it’s helpful to budget for more than what you paid in your most profitable quarter.

Create an emergency fund:

You never know when something unexpected is going to happen, so it’s always good to have some extra money saved. Most experts recommend that you have three to six months of expenses saved up that you don’t use unless you really, really, really need it. Try to put a certain amount of money into your emergency fund each month so it can grow and reassess each month or quarter to see if you can increase the amount. 

Choose a budget and stick to it:

Now that you have a better idea of your net income and expenses, you can set up your budget as a freelancer. I like LearnVest’s 50/20/30 guideline. Spend 50% of your money on essential costs such as rent, utilities, and public transportation. Use 20% for payments or contributions that help you reach your financial goals like paying your student loans and credit card bills, adding to your emergency fund, contributing to your 401K, and saving for your goals like buying an apartment. Now the fun part: Budget the last 30% for things you like to do like shopping, travel, travel, going to restaurants, a gym membership, or even your favorite iced coffee that makes your mornings so much better!

Thank you to QuickBooks for sponsoring this post! 

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