Derek Sivers

Future posthumous autobiography

2019-09-27

I’ve started writing my autobiography. I’ll keep writing it for the rest of my life. It’s private now, but will be released the week I die.

I’ve written the last chapter, which is more of an afterword. (“Now I’m dead.”) So now I will just keep writing the middle chapters.

My assistants, family, and friends will have instructions on how to publish it as soon as I die. A few clicks and commands and it’s published in all formats, print-on-demand, and ready to go the same day.

So by the time you hear the news that I’ve died, the full story — the book of my life — will be ready to read. I think that would be a good goodbye.

Don’t worry : I don’t plan on dying for a long time. My health is great and all is well. This is just my version of the old advice to “write your own epitaph”. I realized I can do better than that.

And I wish the people I care about would do the same.