Three Book Deals in Three Months: Rea Frey on Burnout and Rebirth

She had just sold three book deals in three months—but celebrating herself felt impossible. For author and CEO Rea Frey, the joy of career success was tangled with a deep discomfort around being the center of attention, a feeling rooted in childhood experiences of being made fun of for her accomplishments. In this conversation, Rea opens up about the burnout that forced her to take the entire summer off, the healing modalities—including primal screaming and cold plunges—that helped reset her nervous system, and why she deleted most social media and unfollowed over a thousand people to reclaim meaningful connection.

The author of numerous books, ghostwriter, and founder of Write Way (where she's helped nearly 100 debut authors land agents and book deals), Rea shares her philosophy on working in cycles, the power of saying no, and why writing should be fueled by joy—not obligation. If you've ever struggled with burnout or wondered if there's a better way to work, this is for you.

0:00 - Intro and Hurricane Ian gratitude
2:07 - Three book deals in three months
3:08 - Why celebrating yourself is hard
5:40 - The happy medium in celebration
6:46 - From burnout to book deals
9:20 - Taking the summer off
10:42 - What a break looks like
12:29 - Social media and boundaries
16:30 - Kids, phones, and meaningful relationships
19:23 - Boundaries and saying no
20:55 - Group texts and meaningful connection
22:24 - Writing process and binge writing
24:45 - Thrillers vs. women's fiction
27:47 - Daily grounding rituals
30:51 - Healing modalities and primal screaming
34:15 - Flow and creating space
38:57 - Social media for authors
40:15 - Marketing without burnout
42:03 - Where to find Rea

• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.reafrey.com/

QUOTES:

"Figure out what you actually enjoy, something you'll be consistent with. Put your efforts there. It doesn't have to be this big shiny thing."
– Rea Frey

"We have to keep filling up that well because there will be times when you don't know what storm—literally or figuratively—is going to cross your path."
– Dara Levan