> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thelighthouselibrary.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Letter | You know enough - URL: https://thelighthouselibrary.co/letter-from-the-lighthouse-you-know/ - Published: 2026-01-30T10:01:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-28T09:38:48.000Z - Description: You don't need more courses, but to stop leaving brilliant work at 80% done instead. Let's change that together. - Author: Ely Bakouche - Tags: Letters from the lighthouse, Join my editing workshop!, Newsletter, #Migrated-1787909873033, #Import 2026-08-28 11:38 *This letter is inspired by no less than three conversations I’ve had in the past week with small business owner friends who, instead of sharing their brilliant offers, services, and ideas with the world, are considering buying yet another course or program.* *I know them and their work – they know enough. They don’t need another framework or another how-to guide. So here’s for them – and you and me!* [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) --- Hello dear reader, I am writing to you from my new desk, a new cozy corner of our home just for me. It is, of course, a functional new addition to our living room: I need a place to sit and take client calls, write pieces like this one, edit articles, brainstorm and execute on all my ideas for the future of my business, the Lighthouse Library. But it feels like, for the first time in my working life, **I am taking my work seriously**. Can you believe that in my nearly decade of work, 80% of which has been 100% remote, I’ve never had a desk of my own? Working from the kitchen is fine, I do like it. But now I have this dedicated space where I can sit and say: Yes, I believe in myself so much that instead of buying my weight in new books and courses, I invested in a place where I can, quite simply, do the work. ## Your best how-to manual is already in your head The first thing I did when I was done building my desk was to go around the apartment and collect all the books that I want to inspire my work. There are no business books, no how-to manuals; well, with the exception of my embroidery books. Instead, you’ll find my favorite School of Life read (*The Meaning of Life*), books about the state of our burning world and why we need to take action accordingly (*The Future We Choose* by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac). There’s also inspiration to build and support small businesses (*How to Resist Amazon and Wh*y by Danny Caine). Most directly linked to the core of my work, I can see from the corner of my eye great examples of essay writing, namely Bell Hooks’ *All about love*, Mikki Kendall’s *Hood Feminism*, and Virginia Woolf’s *A Room of One’s Own*. Positioning, to use a marketing term, has been on my mind a lot lately. We all need help, and I have some to provide. What do I want people to turn to me for? It is clear to me that I do not want to be seen as a marketing expert, even though I have a useful understanding of it. I don’t want to be a magazine publisher either, even though I have done that before. I don’t want to do social media strategy, but social media is what we still all think we have to do (myself included). So, naturally, I’ve wondered: What kind of skills do I need to add to my list so I can present my skills “the right way?” Do I need to learn something new, and what is that? It was fitting that, while that question was floating around my mind, I had conversations with friends who participated in business programs. They thought that would be the answer, but they still feel some degree of insecurity and confusion within their business. It’s not that nothing is happening, it’s just that things take time to move forward – such is the nature of running your own, human-sized business. My instant reaction was to shake my head and simply say: ***You have enough knowledge to do the things you want to do. It’s time to go out into the world now and talk about it. Perhaps what you need is someone to facilitate your thinking and organize your ideas.*** ## And here I was — following my very own advice I started reading Virginia Woolf’s *A Room of One’s Own* and forgot about it all for a while. And here’s what happened: I got my markers and started highlighting 1) the words I didn’t know, 2) the ideas I found most interesting and wanted to return to, and 3) the sentences I thought particularly well-written, with “BL” in the margin for Beautiful Language. I started thinking about how I could translate words from 1928 into modern language and wondered, if Virginia Woolf was still alive and I was her publishing consultant, how we could approach building her digital publication. It hit me: **I have been doing this my entire career. This is what I do. I write, I edit, I observe, I think about how to present context-dependent ideas.** I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH! I know **enough**. I have **enough** experience. I can **already** share my knowledge and thoughts in a way that is helpful and valuable to the person who struggles with exactly what I do best. ## Here’s my invitation: Practice with support Over the last few months, I’ve been testing online editing workshops in my favorite online community, the Lab. [In my market research from September](https://thelighthouselibrary.co/letters-from-the-lighthouse-the-thoughtful/), I realized that a lot of people get stuck at **80% done drafts** rather than the blank page. So many wonderful ideas left to die in a “to edit” folder. That is where I can come in (with my digital highlighters) and with a little kindness, hands-on support, and tools, **help get a draft to 100% completion** and ready for publication. The feedback has been really positive – so I’ve decided to bring it out into the world. **The first public workshop is happening on February 18th, and consider this your formal invitation!** Here’s feedback from one of the participants who got their piece edited: > *“Ely’s editing is very honest, precise, and thorough, and at the same time very kind and gentle. She has the ability to clearly explain the reasoning behind her changes and to gently nudge you with her suggestions. I’m usually quite scared of feedback, but this was pure joy.”* > > – Federica, travel writer & translator working on a book [Sign up for the workshop](https://luma.com/ry1dg9ee?ref=thelighthouselibrary.co) ## This workshop is perfect for you if you: - Have drafts sitting at 80% done in your “to edit later” folder - Write long-form pieces (blog posts, essays, articles, ideas-led newsletter editions) - Want to learn editing strategies you can use again and again - Are ready to finally hit publish on something you’ve been sitting on ## Here’s how it works: You submit a piece you feel is 80% done, and get a chance to have it edited by me. During the workshop, I walk you through the lucky winner’s words and share my tips, strategies, and the thought process behind my editing decisions. We then use the remaining time so you can directly edit your own piece. All you need is to go to your “to edit later” folder, pick a piece you would love to share with the world, and bring yourself to the online workshop. ## Ready to finally publish that piece? Here’s what to do next: 1. Go to your “to edit later” folder (you know the one) 2. Pick the piece you most want to share with the world 3. Register and submit your piece [here](https://luma.com/ry1dg9ee?ref=thelighthouselibrary.co) **I cannot wait to receive your submissions and see you there on February 18th!** [Sign up here!](https://luma.com/ry1dg9ee?ref=thelighthouselibrary.co) Cheering you on! ✨ Ely ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/81/e2/81e297df-ae1e-4000-a8bd-230e72c347a3/content/images/2026/08/d8784dc0-3652-446e-91ac-4676fd9ee12f_1500x1500-1.png)