Write A Book About Commmunity With Me
Why I'm joining a monthlong mastermind to co-author a book
Based on how much I wrote in 2024, it would probably take me at least a year to write a book by myself.
Then another year to edit it.
But what if I was writing the same book with a team of roughly 12 other people? What would that look like?
Well, you’d want to start with a group of people that are highly aligned and erudite on a shared topic, so that the inspiration would zing back and forth.
Ideally you would live together for a short time to discuss all of these ideas in an immersive way, which would be faster than scheduling in-person/virtual meetings to brainstorm.
You would want to edit each other’s work in dedicated sprints— which is easier than editing your own work, let’s be honest.
Finally, you would want to work directly with an illustrator to give visual life to your concepts.
Like this, we’d certainly be able to produce a book in, say…one month.
I know my substack community is full of talented writers who care about regeneration. So here’s the big news:
I was invited to a writing mastermind in Switzerland for the month of April to co-author a book titled “How To Build Thriving Neighborhoods”
And guess what? I signed up.
Together with a group of fellow regenerators, I’ll be co-creating this book while living in the blinding beauty of the Swiss Alps at Vermont Hub — a coliving space that’s redefining how we create, collaborate, and live.
The experience is crafted and hosted by Treehouse Collective, which is backed by Treehouse DAO. They have already hosted brilliant masterminds to create the books “How to Build a Regenerative Village” and “How to Semi-Nomad”.
Needless to say, I’m stoked.
I often share my plans for special regen events and experiences with my virtual community (that’s you!), so I wanted to extend this invitation for you to join me.
If you are already a “hell yes”, you can click below fill out the application to join the mastermind and have an interview call.
If you are accepted, when you go to book your stay, you can use the code NICOLE10 to get 10% discount ($165-220 off your order). Full transparency: I get a separate 5% for recommending you.
If you’re still curious about this experience or want to get inspired by this kind of collective writing and publishing model, read on! PS — I think
could use more features to support collective writing.
Why This Mastermind?
I’m picky about what I invest time and money into.
Here’s why I trust this mastermind:
The crowd is giving “scenius” — It’s going to be pristine vibes and brilliant minds. Watch a recap of the last mastermind to get a sense.
The organizers are kickass — I met Ani Anca in Mexico at Paledora, a smart jungle project, but she’s also known for her vital work at TDF and re:build. Michal’s dedication to sustainability is so great, he chooses sailing as his primary form of travel (he is sailing with a crew to Antarctica as I write this). And Daneel is a regen product designer who’s an expert in gamification and regen startups.
The food is going to be capital YUM — I met the menu designer and private chef for this event, Josefina, at Paledora over 2 years ago and still have vivid memories of her delicious food. We’re also going to be co-creating meals together as a group, which is always a bonding experience.
There’s time to work on other projects — Don’t know about you, but I can’t just drop my other work roles. I’ll be able to work on this and my normal projects side by side.
There’s also no shortage of writing retreats out there, but this one stands apart. Here’s why:
📖 A Co-Created, Tangible Outcome: At the end of the month, we’ll have co-authored (and edited!) book, How to Build Thriving Neighborhoods—an actionable guide filled with personal stories and practical tools to inspire community builders worldwide. Rather than absconding for a month to write your solitary book, you can create something greater than the sum of its parts.
🏡 An Awesome Coliving Experience: Live in curated community for a month? Serve me some! The kind of lasting relationships and life-changing levels of connection that happen when you live together and create together are so precious. I can’t wait for the creationships I get to make with others.
🌱 Regenerative Wealth: The way the profit share is set up allows us to earn passive income while contributing to a collective vision of connection, sustainability, and thriving communities. Yes, yes, and more yes.
For about the same price as a regular apartment in California, you stay in a high-end coliving space in a gorgeous location for an entire month with absolutely scrumptious meals, all the while working on a meaningful book together with others.
Yes. Please.
How This Collective Publishing Model Works
Traditional publishing companies have these things in common:
You get only 10-15% of book sales for something you wrote by yourself, beginning to end
The publisher has the rights to your book deal
The managing team makes most of the creative decisions
Treehouse Collective has created a publishing model that is different from traditional publishing companies. Let me break it down for you, because this could be intriguing if you have the desire to build more collective models of bringing books and other projects to life.
Profit Share — As a co-author, you’ll always earn from book sales. Profits are redistributed back to the authors annually, so your hard work keeps paying off, year after year.
Collective Fund Decision-Making — Their growing communal fund is dedicated to reinvesting in its authors and their ideas. As a co-author, you have a direct say in how this fund is used, ensuring it supports the community and amplifies everyone’s success.
Community-Driven Marketing Model — You can create multiple streams of income through referrals, future masterminds, and book sales tied to your network.
In-Person Writing Experiences — By hosting immersive coliving experiences paired with co-authorship, Treehouse Collective is also building a tangible community to support each other, vs. a sea of siloed authors.
This is a radical reimagining of how books are created, marketed, and monetized.
It’s a model that rewards creativity, collaboration, and shared success, ensuring that every contributor benefits from the book’s impact.
Write about Community While In Community
The average book-writing process can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.
2 weeks ago, I announced my intention to write a book titled “The Modern Village”. Honestly, I had already been thinking that the best way to write a book about community would be to co-author.
I have experience co-writing essays and poetry, and let me tell you, it’s an electrifying experience. When you co-write, ideas spark faster, the energy of the group propels everyone forward, and feedback challenges you to go far beyond your standard quality of work.
The structure of this mastermind is designed to harness that power. Mornings are dedicated to creative sprints, where we will dive deep into the generative work. Afternoons are for recharging—whether that’s exploring the alpine village of Leysin, working on personal projects, or connecting with fellow creators.
You are part of 2,000+ community-minded people who regularly read this Substack. I know you care about changing the business-as-usual way of doing things, so let’s create a book together that helps others build sustainable community!
Join The Movement
If this sounds like your kind of experience, why not join me in this mastermind? You’ll collaborate with visionaries, immerse yourself in creative flow, and contribute to a social impact literary project.
It’s never just about writing a freaking book for the clout—it’s about building a movement of changemakers who can share their best and brightest ideas.
How to join:
Apply
Sign up for an interview call
Book and use my code NICOLE10 to get 10% off
The Future of Collaboration Starts Here
My book announcement on LinkedIn was my most popular post to-date. I’m very humbled that my intention was received so positively. By joining this mastermind, I’m going beyond that original intention. I am stepping into a collective that values connection, innovation, and shared purpose. Oh, and writing the book is a bonus.
I’m thrilled to be part of this transformative journey, and I’d love for you to follow along. Even if you don’t plan to attend make sure to subscribe to the Terrenity newsletter to hear my recap of the experience after I’ve attended.
Here’s to thriving neighborhoods—and the collective effort that makes them possible.
Love it! Great idea for collaboration. 👏