Penguin Random House to publish ‘The Buddha in Me, the Buddha in You’.
Hello everyone,
this is just to let you know that six years after starting to write my book on Buddhism and personal development, I have signed a deal with Rider Books, the ‘mind body spirit’ arm of Penguin Random House. I want to thank all of you, my big-hearted readers, for your support, encouragement, comments and questions. To thank you for your generous spirit in reaching out to create a dialogue with me. As I am a completely unknown author (compared to Penguin Random House’s other writers such as The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Russell Brand…) the only way to get a big publisher’s attention was to create a successful blog and Facebook page with thousands of engaged readers.
So I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you so much! It has been my lifelong dream to become an author and I also landed my absolute first choice of publisher because Rider’s other Buddhist writers include Eddy Canfor-Dumas (The Buddha, Geoff and Me) and Richard Causton (The Buddha in Daily Life). So, it’s safe to say that Rider ‘get’ Nichiren Buddhism! The title of my book will be The Buddha in Me, the Buddha in You – handbook for a human revolution and it will be out in the UK in Spring 2016, with other countries to follow.
A Buddhist ‘self-help’ book
From a faith perspective, I started writing the book as my personal answer to the question that Buddhists chant twice a day at the end of our ‘gongyo’ ceremony: “How can I cause living beings to enter the unsurpassed way and quickly attain the body of a Buddha?” I went to sleep every night with that question on my lips, hoping I would wake up with the answer. And one day I did – “why don’t you write the first ever Buddhist self-help book?” A book that people would buy instead of (or as well as) Paul McKenna or Eckhart Tolle or Rhonda Byrne. Though I really love these personal development authors (and indeed use their wisdom when coaching my clients…), I found it increasingly frustrating that they tend to duck the big and difficult questions (like karma…) and also that they said very little about the state of humanity / the world. In the end, through earnest daimoku and inspired also by the writings of Daisaku Ikeda, the ideas I was having became a deafening crescendo of noise. So I guess I started writing this blog to silence a voice in my head.
As for the book itself – it’s probably best described as a popular psychology book for Buddhists and a Buddhist book for people into personal development. It’s a book for anyone who wants to be happier but is not sure where to begin. It’s also a book for people who care about the state of the world but feel powerless to change it. More about the book’s contents here.
Treasures of the heart
For SGI members reading this post, I should say that there have been loads of obstacles getting this far. Writing 84,000 words, believing that other people might want to read it, battling with depression and with some bumpy months in my business life, finding a literary agent (the awesome Susan Feldstein…), persuading a major publisher to take a risk on me. Nearly giving up on it many, many times. On that note, I’m immensely grateful to my fellow Buddhist author, William Woollard, who simply said to me, when I hit a huge ‘writer’s block’ three years ago: “Whatever you do, don’t stop now!”
One final thought, if I may. The biggest benefit of this adventure is not the deal itself, it is that I’ve made so many precious new friends across the world, from Kazakhstan to the USA, from India to the UK, from Singapore and Malaysia to Australia and Canada and beyond. So many of you have shared your thoughts and questions and dreams with me, either privately or on the blog – truly it has been very moving. As Nichiren wrote, ‘the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.’
Thank you all so much, your support has meant the world to me.
Love and light, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
David x
84,000 words? As in the “84,000 teachings”? That’s great!
Congratulations!
Brian
Hi Brian, yeah, kind of mystic how that worked out! Then again once my editor has been thru it, the word and chapter count (currently 16 chapters..) may yet change!
You are an inspiration Spoony. And thanks for the encouragement along the way. A huge well done to you.
I would keep it at 16 chapters 🙂
Congratulations David! Eagerly looking forward to your book!
NMRK
It’s so wonderful to hear about the book at last! I do hope a kindle version will also be available. What an experience David! Down to the last detail. . . mystically working out to 84000 words, 16chapters. . . the works! I’m really grateful for your blog. It has been such a source of inspiration and encouragement. Truly David you have given your life for the law, and the law has led you to such a resounding victory. . . and you will probably help many others to theirs! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us all!
Congratulation, David
Great victory David!!! My best wishes…I will keep you in my ichinen for the great success of this handy book. An I promise to come back to this post later tonight. I have to rush for an exam in few hours from now ..so could only read first two paras of this post…BUT I couldn’t stop my self from reading them the moment I saw the RSS feed of your blog in my inbox. Thanks again for keeping us all motivated through your words and prayers, of course! 🙂 All the Best!! 🙂
Excellent news!! A breat encouragement for us all. Bravo! Can’t wait to read it
How wonderful. I look forward so much to reading your book. A great step for Kosen Rufu, and I am sure, the deeper happiness of many many readers. Congratulations.
Hi David,
Congratulations and Wish You an astounding success in this endeavour. Please enjoy your calm and spread the benefits of this great philosophy.
Best wishes & admiration.
Rajeev Khurana
Hi David,
Congratulations with all my heart! If anybody you’ve really earned that contract with Penguin – I follow your blog with great interest, being both a Buddhist and a Coach myself I see you as a role model in the best sense of the word…
Best wishes
Lars Lippert
Hey Lars, thank you for those lovely words, truly they are very much appreciated! I wish you all the very best with your Buddhist practice and you coaching career.
Best wishes, David
Hi David. I can’t get enough of your blog and can’t wait to read your book. Many thanks for persevering and huge congratulations!
So richly deserved, David, congrats again! A true labour of love on your part, and a book which, I predict, will make a significant and very positive contribution to readers’ spiritual lives 🙂 Susan xx
Congratulations! I’m wondering why you didn’t include in your comment that you “chanted” for this benefit?? Hope you did and acknowledge the awesomeness of nam myoho renge kyo. I wish you world wide/ universal success!
Hey Susan, well I mentioned ‘earnest daimoku’ and the prayer at the end of gongyo, so I thought it would be kind of assumed between the lines that I chanted for this benefit, but if it is not obvious, I will tweak the text a bit so that it is! Thank you!
Congratulation Dave. That is great news.
Hey David,
I don’t know how come I stumbled upon your blog.. But I must confess that I absolutely loved your writing… Awesome, inspirational, touching and yet so simple. Congratulations for your upcoming book, definitely looking forward to reading it 🙂
Hey Guarima, welcome to my blog and thank you for those kind words of support and encouragement. All best, David
Looking forward very much to publication of your book.
Wonderful news! Congrats!
Good Fortune,
Carmen
Congratulations on the book!
I think that it is a very interesting task, to connect the spiritual principles on everyday problems – to bridge spirituality and normal living.
Take care,
Holger
Thank You Holger, that is exactly what I aim to do – bridge that gap! All best wishes, David
David, my heartfelt congratulations to you for the great success.
I am looking forward to read your books.
shirley
Congratulations David… looking forward to read your book. Was waiting for it since long.
Cheers
Inspiring …inspiring…inspiring post! Will I get a copy of your book with your autograph on it? 😀 😀 Chuckles asides I am really in awe to learn about the journey on this ‘bundle of wisdom’ of yours. I am reading Richard Causton’s title and quite like its contemporary style and lucid explanations of Buddhist concepts of Ten Worlds (in particular). I am looking forward to reading your book as well. My best wishes to your family too…I am sure, without their support…coming this far would have been unimaginable 🙂
Hello again, yes of course I will sign a copy of the book if you like :-)) Actually I am so grateful to Dick Causton and Eddy Canfor-Dumas who were the first big SGI authors here in the UK (with Rider) and therefore helped carve a path for me to follow in their slipstream. Eddy has personally helped me with the manuscript as well. And yes, my family have been immense and will get all due credit in the ‘Acknowledgements’ at the start of the book. Thanks again for your support. D 🙂
Congratulations David! Will sure get a copy when it is available. Best wishes!
Congrats, David. Each of those SGI authors’ books has been an inspiration to me, and I’m confident yours will be as well. Love the FB page and the blog. Reach out if you ever come to NYC to promote the book, or for any other reason. Would love to have you speak at one of our meetings.
Hi Uri, yes likewise re Eddy and Dick 🙂 , great people, great writers. I am also a big fan of William Woollard’s book, The Reluctant Buddhist. Yes, USA has been identified as a key market by the publishers and thank you for the very kind offer to speak at a meeting in NYC, I would obviously bite your hand off! Cheers, David
This is so incredible!! I’m ecstatic for you!! Can’t wait to read your book. Best of luck, I’m sending daimoku for your success!
Thank you Amanda, much appreciated and I hope your own writing is going well too! All best, David
I am feeling very excited about this news and how far the effects of your book will reach, fantastic to have made a connection with you, can’t wait to smell the print of your book and feel the effects of your teachings and insights. Thank you.
Thank you Wayne for those kind words and yes, it is very exciting that a publisher feels I can bring Nichiren’s teachings to a wider and more mainstream audience. Warm wishes and see you soon, David