Authoring 101: How to Write a Book

Hi, my loves,

I frequently get asked about my book, “Surrender.” or “The Retreat Leaders Playbook” Truth is, it’s not always about the content of the book, it’s more about HOW TO WRITE A BOOK. Usually when I get asked this, I follow up with, “Why do you want to write a book?” Depending on the answer, I’ve got responses ready.

So today, call me Professor Shannon :-P, because I’m talking about how, when, and why to invest your time in writing a book. Quiet everyone! Authoring 101 is officially in session!

Module One: Why Do You Really Want to Write a Book?

Here’s a summary of the answers I usually get:

• “I want to write a book to make money.” Stop. Don’t do it for this reason. You can make money as an author, but rarely from the book itself. More on that later.
• “To share my life story.” Great why.
• “To share lessons I’ve learned.” Great why.
• “To have more credibility in my field.” Great why.

Quick disclaimer: I’m not discouraging you from going after your dreams. I just want to give you straight answers some writers won’t readily admit. This is all my perspective. My husband and I have published seven books, both self-published and through traditional publishing houses. But we’re just two authors out of millions, and plenty of others will see it differently.

Module Two: What to Expect When You Write a Book

Two things to keep in mind if you’re going down this path:

1. It’s a serious time commitment. Most writers take a year or two to finish an initial draft. Some take longer, I took several years. A few publish faster, but that’s the minority, especially if you care about quality over speed.
2. It’s an emotional commitment. Writing a book changes you, whether it’s self-help, business, or engineering. A lot of you goes into it, and there’s always some worry about how it’ll be received, because it reflects on you.

Module Three: How to Start Writing a Book

I’m speaking from my experience as a self-published author here. If you want to pitch to a publisher, you can find classes and templates online on how to build a book pitch, or work with an agent. Going directly through a publishing house skips most of what I’ll cover next. It comes with real benefits, but one tradeoff is that the publisher controls most of the details of your book.

That’s a lot to sit with for now. Next week, we’ll get into:

1. The message you want your book to convey
2. Creating a book outline
3. The writing process
4. Self-editing
5. Hiring someone for the book layout
6. Designing a cover
7. Publishing channels for self-published authors

Until then, your homework: drink water, move your body, and meditate daily. And if you’re serious about writing a book, sit with what your why actually is.