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AI Book Week Letters: Greatest Hits

Before launch, I sent a weekly note to a small early reader list. These letters captured the real timeline of this project, from developmental edits and title tests to cover design, first author copies, and launch week reflections. Here are three of the most representative letters if you want to see how this book grew in real time.

Week 1: Testing titles while my book finds its muscles

September 3, 2025

Hello there and happy Tuesday,

This book is finally starting to feel real, even if it is still a little wobbly. Over the weekend I sat with the developmental edit, highlighters and sticky notes everywhere, and began reshaping the manuscript. The bones were there already, what it needed was muscle and rhythm.

The big question of the week was the title. I tried out a handful of options and ran a tiny experiment, a WhatsApp poll with friends and a low budget Meta ad to see what language actually made people stop and look. Watching strangers respond to different titles was both terrifying and oddly helpful. It reminded me that this story is not just living on my laptop any more, it is heading out into the world.

I also shared an early version of the table of contents with this list. Naming the chapters made me see how much of the book is really about permission, permission to be late, to be scared, and to learn in public. That theme is guiding a lot of my decisions right now, including how much of the process I share along the way.

Thank you for being here at the very beginning. There are still plenty of unanswered questions, including what the final title will be, but knowing you are reading these notes makes the work feel less solitary and a lot more possible.

With gratitude,
Wanjiku

Week 8: Audiobooks, Pumpkins, and Gratitude

October 21, 2025

Hey there, it is Wanjiku.

Every week this journey surprises me, and this one felt especially tender. Somewhere between sound checks, pumpkin carving, and the first author copy arriving at my door, the book started to feel alive.

First, a huge thank you. Some of you have sent texts, mailed notes, even dropped off small gifts, including presents for Champ. Others have introduced me to people in journalism, podcasting, or publishing. Those introductions are quiet bridges that help this story travel farther than I could on my own, and I do not take them for granted.

Behind the scenes, the audiobook adventure has been its own chapter. I tried recording at home, then in a podcast studio, and finally landed in a professional studio after calling what felt like half of Manhattan and Brooklyn. A friend connected me with a vocal coach who offered a crash course on projection and pacing. Today I walked over to my first real recording session with a mix of nerves and gratitude.

Then there was the moment I will not forget. After a long day of pre launch work, a box arrived. Inside was my first author copy. I took it with me to our local spot for our annual pumpkin carving night. After the last candle was lit, I opened the box at the table, pumpkins and whiskey glasses all around, and held the book up for my friends. Seeing my name on that cover in a noisy bar felt surreal and strangely perfect.

Many of you have asked how you can support the launch. I put everything in one place at MakingFriendsWithAI.com, from marking the book as Want to Read on Goodreads to sharing early posts. I will keep that page updated as new pieces fall into place.

Each week this project feels less like my solo story and more like something we are building together, a small community learning to navigate change, creativity, and technology side by side.

With gratitude,
Wanjiku

Week 10: One week to launch

November 4, 2025

Hello there,

We made it. One week to launch.

The audiobook is officially complete and uploaded across platforms, joining the paperback, hardcover, and ebook. Hearing the full recording for the first time, after all those hours in the booth, was surreal. It made the project feel whole in a way I did not expect.

Behind the scenes, my days have been a mix of late night tweaks, final bookmark proofs, inventory spreadsheets, and the slow realisation that this is really happening. For those in New York, I will be celebrating with an in person reading on Monday, November tenth at six in the evening, a small gathering before the book steps out into the wider world on the eleventh.

Early reviews from advance readers are starting to appear on Goodreads. Reading their words has been both humbling and energising. Hearing what resonated, what made people feel seen or less alone, is the clearest reminder of why I wrote this in the first place.

A quick reflection on launch strategy. One thing I have learned is that there is no single right way to launch a book. If your focus is sales and charts, you design everything around one big week. If your focus is discoverability, you think about formats and platforms and the long tail. For me, there is also a piece about giving back, which is why I chose partners that support local bookstores and libraries where possible.

Publishing is an exercise in patience. It is less about instant gratification and more about setting up good pathways so the story can travel. This week I will be reaching out to some of you to help amplify the launch, whether that means posting on social, sharing the book with your circles, or simply forwarding this email to one person who might need it.

Thank you, truly, for walking this road with me from title tests to audio mastering. Next week I will be back in your inbox on the other side of launch, and I may already have a few scribbles for book two.

First time author,
Wanjiku

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