When I wrote my first book in 2012, I felt wholly inadequate. Every inner gremlin screamed at me at every stage of the journey.
“I’m too young! Who wants to read a book by a twenty-seven-year-old?”
“I’m not a true expert! Others have decades of experience. They should write this book!”
“Am I even capable of writing an entire book?”
“What if my book is terrible? What if my career tanks? What if I get voted off the publishing island?“
OK, I threw in that last one for a bit of dramatic flair, but the truth is every time I sat down to write, my inner talk made it really, really difficult to hear my own thoughts. I had to work through my doubts and insecurities to be able to confidently write a book I was proud of. And I’m glad to say I did.
Of course, with more than a decade and 100-plus books under my belt, there are things I’d change about that book. But I’m dang proud of my younger self and grateful I made that book happen, because it was truly a catalyst for all the goodness in my life today.
If, like me, you are considering the gargantuan task of writing a book, and staring down the barrel of 60,000 words, let me put a hand on your shoulder and tell you: You can absolutely do this. Here’s why.
Writing a book is a learnable skill.
If this is your first book, you have a skills gap—you haven’t learned the skill of writing a book. Isn’t that great news? Because you can learn how to write a book.
Just like any other skill, whether playing the piano or learning to make a mean soufflé, you can study the skill of book writing. Best of all, once you develop this new skill, you can deploy it as many times as you want. This is why many of my clients write multiple books. They have a new skill and they know how to use it! Plus, they see the incredible results a book has on their business, brands, impact missions, and lives.
As a nonfiction book coach, I teach my clients the skill of writing a book in a step-by-step process that both drives clarify. My goal: They engage fully in the transformative journey of authorhood and have a new skill they can use time after time, book after book.
A validated book idea and outline are your key to book-writing bliss.
Here’s where many aspiring authors fall flat on their faces before they even run the race: They rush into the writing process without validating their idea or crafting an outline.
Friend, slow down. Take your time. Spend the energy, focus, and time to validate your book idea and create a clear road map for your writing process. I pinky promise your future self will thank you.
I help my clients validate their book idea through a series of stages designed to first uncover what’s within them, and then look to the market to compare. If you’re working on a book as part of a business or brand marketing strategy, you likely already know your niche reader, message, and the purpose of the book. And if you don’t—I help with that too!
When I work with clients to validate their book idea in a book strategy session, we first start with their vision. What do they want to accomplish, and how will this book be a catalyst for that mission or goal? I ask clients to complete a comprehensive questionnaire before we meet to help me intellectually invest in the validation process, and then we spend ninety minutes diving deep, pushing the idea to clarity.
I also offer these sessions for people at later stages—helping them understand strategic next steps for their publishing and marketing journeys.
The brain trains just like the body.
I played varsity volleyball and ran long distance track growing up. And as an athlete, I did a lot of drills, especially in volleyball. Those drills were often boring and exhausting, but come game time, they were the reason I could show up and play my heart out. My body worked almost automatically, with little conscious thought, to pass, set, and spike.
I teach my book coaching clients the skill of book writing, yes—but I also coach them on lifestyle design, helping them integrate writing into their lives. Consistency and discipline are the ticket to make your author dreams happen. And you can do it!
Writing is similar. You must show up regularly. You must train the brain to write through consistency. Over time and with consistent habits, the brain forms new neural pathways that enable your brain to access flow state.
Here’s an important truth: In writing, consistency and discipline are way more important than talent and skill.
There are professionals for that.
Last note: If budget allows, professionals can be your book’s BFF. Whether you’re working with me as your nonfiction book coach—through private coaching, or group coaching, or another professional—please know that you have options. You don’t have to go it alone.
As a book coach, I guide authors through the transformative journey of authorhood step-by-step, helping them both craft a draft they’re proud to share with the world and understand and organize the next steps to make their book dreams a reality (i.e., get that baby in readers’ hands!).
Here’s the key message I hope you’ll take away from this piece: Writing a book is completely, totally, 100 percent doable. YOU CAN DO THIS. I’m cheering you on!
Aspiring authors, I’d love to hear from you—what are you doing to take one step in the direction of your book-writing dreams? Share with me in the comments. I read and reply to every comment and love hearing from you!
P.S. This is a genuinely human article. No AI was used to write this piece.
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