FOR THE LOVE: The Birth of a Book Baby!

It’s like Jen Hatmaker has given birth with the help of 500 doulas and we’re all screaming, “WEHADABABYITSABOOK!” And I’m here to tell you that this baby is about to be “ON THE BEAM”. You’ll get that when you start reading the book.

TODAY IS THE DAY!! AUGUST 18^TH!!
THE DAY WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!
THE BIRTH OF JEN HATMAKER’S BOOK BABY!!!

How I became a book baby doula…

It was about 2pm on March 6th when a message came across my Facebook newsfeed from Jen Hatmaker. It was a blog post about how Jen Hatmaker was expecting and she was going to need help in the delivery room… Ok so it was about applying to be a part of a launch team to promote her new book. For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards would be coming out in August.

I had never even heard of launch teams before much less thought of being on one but thinking what brilliant marketing tool this would be and getting to be a part of a team to promote a book about love and grace intrigued me, I quickly applied. I had to. I was actually late picking up my daughter from school. She’s in high school so I figured she would be fine to chat it up with some friends for a little while. And of course, she was fine.

On the application, they asked for URL’s for all of our social media accounts. I totally second guessed, triple guessed, quadruple guessed applying because they were going to go look right?? My blog was only a few days new and my platform virtually non-existent. But I pressed on.

During this particular season of my life I had been specifically praying to be a part of a team and find some new friends. I started a contributor blog, this very one you are reading, and posted my first blog post on March 3^rd.  Did you remember that I applied to be on the launch team on March 6^th? Um… yeah, God hears our prayers.

This time, He answered my prayers HUGE!!

Then on March 10th this email came across the wire:

Knock, knock. Who’s there? YOU, because YOU are on my Launch Team for ‘For the Love’!! Yeah baby!! We only had room for 10% of all applicants (what the??), and we think you got the stuff. THANK YOU for your amazing enthusiasm; I couldn’t possibly love you more if I tried with all my might. You are leading well and using your influence like a boss. We all think you are amazing. We are going to get this thing off the ground together! Let me tell you, launching a book is really fun. And some of you are going to end up on the inside cover, so THAT. I said on January 1st this year that one goal was to spend less time pleasing “Not My People” … well let’s be clear: YOU ARE MY PEOPLE. I love you so. I really do. I am loyally yours forever. Let’s do this thing.

My marketing team will now tell you all the fun details.
– Jen

5000 applied and they could only take (“manage” would be a better word choice here) 500. 496 women and 4 men. 4 very very brave men. … The closed Facebook group came to be and the chaos fun commenced. My newsfeed would never be the same. There was the making and buying of FTL mugs, t-shirts, customized leather cuffs, the getting to know one another, the honest sharing of hearts and stories with new cyber friends (did you read where I said 500 team members? Remember I prayed for some friends? Haha!! God has such a clever sense of humor), the prayers prayed for one another, the encouragement offered, the real life acts of being Jesus with skin on, the occasional message from JH herself (she was clearly as blown away with this launch team phenomenon as were the rest of us), the sub groups that formed (which is one of my personal favorites), and the planning of a party. Yes, the launch team has all been invited to Jen’s back yard to celebrate the birth of this book baby. My new cyber friends will have real, touchable faces and huggable bodies instead of profile pic faces and internet hugs.

What a ride this has been for me!!! What a blessing God gave me when He handpicked me for this group. I supposed Katy Boatman (organizer and conductor extraordinaire with Thomas Nelson Publishing) and Jen Hatmaker thought they had something to do with it. We’ll just let them think that. For the love…

The launch team was sent advance copies of the book, we stalked all UPS trucks and the poor delivery guys daily for weeks until our copy was delivered and we’ve all read it. Some have read it multiple times. There are 500 FTL books out there absolutely slathered in highlighter marks and inked with underlines and personal notes.

I wish I could tell you all about it. I could try but I really just hope you’ll go buy it and read it.

I can tell you that:
*it’s good
*it’s honest
*it’s blunt
*it’s loving
*it’s helpful
*it’s encouraging
*it’s a quick read
*it’s filled with words that will make you laugh
*it’s filled with words that will make you cry (not too much, just the right amount)
*it’s filled with words that will make you want to fist bump Jen Hatmaker in solidarity

I can tell you where to buy it:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble (online and in most stores – The launch team has been selflessly volunteering their time to rearrange the shelves at B&N’s nationwide to put the books in their rightful places to help you find them better. We’re helpful that way.)

I can tell you where to find out more about it:

Forthelovebook.com

Oh, and another thing, on the off chance you don’t want to read Jen’s amazing words (which would be just plain silly), you can buy the book to read my words. They’re right at the beginning of the book so that’d be easy for you. But then you might as well go ahead and keep reading the rest of it because… why not. I mean, it’s already in your hands so just go for it.

Jen pulled out all the stops to include her launch team (as well as the 4500 other applicants) in all of the goodness of this book. Instead of having big name authors and speakers and notables, she opened up her endorsement pages to us. All the li’l ol’ us’. Would you believe that out of 400 endorsements that were sent it (of the 500 team members), they picked 25 and one was mine??? Good grief! I shake my head at God in utter disbelief of how He works in my life. His love is indeed crazy.

There’s so much more I could say about this book and the journey but it would be the post that never ends. I seriously hope you’ll get the book, buy some extras because you’ll want to give them to friends and family. Trust me.

Do you remember that old Geico commercial? “wehadababyitsaboy” Congratulations, Jen Hatmaker & tribe of doula’s!! We did it!! “WEHADABABYITSABOOK!”

For the love of finding grace in a world of impossible standards,
~Andrea

P.S. Jen Hatmaker and Katy Boatman, I can’t thank you enough for your obedience to God’s will and purpose in all elements of this process. It’s been a true gift to me to have been a part of this book baby’s birth! Love, Andrea

I posted some of my favorite quotes from the book last Friday in a Friday Five Link Up. Check it out and check out the other posts that are linked up while you’re there. Here are a few more. I tell you, though, this barely scratches the surface. The book is full of amazing JH quotables. Get your book and then get your highlighter ready!

(click on one image to view them larger in the gallery)