How to Write a Book: An 11-Step Process to Build Habits, Stop Procrastinating, Fuel Self-Motivation, Quiet Your Inner Critic, Bust Through Writer's Block, & Let Your Creative Juices Flow

by David Kadavy

Have you thought about writing a book? Do you just not know where to begin? Do you get writer's block just thinking about writing a book? Best-selling non-fiction author David Kadavy shares his simple process for writing a book. Build confidence, ditch your inner critic, and finally write your book with simple habits you can start today. You can read this short read (~7,000 words) in under an hour, so it won't get in the way of the one thing standing between you and your Action! Download today and make the book you've dreamed of a reality. Comes with a free sample chapter of David Kadavy's latest book, The Heart to Start.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

46 pages, Paperback

Published February 22, 2018

About the author

David Kadavy (@kadavy) is a bestselling author, blogger, podcaster, and speaker. Through his blogging at kadavy.net and his podcast, Love Your Work, he helps people find satisfaction through following their crafts, even if it takes them down unconventional paths. David's writing has appeared in Quartz, Observer, Inc.com, The Huffington Post, McSweeny’s Internet Tendency, and Upworthy. He has spoken in eight countries, including appearances at SXSW at TEDx. He lives in Medellín, Colombia.

Reviews

[Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short read hands-on tutorial to writing non-fiction books. I especially like the fact that David Kadavy put his condensed guidance onto just 35 pages.

He gives helpful advice on starting your writing journey with just a small writing habit: "The smaller your habit is, the harder it is to make an excuse to not do it." You are taken onto the path for getting inspiration and clarity by reading and reviewing Kindle book samples. Furthermore, he writes about building a publishing habit and creating an audience by writing on Medium.com daily for months. David also put in the how-to for creating the book's title and outline, getting the drafts done and the (crowd-) editing.

I highly recommend this short read, even if you are thinking about just writing blog posts.

[Swanand Pagnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, actionable book about writing books. It is a little simplistic, but it's entirely by design. You need something simple to act on.

The book is best read in one single sitting, and then read along again as you write.

[Héctor Iván Patricio Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aunque el libro está en inglés, esta reseña la escribiré en español porque se que el autor probablemente ya habla español y además lee las reseñas.

En general los libros de este autor me inspiran mucho, me identifico con él por ser de los que le cuestan trabajo las cosas en general y cuenta sus problemas desde un punto de vista muy humano y humilde.

Este libro deja mucho más claro cuál es el proceso de escribir un libro desde la concepción de la idea, pero no sólo se queda ahí, sino que además da consejos de como lograrlo, no se va por los caminos puramente teóricos de los pasos: empieza ayudándote a lograr el hábito de escribir y a vencer los miedos, muy parecido a The Heart To Start pero puramente enfocado en la creación de un libro.

Lo recomendaría a todas las personas que quieren empezar a escribir, sea un libro o no y además les faltan trucos para lograrlo constentement.

Espero ver más obras parecidas de David, pronto.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, quick read that aims at getting you out of your own head and getting words on the page.

[Riza · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very well crafted

Thanks David for another inspiring book! After reading this book i have more courage to write book that i dreamed of

[Lorraine Haataia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in one sitting, and it was incredibly timely as I'm working on my own book. The tips were valuable, and I appreciate the brevity and practicality. I enjoy the casual writing style, and the author's storytelling and insights into his own process were great, as was his advice to print out the book for editing. His emphasis on forming a daily writing habit, starting small with 250-500 words, was helpful. The idea of getting the first draft out without worrying about perfection resonated with me.

Overall, though short, the book was outstanding and valuable, especially for first-time authors or those looking for simpler ways to publish. I particularly liked his tips about blogging on Medium and involving his email list for feedback, even crediting them in the acknowledgments. This is the second of his books that I've read, and I look forward to reading more from him and hopefully meeting him soon.

[Tchassa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, informative, and necessary

I loved The Heart To Start so much that I did a video review. Not only has this inspired me to complete my outline and start writing, the short read has sparked my interest in publishing as soon as possible 'because there will be more where that will come from'.

I'm always looking for new ideas to apply, and even better when they're simple and actionable.

It is clear that this book was meant as a spark as there are aspects about writing (technology) that weren't mentioned. Especially the part about using the current self-publishing tools.

It's easy to find a lot of information online and I believe the episode with Tucker Max which was referred to multiple times in the book covers this well.

I'd recommend this to anyone starting and wanting a path to try on.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kadavy is that guy who took the oft mentioned advice to find somewhere cheaper to live and moved to Colombia. He runs a blog and a podcast (doesn’t everyone these days) but it is worth a listen.
https://kadavy.net/
This book is basically how he started; first at Medium, where he used his following to beta his book.
He’s talking about non-fiction but a lot of his advice applies equally well to fiction. Especially email lists, webpages and mindset.

Every book you write is going to be imperfect. How imperfect can you handle it being?

Indeed
4 stars

[Stone Pinckney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clutch. Practical. Timely.

If you want to write a book but unsure where to start. Cut through the fluff and read this book. It’s encouraging, with helpful insights and tangible actions to take. Kadavy does a terrific job to expose lies many beginning writers succumb to. Doesn’t hurt that he’s funny and engaging. I read two of his books in the same day and a Medium article by him about being a self-employed creative for 10 years. His curiosity makes me wonder, not question, my own.

[RSR Murthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical and useful. Many Of us wish to write, but never get to. What I liked most is the point on the delusion we live in of writing a book one day, until the day we die. Start it, start today, start with those small steps, even if it is 100 words a day, and David shows the way.There is no substitute for those small daily victories to keep us motivated, what David calls “ Tiny habits”. Some of the principles are true for any other good habit that one wants to acquire.

[H Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short with a few golden nuggets...

Very short. Inspired and inspirational in moments, yet lacks depth and substance. Liked the mantra section, yet there is not enough value here for me to buy more books by this author. I like books with more actionable content, more depth and breadth, maybe someone who publishes less often yet whose books have greater substance and value. Happy reading ~*

[Kyle F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super simple and practical advice and guide to getting started in writing!

Stumbled onto this short, concise guide to getting started in your writing. Super practical, recommendations on where to publish, very positive and encouraging in its approach. Definitely recommend this book if you feel the urge to write and need a spark!

[Ahmed Muzammil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short concise to the point advice from a pro author

The false beliefs were really helpful and the point about not focusing on structure, and story while at the first draft is a real productivity boost. The author is a strong believer of tiny habits and yes it works... This way you set yourself up for success without stressing out and burning out!

[Coger Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today, Reader randomly chose this book from my library; it's accurately described as a short read. 11 steps of non-groundbreaking information, with some nice anecdotes thrown in for good measure. I did like the author insisting on starting a daily writing habit small and building up to a more "proper" goal like 1000 words today. The section about mantras was worth reading as well.

[Frank Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally pretty good: easy enough to read and motivational. I knocked off a star because the author is a bit full of himself, and essentially it's a re-hashing of stuff which is generally available elsewhere.

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This super quick read has lots of great advice on creating a writing habit, staying motivated, and completing a non-fiction book.

For me, this was a three and a half star read rounded up to four.

I recommend checking out the author’s book THE HEART TO START.

[Kim Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a quick little read, but I would say if you have already researched and are serious about writing, there is not much to learn here. Still, I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone just starting their writing journey.

[Lisa Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good place to start

I have been interested in trying to write a book and this was a good outline of thoughts and ideas help get started but it wasn't so overwhelming that I didn't know where to start.

[Donald Nordeng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written encouraging book for writers

David Kadavy summarised the process of creating a book manuscript simply and proactively. Any new author can find hints and suggestions for improving their writing process. Definitely worth reading.

[Erich · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to write a book

How to Write a Book is short but full of actionable tips. The most important one is to write daily, even if it's only 100 words, as David suggests. Building this writing habit can make or break you as a writer.

[Sérgio Pinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very simples book, well written but not deep enough for me. A lot of common sense advice, perhaps good if we want overcome some simples beliefs that are blocking us.

[GD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much just common sense, and way too short for the 2.99 Kindle price.

[Amy Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent quick read with steps to get you started writing.

[A.soorianarayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical guide about how to go about writing every day so that it forms a habit and explaining 11 step process of writing book. Very helpful and informative.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Ready to implement the guidelines

[Angeline Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for anyone starting out on their writing journey.

[Bernie Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Felt like a lead magnet for his The Heart to Start. None the less — this was solid writing with helpful tips. Worth the read if you wish to write a book. Good advise.

[James Shrimpton · Rating 2 out of 5]

They say that many non-fiction books should have been a blogpost.

This book was a blog post.

[Vojtěch Tatra · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can start anytime with writing, David started later in life too. And I think one nice example is Sussana Clarke with her Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. As with almos everything, the key is to start a then be consitent (usually through little chunks). David accuratelly describes that brain reward for having a plan (to write a book here), but actually not starting anything, because it requires effort and investment, which hurts sort of and not doing anything is rewarding too. Anticipation of something can sometime bring more reward than hardships of the actual work, but thanks to it we dont start anything at all (in this case we dont write a book, but that this guide is actually about anything creative and actually about whole life too). Overall nice and comprehensive set of tools & tips.

[Emīls Ozoliņš · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I procrastinated enough today, opting to read a book on how to write a book instead of, well, actually writing my book.

It's 22:27 from where I'm at. It's a Friday night. This book met my daily goal of 48 pages (well, it misses the mark by two pages, but I did read the last couple of chapters of American Psycho in the morning (well, not even the morning, I woke up awfully late today), and, well, if you know American Psycho, you know.

I'll now go and write something, I guess, so the book worked. Or maybe I'll procrastinate at the eleventh hour. I like to keep myself on edge, even if it deteriorates every fibre of my being.