Ridiculously Simple Steps for Writing a Book

1. Set a total word count. 40,000 - 60,000 words = standard nonfiction/novella book. A long nonfiction book/standard-length novel contains 60,000 - 80,000 words, and a very long nonfiction/long novel contains 80,000 - 100,000 words.
2. Give yourself weekly deadlines. Make it a word count and celebrate the progress you've made.
3. Get early feedback. Have a few trusted advisers such as friends, editors, or family that will help you discern what's worth writing.

• Commit to shipping. No matter what, finish the book, then release it to the world.
• Embrace failure. Writing a book will be hard, and you will have failures. Be okay with that and give yourself grace.
• Write another book. Most authors are embarrassed by their first book. But without a first book, you will never learn the lessons. Put your work out, fail early, and try again. It is the only way to get better.

Your book could have helped people, brought beauty or wisdom into the world, if only your book came to be. Or worse, you wrote a book, but nobody cared about it.

Producing a work that sells is not just about writing what you think will work. It's about finding an idea that will excite you and your audience. You have to write a book that is worthy of being sold. To maximize your chance of finishing your book, you need a proven plan.

1. Write and publish one chapter at a time, using Amazon Kindle Singles, Wattpad, or sharing with your email list subscribers.
2. Start small. Write a shorter book of poems or stories.
3. Start a blog to get feedback early. Eventually publish all the posts in a hardcopy book.
4. Keep an inspiration list to keep fresh ideas flowing. Read regularly, and use a system to organize and find the content you've curated.
5. Keep a journal, then rewrite the entries in a more polished book format, but use some scans of the journal pages as illustrations in the book.
6. Deliver constantly. Don't wait for inspiration. Inspiration is a byproduct of hard work.
7. Take frequent breaks.
8. Remove distractions.
9. Write where others are writing, like a coffee shop or library.
10. Don't edit as you go. Write without judgment first, then edit later.