Lisa Ann Wrote Three Books With Scribe Media So She Would Have the Final Say on Her Story
“I realized that if I wrote my story, I would have the final say on the story that I wanted to tell.”
Lisa Ann, author of gen online
Lisa Ann became a household name in 2008 playing Sarah Palin, left the adult entertainment industry in 2014, and spent 10 years hosting a SiriusXM fantasy sports show. She has now written three books with Scribe Media, and the third, gen online, comes out November 10, 2026.
Writing it so nobody could edit her out
Clip · Lisa Ann on having the final say · 15s
Lisa has wanted to write a book since fifth grade, when she won a creative writing contest and landed on the cover of the local paper. Years of interviews showed her what happens when someone else controls the edit.
“From doing interviews as a young performer, I realized that some of the best things that I said, if they weren't live interviews, were edited out.”
— Lisa Ann
She sat down to write her first book, The Life, a year after she retired. She is candid about the first draft.
“I overwrote that first book. I wasn't a good writer when I wrote that first book.”
— Lisa Ann
The editor’s challenge: a book a week
Clip · Lisa Ann on her editor's challenge · 32s
When that first book was finished, her editor at the company that is now Scribe Media gave her an assignment.
“I remember the editor said to me, if you want to be a better writer, you have to be a better reader. Now that you're finished with this project, I challenge you to read a book a week for a year.”
— Lisa Ann
“I did 63 books that year. I fell in love with reading. And when I went to write my second book, it was easier.”
— Lisa Ann
Read every chapter out loud
Clip · Lisa Ann on reading every chapter out loud · 23s
During the pandemic, Lisa recorded the audiobook for The Life in the bedroom closet of her New York City apartment, with egg crate on the walls and blankets on the ceiling. Hearing the book read back changed how she writes.
“And what I learned from that was in the future books that I was going to write, I would read them out loud to myself one chapter at a time because you're kind of training yourself for the audio book.”
— Lisa Ann
“And if something doesn't flow as you're saying it out loud, it's not going to flow with your reader.”
— Lisa Ann
Chapter four becomes chapter one
Clip · Lisa Ann on moving chapter four to chapter one · 26s
Her second book, The Life Back, went somewhere darker. It now opens with a death threat made from inside her own home, but that is not where she first put it.
“And it was actually, again, same editor with you [Scribe] that when I had handed over the finished product said, no, we're making chapter four, chapter one.”
— Lisa Ann
“I'm like, but it's out of order. And he said, yes, but it's riveting. It'll make people really open it.”
— Lisa Ann
She says the second book came out half the size of the first, because by then she had become a better writer.
Why gen online, and why now
Clip · Lisa Ann on why gen online now · 30s
Lisa was about 60 percent of the way through a third volume of The Life when her conversations with friends about creator culture, incels, the manosphere, and the lack of guardrails for kids changed the plan.
“And so it was my friends that said to me, this is what you have to share with the world right now.”
— Lisa Ann
The book is her myth buster for young people chasing headlines about overnight fortunes, and a guide for parents. Her fix starts with real age verification.
“Clicking a box that says you were 18 is not enough.”
— Lisa Ann
“And I hope that by reading this book, more people have these conversations.”
— Lisa Ann
What Scribe handles so she can create
Clip · Lisa Ann on publishing with Scribe · 31s
Her launch plan includes Amazon pre-orders, a live shopping event on Whatnot, bookstore events, personal appearances, and an audiobook in early 2027. She is also finishing the third volume of The Life and wants to take the age-gate conversation to universities and schools. She closed the interview with why she keeps publishing with Scribe.
“As an author, being a part of Scribe is so incredible. You want to be able to save your creative juices.”
— Lisa Ann
“And I think Scribe provides that service to allow us to do what we do best and you [Scribe] to handle the rest.”
— Lisa Ann
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