An Update on my Book Projects
I’ve been working on two books. Here’s me, holding myself accountable.
A Summer Book of Days
What it is: A love letter to Lake Annecy in photos and prose. 92 entries, one for each day of summer.
More specifically: A visual diary combining contemporary photography and archival material that reveals a version of Lake Annecy that goes beyond the familiar postcard image.
My 2026 goal:
Publish a proof copy and hold it in my hands.
Create a marketing and pre-launch campaign that is ready to be actioned in January.
How it’s going:
I’ve done so much research into the history of this region that I’ve sort of lost the plot. Historical photos are only going to be a small portion of entries, so I need to stop now and trust that I know enough to move on to the drafting phase.
I created visual guidelines for the book.
I went through all my photos and pulled out the 300 most relevant to this project. I only need 92, but I’m worried I’m missing a few key photos and will have to figure out a workaround.
I wrote a loose outline and sketched out the book’s themes.
How I feel about my progress:
Not great, actually. I thought I’d be further along by now. But in my own defence, in the last month I started teaching yoga and publishing weekly newsletters (instead of monthly). That’s two new things that I’m just now starting to get the hang of. Both have taken a lot of time and emotional energy. However, in the last week, everything has started to feel a little bit easier, so I’m hopeful I’ll have more time/energy in the coming month.
Next up: A fast and furious draft.
The Lake Annecy Cookbook
What it is: A cookbook loosely themed around summer lake cottages (in general) and Lake Annecy (in particular).
My 2026 goal: To complete the book proposal and send it to my photographer.
How it’s going: I can’t write two books at the same time. So until I finish A Summer Book of Days, this one is on the back burner. And it’s killing me.
Will update again mid-November.