What 20 Years in Publishing Taught Me About Writing Your First Book
By Preeti Chaturvedi
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝗨𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻. 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, “𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲.”
With more than 𝟮𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀, now that line resonates with me more than ever!
Writing a book isn’t so different from playing a long game.
When I meet first-time authors, most think the hardest part is writing. It’s not. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳: th𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.
I’ve worked with first-time authors, entrepreneurs, artists, public figures, and a few bestselling writers over the years. The one thing that surprises me every time self-doubt doesn’t care how experienced you are. Almost everyone asks some version of “Is this good enough?”, What if no one reads it?, Should I just stop?
The ones who get published aren’t usually the most naturally talented. They’re the ones who keep showing up, even when it’s not easy, until they find some way to actually enjoy getting better at the craft.
𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄:
• 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁.
• 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀.
• 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀.
• 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.
Every manuscript teaches its author something sometimes about writing, but more often about patience and trusting your own voice.
That’s why Paddy’s line has never left me. If you enjoy the process, you’ll stick around long enough to make something worth making.
If you’re writing your first book or even thinking about starting, I’d love to hear where you are in your journey. Feel free to send me a message.
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