Help Shape the Final Manuscript of The Practice of Being Alive

Over the past year, many of you have watched The Practice of Being Alive slowly come into existence.

If you happened to miss it, I recently shared the story behind this project in an article titled The Book I Had to Write: The Story Behind The Practice of Being Alive. That piece explains why this book became so important to me and why I believe these conversations matter. If you haven't read it yet, I'd encourage you to begin there before continuing with this invitation.

Some of you have read early essays that eventually became chapters. Others have joined discussions, challenged ideas, shared your own stories, or simply stayed with this work as it continued to evolve. In many ways, this book has never been written in isolation. It has grown through thousands of conversations about meaning, identity, grief, belonging, uncertainty, spirituality, and what it means to live honestly in the world as it actually is.

A few months ago, I sent the completed manuscript to a small Founders Reader Group. Their generosity exceeded anything I expected. They didn’t simply point out awkward sentences or typographical errors. They helped me see where ideas needed more clarity, where chapters needed strengthening, where repetition remained, and where the book could become something more coherent and more alive.

Because of their thoughtful feedback, I've completed what I believe are the most significant revisions the manuscript will receive before publication.

For the first time, I'm inviting a small group of readers to experience the complete manuscript from beginning to end. I'm assembling a small Editorial Reader Circle to help shape the final manuscript of The Practice of Being Alive before it moves into publication.

This isn’t a search for typographical errors. I'm looking for thoughtful readers willing to engage the book as a whole. More than anything, I'm interested in questions like these:

• What ideas, chapters, or passages have stayed with you since you finished reading? Why?

• Where did your attention drift, or where did the book lose momentum?

• What ideas felt unclear, underdeveloped, or left you wanting more?

• Did reading this book change the way you think about yourself, your life, or what it means to be alive? If so, how?

• What else do you think I most need to hear before this book is published?

Your reflections won’t simply improve the manuscript. They’ll help determine what kind of book ultimately finds its way into the world.

This final stage will move quickly, so I'm looking for readers who can spend the next seven to ten days with the manuscript. I know that's a generous gift of your time, and I won't take it for granted.

I'll be keeping this Editorial Reader Circle intentionally small, inviting approximately fifteen to twenty readers into this final stage of the manuscript's journey.

As a way of thanking those who support this work, participation in the Editorial Reader Circle is reserved for paid subscribers. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a paid subscriber, this is a wonderful opportunity to join the community and become part of this final stage of the manuscript’s journey.

Those invited will have approximately seven to ten days to read the manuscript and share their reflections. My hope is to complete this final editorial stage by the end of July before moving the manuscript into publication.

As a small expression of my gratitude, everyone who completes the process will be acknowledged in the published book as part of this final stage of its creation.

One of the things I’ve come to appreciate most through this journey is that important books don’t simply emerge from solitary inspiration. They become stronger through thoughtful conversation, honest critique, and the willingness of others to lend their attention to something still unfinished.

That feels especially fitting for a book about existential health.

None of us learns how to be fully alive alone.

Thank you for reading these essays, supporting this work, and helping build a conversation that I believe is becoming increasingly necessary.

Whatever The Practice of Being Alive becomes, it will not simply be my book. It will carry the fingerprints of a remarkable community of people who have chosen to wrestle together with life’s deepest questions. I can’t imagine a better way to bring this manuscript into the world, and I’m grateful to invite a few more of you to become part of its story.

How to Apply

If this invitation resonates with you, send me an email with “Editorial Reader Circle” in the subject line. I'd love to hear a little about who you are, what draws you to The Practice of Being Alive, and whether you're able to devote the next seven to ten days to reading the manuscript. Send the email to: jimpalmerauthor@gmail.com

Those invited will receive the manuscript, a brief reader guide, and instructions for submitting their reflections.

Please send your email by July 8, 2026. I’ll notify everyone shortly afterward and send the manuscript, reader guide, and next steps to those invited to join the Editorial Reader Circle.

If you’re not yet a paid subscriber but would like to participate, there's still time to join our community. Your subscription supports this work while giving you access to the broader CNRS community through the Existential Health Daily Reader, weekly discussion groups, and opportunities like this to participate in projects before they're published.