In early 2021, I finally snagged my lifelong Holy Grail: a non-fiction book deal.
I was a science reporter covering the COVID-19 pandemic, and I felt there was no more meaningful thing I could do than crystallize my perspective in a book. After hundreds of articles and more than a decade of professional experience, I thought I’d soar.
Day to day, however, it felt like quite the opposite.
No amount of preparation was enough for what would become one of the most gut-wrenching and challenging years of my life. I vowed that when I write my next book, I’d do it totally differently.
According to one study, more than half of Americans believe they have a book in them. If you’re one of them, here are my tips for writers and creatives as you’re setting off on your magnum opus.
Here’s what I wish I knew before I started.
1. Know What You’re Getting Yourself Into
As I set out, I spoke to about a dozen authors about their experiences before and during my writing process. I aimed to fully optimize my process, so there’d be no surprises.
In college, I devoured many of the classic texts on writing, from Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet to Stephen King’s On Writing, texts that are ultimately about building a creative life.
There is no holistic orientation packet introducing you to life as a working author. In terms of pure practicality, however, the closest thing may be Courtney Maum’s Before and After the Book Deal.
Remember: If it’s hard, that’s because you’re doing it right. German novelist Thomas Mann says, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
2. A Space of Your Own
Like most millennials, I lived part of the pandemic in my parents’ basement. It was incredible to be with family, but one major mistake I made was in not having a dedicated writing space where I felt happy and comfortable.
As you’re setting out, make sure you “feel” like a writer. Your creative flow will improve, alongside your well-being. Build out your desk or home office. Make sure it’s sturdy, quiet, and well-lit.
For me, that means designing a workspace with an ergonomic chair and multiple screens. To minimize computer screen time, I often try to incorporate an iPad and print out physical pages of book drafts and research.
3. A Great Editor, and an Editorial Plan
In his book Writing Tools, writing coach Roy Peter Clark recommends coming up with a “mission statement” for a book, essay, or article before you start. Both fiction and non-fiction require first outlining a story-driven plot. Understand the arc, with the end in mind: know how you’ll tie up all the loose ends by the last page.
Even if you have a book deal with a major publisher, chances are that you can’t pick your editor and they’ll still hand you a contract and leave you alone to come up with a whole manuscript in six or 12 months.
Hiring an experienced writing coach, if you can afford it, to help you think about structure, and comment on drafts, is crucial. And applying to a writing residency program can provide the much-needed community and emotional support of fellow writers journeying with you.
4. A Business Plan
Even if you receive a six-figure deal, the publisher’s advance and your hoped-for royalties are often not enough funding to pay for you to solely work on your book.
I had to step away from my full-time job at a major news outlet in order to feverishly report and write The Long Haul. My upfront cost was the six months of salary that I would have otherwise earned.
You can’t persist on the fumes of idealism. Apply for writing grants and residency programs, or find institutional support for your work. These are vital to helping make writing a sustainable vocation.
5. Know Your Life Arc
For most of us, publishing a book is the goal. But on the other side, I implore you to think about how publishing your book sets you up for your larger life arc.
That’s the advice I got as I was preparing for the launch and I spoke to Bryan Wish. He founded ArcBound, a company designed to help thought leaders tell their stories, and chart their long-term trajectories.
He coaches his authors to think about finding belonging within themselves and to think deeply about living an intentional life with structure, vision, and patience.
We commiserated over a line from Man’s Search for Meaning, where Victor Frankl quotes Freidrich Nietzsche: “He who has a why to live for can overcome almost any how.”
I had largely imagined myself solely as a writer, so I was surprised when my arc blossomed with a new fellowship at a think tank, signing with a speaker’s bureau, advising a biotech startup, and opportunities to teach science writing courses.
In short, a book is not about the outcome, but the lifelong process. My mission was to tell the human stories of scientific innovation and activists changing the world.
6. Work/Life Balance
I’m an extrovert. The most challenging part of writing for me was the isolation. In the future, I’ll make doubly sure my community is in place while writing.
I recommend having multiple outlets so that the writing doesn’t fully consume you. If you’re making time to play sports, learn to play a musical instrument, or meet with a book club, that all comes back to help you in nurturing your creative work.
7. Capture the Moments
Take pictures to capture your evolution as a writer. Take glamorous author photos when you start out. Save drafts or encouraging comments from your editor. Capture as many screens grabs along the way to preserve the pivotal moments in this whole process.
Writing can be unspeakably tough, of course, but there is still a steady flow of these surreal, transcendental moments that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
