How to write a book in 6 months

Writing
Written By Liam Sandford
Writing

Writing a book feels like a mammoth task. Tens of thousands of words to write, and finding time in the margins to turn an idea into a publication.

With the paperback of my second book launching today, I have been reflecting on what it takes to write a book in a short timescale. It feels impossible to begin with. Then little by little small efforts compound into something big. That is the journey I have taken.

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Writing is the easy part

It is a reality I couldn’t believe before writing Effortless Public Speaking. But writing is the easy part of the book writing process. All it takes is 500 words a day for 100 days and you have your non-fiction book.

Writing a book is simple, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. It takes discipline, resilience, and a willingness to push on when you want to give up.

The winning formula is the shift from one big effort to write a book to small, intentional actions that compound on top of each other.

Write a book in 100 days: ‘impossible’.

Write 500 words a day: ‘I can do that’.

Managing yourself

The hardest part of writing a book is managing yourself. You will want to quit. You might wonder if all of the work is worth it. The difference between writing a best selling book in 6 months or not is showing up when you say you will.

You can’t negotiate with yourself. When something more shiny shows up when you have planned to write, you must write. When you procrastinate because you are unsure what to write, you must figure it out. If you negotiate yourself out of a planned writing schedule you give yourself a licence to not write your book.

It would be easier not to write your book. It’s not an easy mountain to climb. But it is worth it in the end. Little by little you can have your first draft written in 100 days. Keep that in mind.

Writing a book people want

You don’t just want a book on the shelf. You want to get it in front of as many people as possible. It starts with writing a book people want.

Build in public. Test your ideas with the target market of your book, gather their pain points, obtain feedback and see what resonates. This is the power of running a weekly live stream on the topic of your book. You get real time customer feedback and insights. This is how you turn ideas into something people want to buy in a short timescale.

But it does not stop at gathering feedback. Build relationships with people. Get to know them. Show them who you are. This is how you create opportunities, and turn being an author into being a best selling author. If you build connection with people they will buy the book because they want to hear what you have to say on the topic.

Actionable takeaways

  • Get into the routine of writing 500 words a day for 100 days. Carve time in your daily schedule to write.

  • Don’t negotiate with yourself. Show up and write every time you plan to write. It would be easier not to write a book, but it is totally worth it.

  • Build in public. Write a book that people want to buy, not just something that sits on the shelf. Market testing and engagement with your potential customers is key to becoming a best selling author.

More from me

Liam Sandford
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