Productivity For Authors: Find Time to Write, Organize your Author Life, and Decide what Really Matters

Books for Writers #10

by Joanna Penn

Do you want to write more but feel frustrated at your lack of time? Are you doing ‘busy’ work instead of moving toward your creative goals? Is your To-Do list overwhelming?It’s time to stop, reassess and take control of your time. This Workbook will help you discover the path to becoming a productive writer. [ This is the Companion Workbook edition.]Learn how - Identify what’s really stopping you from reaching your goals- Say no and set boundaries for others — and for yourself- Find more time to write - Make the most of your writing time - Dictate your words for a more efficient and healthy writing life- Use outsourcing to buy yourself more creative time- Work with co-writers to produce more books- Use tools for specific aspects of productivity- Focus on physical and mental health to boost your productive timeI’ve been writing and publishing for over a decade and in this Productivity for Authors, I’ll share my lessons learned in order to help you become more productive and, hopefully, save you time, money and heartache along the way. This Workbook edition will help you work through your answers to the questions posed in the book.If you want to become a more productive writer, Look Inside or buy now.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Productivity, Business, Reference

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2019

About the author

Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction and memoir author as J.F. Penn. 


She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.


See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.

Reviews

[da AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the great basics to staying grounded as an author -- mind, body, and heart -- and the acknowledgement that a writer's life is difficult. This is a book that resonates because it's written from the direct experience of a successful author.

[Ana Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great advice for both aspiring and experienced writers. I finished this book encouraged to keep improving my craft and with some new ideas to try out (I’d never considered dictation before!).

—

Las estrellas dejan mucho qué desear a la hora de evaluar un libro. La manera en que tú interpretas 1, 2, 3, 4 o 5 estrellas probablemente será muy distinta a la manera en que yo interpreto 1, 2, 3, 4 o 5 estrellas.

Aquí va la «traducción» del sistema de estrellas de Ana al español:

⭐️ - Malo
⭐️ ⭐️ - Me costó terminar
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - Bueno
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - Muy bueno
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - Me cambió la vida / No pude soltarlo

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as part of the NaNoWriMo 2019 Storybundle. I don't have a problem with productivity, but I'm always interested in how other people manage their writing. This is an excellent guide to maintaining productivity not only in drafting a book, but in managing time in other ways like keeping up an online presence, outsourcing, alternate methods for drafting, collaboration, and so forth. I recommend this to any author who's just starting out as an excellent tool for starting and maintaining good writing habits. It also features an excellent bibliography for further reading. I intend to evaluate my zones of competence as per her recommendation to see where I can streamline my processes.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, easy read full of thought-provoking questions to make each chapter/topic applicable to your writing career. Joanna's advice is always delivered with a healthy dose of the belief that each writer is unique and therefore what works for her may not work for you. Still, she not only shares what she's doing and where she needs to progress, but she offers other ideas to get you thinking about what may be better for you.

[Aimee Nicole Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent craft book on productivity! There are many inspirational quotes as well as practical advice for all writers regardless of career stage. She’s included valuable recommendations for books that delve deeper into the specific topics covered too. Mad respect for the format and setup. The author has organized all the questions/prompts by chapter into a single download. She also includes a download with the books she recommended throughout. There are other download to work with too. You can print them out for easy reference. It’s the little things that make me happy. I am looking forward to reading more in this author’s series as well as several of the books she’s recommended.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great quick read that helps authors with productivity. The author gives helpful tips on how to stay productive along with resources and tools. I like to read books like this because they reinvigorate me to focus on the work of writing and other tasks I have, and prioritize the right ones.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Penn knows her stuff when it comes to indie-publishing and I keep in the loop of what's happening in publishing mainly through her books and her podcasts. She has a great way of streamlining and condensing information that would overwhelm some newcomers. This book is a much needed one for me as I need to re-order my life so I can be more productive with my writing. I highly recommend it.

[Miguel Ángel Alonso Pulido · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esperaba más de este libro, la verdad. Lo cierto es que tenía muchas expectativas, pero en este libro no encuentras ningún método que no haya aparecido en otros títulos sobre productividad (tampoco es que se pueda inventar la rueda a estas alturas, desde luego). Se lee muy bien y hay algunos puntos muy interesantes, sin embargo me molesta mucho que remita a otros libros suyos sin pudor alguno. Es totalmente lícito y correcto, solo que no me gusta. En cualquier caso, si no has leído nada sobre el tema, es un excelente punto de partida.

[Julie Bestry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Penn is certainly an expert on writing, having published many fiction and non-fiction books (including many on writing and publishing), and her take on productivity is a worthy one. She writes in a conversant and approachable manner, and formats the chapters in a way that helps the reader digest information. I should note, however, that this is a short book, with only 89 pages of content (in the ebook version).

As a professional organizer and productivity coach and as a professional writer, I'll admit that I was disappointed in the brevity of the book. I could definitely recommend it for the shelf of any beginning author and for authors seeking general guidance on productivity. It is not a complete solution, though, and is really designed as a primer on productivity for authors, rather than a deep dive. Anyone with ADD or ADHD, or with more complex focus, achievement, or productivity problems would be well suited to peruse this book, but then seek more specific, and perhaps more personalized, guidance.

Pen focuses the majority of the text on strategic issues (setting and meeting goals and deadlines, delineating the difference between important work and busy work, and setting boundaries). There's one specific chapter on "Making the most of your writing time" which, if fleshed out, could have filled fifty or more pages rather than seven.

Penn provides solid material on specific productivity solutions (dictation, outsourcing, and productivity tools) as well as a chapter on collaboration, which is pitched as a productivity solution; of course, collaboration invites its own productivity drawbacks, and she briefly advises on tactics to make it productive. (Granted, Penn has written an entire separate book on collaborative work, and one suspects there is more granular advice to be found there.) Finally, the book's central content has sections on mindset and creating healthy habits as a writer, all of which would prove useful to beginning authors and nice reminders for the more experienced.

The remaining pages (fewer than thirty) provide a detailed bibliography of all the books Penn quotes and cites, as well as a nice recap of all of the end-of-chapter questions to help prompt the reader to his or her next steps. Penn has also included an excellent list of all the resources and tools she's references throughout the book, with links and technical guidance.

I know from listening to Penn on her podcast and reading her articles and some others of her books that she is a font of wisdom. However, I admit to being a bit disappointed by the lack of depth in this book. I was hoping for suggestions with which I was unfamiliar, or material that could help help the adrift or drowning reader further with more step-by-step instruction. For example, in the second-to-last chapter, on author mindset, she makes a passing reference to getting an accountability partner to overcome the guilt of not writing. True, but the "tool" of an accountability partner is so central to productivity, especially in creative endeavors, that (for readers unfamiliar) it would have been a boon to have much more material explaining how to find and make use of one.

Short review: good material, but it could have been much more detailed. Penn has much more wisdom on this topic, and I wish she'd gone deeper.

[E.G. Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent and helpful addition to Penn's non-fiction series for authors!

While I wish it was a bit longer and more in-depth on certain subjects (the paperback is roughly 117 pages, with about 20 of those being appendixes), this is a helpful overall guide to productivity as an author/writer. Penn gives guidance and tips on everything from goal-setting and deadlines, to time-blocking and scheduling, to health and proper writing mindsets. There are even a few chapters dedicated to "extras", such as out-sourcing work, dictation, and co-writing. Even though I'm not currently in a place to implement those strategies, I found them interesting and may come back to them as my career grows.

As they say, you need to hear the same thing seven times before doing something about it, and while a lot of these tips are familiar (I read productivity books fairly frequently), a few of them finally clicked in a new way. In particular, the section about busy, urgent, and important work was very clarifying.

I also appreciate the large appendix of resources Penn included in the back, with lots of links and book titles to research if I want to go more in depth into any of the subjects she touched on. I will be looking into many of them.

Overall, a brief but helpful resource for authors looking to make the most of their time!

[Tracy Krauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to very practical and readable. Joanna Penn, well known for her sound advice for authors, does a wonderful job of addressing most of the issues facing authors which may be hampering their ability to write productively. At the end of each chapter she includes a list of questions to help authors examine their own practices and start using her suggestions to improve their results. This is not a formulaic recipe for productivity. She is quite blunt in putting the onus right where it should be – on the shoulders of each individual. Basically, she says up front that being a writer is hard work and it is up to writers to quit making excuses and getting in their own way. Achieving the dream of full-time authorship does not equal an easy life, but it can be a very rewarding one. I was impressed with the realistic treatment of the topic in general. It was refreshing in that it didn’t promise ‘success’, offer a magic formula, or list a bunch of ‘hacks’. Instead, she offers very practical advice, based on her own considerable experience and expertise which includes actionable items throughout each chapter. I highly recommend this book for writers both new and seasoned. Joanna Penn’s voice in the current marketplace is sensible, realistic, and one that can be trusted.

[Kate Swed · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who makes fairly good use of my time in general, I wasn't sure how much this book would have to offer me--but as usual, Joanna Penn delivers a solid book for authors that ranges across experience and personality types. For new or aspiring writers who can't seem to find the time, there's definitely plenty for you here. If you're like me and you're not prone to procrastination--but still want to increase productivity--there are excellent resources here for prioritizing, cutting out busywork, and learning to outsource.

I routinely forget to prioritize mindset, too, and particularly appreciated the chapter addressing the mindset approach to productivity, as well as reminders about health and wellness for authors. This is an excellent resource, and one to which I'll certainly turn again later in my career.

[Sharon Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this is like having a chat with an experienced friend or a trusted teacher. Anyone familiar with the author's podcast will immediately feel at home.

Apart from the approachable style of writing, this book is a treasure trove of practical information delivered in two main areas. Joanna stresses mindset - what do you want and what are you willing to do to get there. She also has tons of tips on the practical side of being productive, including the difference between being busy and being productive.

Although this book is meant for authors and other creatives, it would be a useful reference for anyone wanting to make better use of their time.

I received an advance reader copy and this is my honest review of the book.

[Valentina Truneanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es un libro de carácter básico sobre el tema de la productividad. Está estructurado de un modo didáctico, fácil de consultar. Siempre aprecio la claridad y la positividad que se desprende de los textos no ficcionales de esta autora.
Para quienes hemos leído numerosos textos sobre productividad, este libro no aporta secretos ni consejos que no nos hayan dado antes. De hecho, Joanna Penn cita con frecuencia sus fuentes y revela su bibliografía, de la que se pueden extraer lecturas interesantes.
Quizás todo se reduzca al hecho de que, más que buscar la fórmula para lograr nuestras metas literarias, hay que convertir la escritura en una prioridad y, cuando esto suceda, encontraremos los caminos.

[Alixana Lore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Productivity for Authors is packed with good information in concise chapters. The questions at the end of each chapter make it easy to put the ideas in the book to use right away. The examples of how authors may inadvertently waste time make the book relatable and concretely illustrate the book's ideas for prioritizing one's activities. Although I've read several books on productivity, the focus on authors made this book unique and more applicable to overcoming my productivity roadblocks. I made changes to my schedule and mindset as I read, and I now feel more peaceful and optimistic about my productivity.

[Rada Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treasure trove of information, inspiration, and resources. The book took less than two hours to read, but left me with numerous useful tips and tools, from the best way to dictate your work, to how to compartmentalize my various tasks as an author in space and in time.

I loved the quotes, and I found the book uplifting and extremely worthwhile. A special mention to Appendix 3, which lists the resources by chapter, and makes it so much easier to find them.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be an author.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Penn has been doing her podcast [the creative penn] and producing books for a decade now.
And she always has a philosophy of sharing her knowledge with others so this is the tenth book in her ‘books for Writers’ series.
It’s chock full of good advice from health to mindset, and listing strategies, programs and tools to use. She also talks about writing by yourself, or with a co-writer.
I took many notes as I read it.
I am totally going to implement her back up procedure after losing both my hard drive and the back up drive last year.
4 stars

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4,5*

Viele nützliche Tipps, um die eigene Produktivität zu steigern. Insgesamt finde ich Joanna Penns Schreibratgeber sehr angenehm und erfrischend zu lesen und sie schafft es immer wieder, auf Autor:innen in verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien einzugehen.
Am Ende werden nochmal die drei Tipps zusammengefasst, die man (Penns Meinung nach) unbedingt befolgen sollte. Am Ende der Kapitel gibt es immer wieder helfende Fragen, um seine eigenen Gewohnheiten zu reflektieren.
Ich finde das Buch sehr gelungen.

[Tiffany Dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this book 6 stars? I'm currently listening to it via audiobook for the third time. Not only is the advice clear and to the point, but listening to Joanna Penn read her own work is soothing and easy on the ears. The author is direct and kicks you in the you-know-what occasionally, but is very sweet about it. I really heard, "How much do you want this?", and I took it to heart. My daily word count has gone up and I've doubled down on learning more about authorprenuership. For a great price and not a huge time commitment, this book is totally worth it!

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid advice from Joanna Penn on managing your time if you are a writer. Some of her advice isn't revolutionary; repeating advice I've heard before. For example, bundling tasks, calendar blocking, minimizing distractions from social media, etc. Other chapters were really helpful like the chapter on digital organizing and outsourcing tasks.

For me, this book will be a reference book to peruse again and again when I need a reminder on a particular topic.

[Susan Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous advice

This book was fantastic. I had to make notes as I went along so I didn’t miss anything. I liked that Joanna was very direct. She covered such a multitude of areas, it was incredible. Definitely implementing some of these strategies from today and others down the line.

[Elena Caterina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find Joanna Penn's books helpful for both those self publishing and even traditionally publishing. This book, in particular, offers a fresh perspective on an author's life and how to go about creating your own schedule as a writer. Not everyone will agree with her perspective or methods, but it is worth noting and taking into consideration.

[Marcy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very short, so know that going in.

If you've read a lot of other productivity books, there isn't much fresh or new material here. However, the material in this book is very good, and I would definitely recommend this as a place to start if you're an author and want to increase your productivity. It's an excellent primer to get you started.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good reference for a newbie. I found the tips to be very helpful. There were lots of useful apps and programs that were recommended to help make time organization easier and help with productivity. I found this information to be very helpful as well as using a virtual assistant and freelancers.

[Amelia]

This is a quick, easy-to-read book with some useful tips. Will I apply them? I have no idea.

The two things that stood out for me as relatively new were some of the tools for dictation, and reasons for doing dictation, and the whole notion of Zone of Genius, etc., down to Zone of Incompetence.

[Crystal Caudill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a great resource for writers and one I will be listening to again in the near future. I’ll probably also end up pick up the ebook so that I can highlight and revisit without having to list to the whole thing.

[Jason Prugar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Penn is a top indie author with a prolific output, in addition to her various other roles as podcaster and speaker. Here she lays out how she does it with a wealth of resources. A wonderful book for anyone looking to be more productive as an author.

[Jo Dinsmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever found it difficult to juggle your writing with the rest of your life, read this book. Such helpful insights and practical advice written in an easily accessible format giving a range of ideas that would help any author with their productivity.

[C.L. Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Joanna Penn amazes me with her organizational skills and her ability to convey her message to her audience. I'm going to try using some of these methods in my writing life during 2020.