This week’s post comes to us from the wonderful Hady Méndez, award-winning author of Calladita No More. Hady was a star author in my program, Idea-to-Draft, and has inspired other future authors to take bold action toward their dream of writing a book.
In this piece, Hady shares some of the real talk behind writing a book. Yes, becoming an author is transformative. Yes, it’s a powerful business growth tool and sustainability asset. Yes, it’s a meaningful life accomplishment. And yes, it’s hard work.
But enough from me—here’s Hady. Read all the way to the end, because her final message is sure to lift you up and inspire you to do the hard and meaningful work of becoming an author. Enjoy!
So you wanna write a book? I get it. More and more people are looking to establish themselves as thought leaders and subject matter experts, and a book is a great way to build your street cred.
But here’s what most people don’t realize: Writing a book is a huge undertaking, and not all of it is fun. It will require discipline and sacrifice for weeks or months at a time, and that’s just to write the darn thing. Then you have the editing and publishing phases, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. Especially when you don’t agree with a suggested edit, when you like your version better, or when it feels like there’s always another round of edits just around the corner. And you don’t even have a final product yet.
Once the book is published, it will require a whole different set of skills from you. You’ll have to be prepared to appear on podcasts, write essays that will get your work noticed, and find creative ways to get your book in front of more readers.
It is work. And it’s work you have to prioritize to keep your book relevant, get invited to speak about it, and get paid well for your perspective.
If you really wanna do this, here’s what you’re signing up for and what it’s gonna require of you. There are five things to know before you write that book.
#1 Believe in your message.
What will your book be about? What is a topic you can’t stop talking about?
My author friends and I sometimes joke about this. Because the truth is you will be talking about your book all the time. I mean, ALL. THE. TIME. So do yourself a favor and write about a topic you feel passionate about. One that you don’t mind talking about day in and day out. A topic you can be known for and stand behind long after the book is in the world.
In my book, Calladita No More, I talk about the power of self-advocacy, taking up space, and owning your narrative. I can speak endlessly about this topic. It’s a point of view I’m deeply invested in, one I’ve built a business around, and one I’ll probably still be talking about ten years from now.
What’s that topic for you?
#2 Get ready for some tough love.
There are going to be some days when you are going to regret the decision to write your book. It might be because you are not in the flow, and despite your best efforts, you are not keeping up with your writing schedule. Or it might be because you are on vacation, and you have to reread your manuscript for the umpteenth time, and you just can’t bring yourself to read it yet again. Or it might be because of something else entirely.
This is when you have to remind yourself why you started this project in the first place and what you hope to gain from it. Writing a book requires patience and perseverance. It will probably take longer than you want to get your book out into the world.
And honestly, you won’t always feel inspired. I had to talk myself off the ledge more than a few times as I brought Calladita No More to life. And I had to keep anchoring myself in my why: to get on bigger stages and have better-paid speaking opportunities.
What is the why behind writing your book, and is it compelling enough to get you through the rough patches?
#3 Understand the trade-offs.
I spent $50,000 to get my book out into the world. That included a book coach, two editors, a publisher, an illustrator, a project manager, swag, a book launch party, a PR coach, and a media manager.
That’s $50,000 I can’t get back, but in my POV, money well spent.
You only launch your debut book once, and I wanted to get it right. That investment represents trips I didn’t take, massages I skipped, and a whole lot of saying no to myself.
My book baby took priority over everything leading up to my pub date. It had to. Why invest all that time writing a book only to have it not make a splash when it was finally ready for the world to read it?
Your book will require a lot from you: time, energy, money, and more. After spending all that money on my book in 2025, there was very little money left to do anything in 2026. I haven’t stopped promoting my book, but I’ve had to cut back on how I do it and pick and choose the right opportunities.
What are you willing to give up to get your book out into the world?
#4 Play the long game.
My book dropped on September 15, 2025. At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM). On purpose.
I had been talking about my book for months leading up to the pub date and fully expected to leverage my book leading into the busiest time of the year for me. Guess what? It was the year I earned the least amount of money for HHM.
I was deep in book promotion, and at the same time, the political climate made people more hesitant to spotlight stories from the Latinx community. It caught me completely off guard and made me question whether I had made the right decision. Nevertheless, I kept showing up for my book. I continued promoting it, speaking about it, and getting on podcasts.
And now, more than six months later, I’m starting to feel the impact. I’m getting invited to more stages, I’m getting paid more for my speaking engagements, and new opportunities are opening up because of it.
Writing a book means playing the long game. You will not see the ROI immediately. Staying the course and being consistent is the unlock I discovered.
Are you willing to wait to see the impact?
#5 Show up over and over again.
If you are still with me, take that as a good sign. It probably means you are willing to do what it takes to bring your book into the world and make it shine. If you do the most important job well, which is to write a good book, then showing up for it after it is published shouldn’t feel that challenging.
This is what that might look like in practice: finding ways to talk about the message behind your book when meeting with clients, creating opportunities to have your book featured, hopping on podcasts to spread your message and find more readers, keeping your social media current with new book tour stops or book club offers, creating content to help more readers find your book, and so much more.
Because the work never stops. In my world, every day is an opportunity to hype up Calladita No More and get it into more hands.
I am Calladita No More and Calladita No More is me.
Can you see yourself so deeply invested in something that you become one with it?
Here’s what I want you to remember: Each of us has a story the world needs to hear. And telling your story might be the single most important work of your life.
But writing that story and bringing it to life will require a lot from you. Sometimes more than you’re ready to give.
So the question isn’t should you write a book. The question is . . . are you ready?
About the author
Hady Méndez is the award-winning author of Calladita No More, a proud Puerto Rican, and a leadership coach based in Madrid. As the founder of Boldly Speaking LLC, she helps underestimated professionals build confidence, advocate for themselves, and step into leadership. A LinkedIn Top Coaching & Mentoring Voice, her work has been featured in Business Insider, #WeAllGrow Latina, and with organizations such as Lean In Latinas and Ellevate Network.
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