One decision cost Craig Stanland his job, his wife, and his freedom.

Craig was a successful enterprise account manager for a large technology firm. He sold the stuff that makes the internet work. 

Then he defrauded the company’s partner.

The FBI arrested Craig and sentenced him to two years of federal prison. He was so consumed by shame and guilt that he started planning how to take his own life.

Craig couldn’t talk to anyone about his struggles. If he mentioned the word suicide and a guard found out, he would be locked up in solitary confinement.

So, he started writing. 

Craig wrote to help one person

At first, writing was therapy. Craig needed to get his guilt, anger, and suicidal thoughts out of his head. In three days, he wrote 186 pages.

Then he started wondering if he could turn those pages into a book. But he was quickly plagued by doubt. Who the heck is going to read this thing? I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to get an agent or a publisher. 

In frustration one day, Craig threw the pen across the room. Why the hell am I doing this?

At that moment, his heart spoke to him. The same heart that told him not to commit the fraud. This time, he listened.

Craig flipped to the last page of his composition notebook and wrote the answer he heard: “You’re doing this to save just one person.”

 After that, Craig never looked back.

That doesn’t mean his writing journey was easy. Sometimes he got stuck. At those moments, he remembered Ernest Hemingway’s advice: “Write one true sentence. Then another. And another.”

Craig had to relive the most painful moments of his life. The courtroom sentencing. His wife’s telling him she was leaving him. 

But shame lives and breathes in the dark. To banish that shame, Craig needed to turn on the light. He needed to bleed onto the page. For his own healing. To save that one person.

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After the book came out, Craig traveled to meet readers at bookstores and speak to groups. His most memorable visit was to his aunt’s book club. They grilled him with questions. Then one frail, soft-spoken woman in her mid-80s raised her hand to speak.

“I lost my husband four months ago. I had a stroke three months ago. I thought my life was over. Your book showed me that I have a second chance.”

This woman had no idea what it was like to go to federal prison, but she knew what it felt like to lose everything. 

Because he shared his story, Craig helped this woman. He helped others who were suicidal. He helped people going through breakups. And he helped himself. 

As Craig says, “Holding it inside helps no one. You gotta get it out.”

How Craig moved from manuscript to published book

Once he had a manuscript, Craig started down the traditional publishing route. He had heard it was the best path if he wanted to do public speaking. 

But he wasn’t sure what to do. He felt lost. He queried dozens of agents, but no one accepted his manuscript. 

Plus, Craig was not Malcolm Gladwell or Michael Lewis. The publisher wasn’t really going to handle everything for him. He would still be responsible for marketing.

Craig started thinking about that one person again. He felt sure this wasn’t the best way to help them. 

Next, Craig looked into self-publishing. He had heard about Scribe. They had published a couple of his favorite books. 

The more he investigated, the more it became a no-brainer. Scribe was the best vehicle for getting his book into the world. It was the best way to help that one person.

The level of detail in the publishing process surprised him. He learned the interior had to be designed to a specific ratio. He learned there’s a science behind cover design. 

At first, he felt overwhelmed by all the things he didn’t know. But “Scribe made the unknown known – it wasn’t frightening anymore,” Craig says. “It was one of the best professional experiences I’ve ever had.”

Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life after Prison came out in 2021. Craig has no regrets about pouring his heart out on the page. He found healing, fulfillment, and connection in sharing his story. 

Why stop there? Craig is now working on his second book with Scribe—a prequel about life before prison, and the slippery slope of bad decisions that led to his crime. He hopes to help others make better choices and avoid their own rock bottom. 

Key Takeaways

• If you think you have a story to share, you have a story to share. We all do.
• Holding your story in helps no one. 
• Write one true sentence. Then another. And another.
• For most of you, self-publishing is the best vehicle to get your book out into the world.
• Pick a professional publishing company that can guide you through the process.

Check out the full interview between Craig Stanland and Scribe CEO Eric Jorgenson here.