Thinking About Writing a Book This Fall? 6 Questions You Might Have

My 2023 published book, Intuitive Writing.

Having written and self-published two books, I get a lot of questions about book writing. 

Several business owners in my writing community are writing books too — on topics from memoir to poetry to historical fiction — it’s really cool to witness. 

This article will cover your top questions about writing a book. And maybe some you didn’t even know you had.

Q1. I want to write a book. Where do I start?

My book-writing experience is with memoir, nonfiction, and self-development. I tried to write fiction for about five minutes, but I’m a terrible liar. I also never read fiction books, so I have no framework.

Where to start writing a book is often the biggest challenge for aspiring authors. We want to “start” in the “right” way. Worried about doing it wrong, we set out on a search…. “Where do I start with a book?”

The answer is simple and might sound boring.

There’s no “right” way to start. Yes, you could dive right in and start writing wherever your pen leads you — and I encourage you to do just that. It’s always better than overthinking. 

You can’t think your way to the “right” way to start writing a book.

In 2022, I hosted a free workshop to help you start planning your book-writing adventure. Watch the replay here — The Intuitive Way to Plan a Book Writing Project.

We all start somewhere. As a writing coach, I can help you stay on track and guide you through what to write, how much, and even when.

The writing process for my first book was wildly different from the second. The end result was the same — a book I was proud of. 

If you’re just starting out writing your book, you might like these articles:

• 3 Simple Ways I’m Preparing To Write My Next Book

• The Intuitive Way to Plan During Preptober (for NaNoWriMo)

• Never Write Angry; 10 Practices for Feel Good Book Writing

• “I’m Writing a Book” – What To Do Before Declaring Your Intention

• 11 Surprising Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing a Memoir

Q2. I haven’t touched my book in ages. How do I get back into it?

When I wrote Unfussy Life, the first draft sat untouched for a year. Just because I wasn’t writing and editing my book for twelve months didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about it. All. The. Time. 

I recommitted to the writing project, put three hours a week on my calendar across three days, and showed the fuck up to focus, write, edit, and finally finish that book in 2021.

Some articles you might like on staying committed and finishing your book:

• How to Finish NaNoWriMo (for Nonfiction and Business Writers)

• NaNoWriMo - How I Stayed Motivated Through 60,000 Words

• Keep Going on Your Big Project

• Note: I no longer recommend NaNoWriMo.

Maybe your book idea has morphed into something different than when you started. That’s okay, too. 

What started as a self-development book turned into a memoir.

Q3. I've written a book. What do I do now?

First, congratulations! Yay, you! I can’t tell you how many people say they want to write a book but never get started. Or, they begin and fizzle out a few days in. 

You did it! So, what’s next?

The next step is hiring an editor. Publishing a book without professional editing isn’t even an option for me. While you can publish many blogs and websites without a pro’s help, invest in yourself with an editor. They’re gold and your book will be better (if you hire a good one).

I’ve worked with these editors personally and would hire them in a heartbeat.

• Madeleine helped me plan Intuitive Writing with a Human Design approach and did developmental edits. She also wrote the back cover for Intuitive Writing, and I've hired her to do some back cover writing for my clients, too.

• Stacey at The Book Doctor is In designed the cover for Intuitive Writing and helped with the logistics of self-publishing. She could be a one-stop shop for everything because she does editing and formatting.

Depending on your genre, I have many other editors I can direct you to.

Next up is marketing. Even if you go with a traditional publisher, you’ll still need to do book marketing. Look for a future article from me on how I marketed Intuitive Writing.

For now, you can read the unlaunch approach I took with Unfussy Life, having just moved from New Jersey to Florida in An Unfussy Book Launch for an Unfussy Book.

Which brings me to publishing…

Q4. Should I self-publish my book or find a publisher?

It’s time to publish your book! YAY! Now, you get to wade through an often overwhelming amount of options and opinions. I’ve seen many aspiring authors not even begin book writing because they want a publisher first. Even if you do go with a traditional book publisher, having started writing your book will give you massive clarity. I always recommend starting. 

Three primary ways to publish your book:

1. Traditional publishing

2. Independent publishing (there are some hybrid and vanity options in here, too).

3. Self-publishing

There are pros and cons to every approach. I recommend learning about each and choosing what feels right to you.

I went straight to self-publishing for my books — Unfussy Life and Intuitive Writing. I like self-publishing for the speed of publishing and control. 

I created a publishing company before publishing my second book (this is also an option for you) — Sovereign Owl Publishing. You might choose to publish with Sovereign Owl Publishing (hybrid) or create your own publishing company name (don’t worry, this doesn’t automatically mean you need to create a new business).

Here are some articles on publishing:

• 8 Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing

• Hybrid Publishing: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know

• Read Jane Freidman’s archive on self-publishing

Q5. What if I get an idea for a book and I’m not finished with my current one?

Oh, I know this situation well. When you start tapping into your creativity, you’ll find you have more creativity than before. Creativity is limitless. This also means you’re going to get downloads for other book topics while you’re writing.

Here’s what I do: 

• Know that I’m always receiving great ideas — we’re limitless beings in a limitless universe

• Write down every idea that comes to me while working on my current projects

• If they keep nudging me, there might be something to look at

• Discern if the new idea is one to follow or if it’s a distraction (practicing discernment will show you the difference – it takes time)

• Revisit my ideas when I’m done with my current project (if I haven’t pivoted already) and choose the next best one that’s tugging me

Q6. Should I try a writing challenge to write my book?

A writing challenge can be a great way to give yourself a writing boost, produce a lot of words in a short amount of time to give you momentum. I’ve tried a 30-day writing challenge called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s hard — and I did it. But — I don’t recommend this approach. Especially for women because I see it burning women out. Most women I’ve talked to either don’t finish or barely make it through.

In 2022, after watching too many of my clients struggle to make it through those 30 days, I realized that challenges like NaNoWriMo are overly masculine. Same output, every day, for 30 days. While they can be good for many people to get started, it can be challenging to keep going. You might like the intense approach to kickstart or boost a writing habit.

As a woman, that approach was draining. However, I could muscle through with a lot of masculine energy from corporate conditioning. Now, I take a different approach. A couple of years ago, I created an alternative writing challenge. One that lends itself to a sustainable approach to writing — no burnout.

Here’s how I came about it… 

• The NaNoWriMo Alternative: How To Create a Writing Habit Without Burning Out