How I Quit Drinking, Sprained My Ankle, and Wrote a Book in 30 Days

I was fed up with my boozy lifestyle and decided to take a break from alcohol for one month.

It was October 2018 and, following a long summer of after-work beers and weekend drinking sessions, I needed some downtime.

Here’s what happened.

Sober October in Barcelona

As my booze-free month got underway, I found myself substituting nights out with running. It became my focus and kept me busy while all my pals were out having a laugh.

Two years prior to going booze-free, I had left the music industry in London and relocated to Barcelona, which is where I still live now.

During one Saturday evening jog around the city, I slipped and badly sprained my ankle.

The next day, I went to the hospital and was told that I wouldn’t be able to run for four to six weeks.

Here it is:

I was gutted.

What Now?

Coincidentally, I had the following Monday booked off work and had planned to go out for the day, hiking in the hills overlooking the city.

But that plan was out the window now. I couldn’t even get to the kitchen without hopping, or crawling, or swearing.

(That picture was taken during another hike, in case you were wondering.)

Instead of going hiking that morning, I began writing about my experiences as a music agent.

I can’t really remember what sparked the idea. I’d never even thought about writing a book before, I was just bored of watching Netflix.

I became completely absorbed. By that evening, I’d written a couple of thousand words.

And that was it.

Day After Day

I continued to write. I couldn’t stop.

After about two weeks, a natural structure started to develop, and by November, I had finished the first draft of my book.

I approached one publisher to see if they were interested in my proposal, but they declined. So, I decided not to contact any others and to release it independently.

I looked online and found a professional editor, proofreader, and designer to work with, and a friend of mine kindly offered to help with the PR.

I had the team in place.

Gearing Up to Launch

Over the course of the next six months, I researched how to build an audience and how to market the book. I also learned how to build a website.

I was surprised by the amount of work required to properly see the project through, but I was committed to getting the book out into the world.

Nothing could stop me.

The Book Launch (and Beyond)

In November 2019, I released it.

The book is a guide to help emerging artists and musicians book more gigs.

Here was my pre-release copy:

The initial support was amazing, and after a week or so of it being on sale, it reached the top 10 on Amazon’s ‘Music Business Books’ Best Sellers list in the UK.

I couldn’t believe it.

I could never have imagined releasing my own book, and I definitely wouldn’t have found the time if I hadn’t knocked alcohol on the head for a while.

Then again, spraining my ankle obviously played a big part in it, and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.

What’s Next?

After quitting my job in October this year (and after another booze-free month), I have started building my own business.

If you have enjoyed this article, you can follow me here on Twitter, where I will be documenting my new journey.