10 things about writing a book
Shipping = Learning.
Reflecting on the process of creating my recently published book, The Unstuck Book, made me realise some things that I'll know for next time. Some of them might even be useful for you, now.
Have a solid concept of what the book is, for the reader.
Don’t leave here until you have this, and have sense-checked it with at least one person you trust to give you honest feedback. The core idea should be clear, simple, focused, and should offer the reader something valuable. (Thanks to Amir for this part!)
Set a date.
A timeless classic. Put a deadline on everything - the first draft complete, the proofreading complete, the book design finished, the ship date etc. Nothing works as hard as a firm deadline.
Remove anything that belongs in the Promo Tour.
As you edit your work, aim for only the content you need to get your ideas across. No fluff. One way to do this is to pretend that you will be on a book tour, promoting your book. There will be things that you will be asked by audience members, podcasts hosts etc that do not belong in your book. They are usually around the “journey” of the book, or the “process” of the book. Leave them out of the actual book, no matter how interesting they seem to you.
Pay for a copy editor.
Even if you are writing the book, formatting the book, designing the book cover, pay for a copy editor. The difference this makes is hard to explain. A decent one wont just spot all the typos you thought you had removed, they will surface unclear concepts, overly-written sentences and bad grammar (I had lots of all of this). Best of all, a good one will coach you to understand what better looks like. [h/t to Colin Steele]
Don’t believe your first draft.
The “shitty first draft” is a real thing. Trust that if the concept is good/useful/valuable, then the words can be shaped over time. Your final draft will be much better, maybe unrecognisable.
Kill your darlings.
Yes, it’s your book, and you are the expert in this particular subject matter. And yes, that turn of phrase is clever/funny/intelligent. But if it doesn’t work, it needs to go (see 4 above). Save it for the Promo Tour (see 3 above).
Don’t forget to switch writing modes.
Writing a book (to inform/teach/inspire) is different to selling a book. Context alone dictates that the words people read about your book (and where they read them) need to be different from the words in your book. Some basic copywriting skill here will pay dividends.
Don’t explain the world.
Unless you are writing “The History of The World”, aim for the SVI - the “Smallest Viable Idea”. There is always a temptation to write down everything you know, but your readers doesn’t care. They are interesting in this one idea, well explained, that helps them get somewhere they need to go. Just do that.
Read it out loud
Print it out and read it. It’s eye-opening how many mistakes you can clear up immediately by reading your own work out loud.
Get the first one out
If you made it this far, you probably feel like you have a book in you. And you probably do. Don’t overthink it. Get it out there. The book that will change your life is the book you write.
Yes, I learned these the hard way. Hopefully you don't have to.
