1. There will be days when no words come. Don’t sweat it. Tomorrow will be better.

2. You will never think the book is ready. You will tell yourself it needs one more read-thru. Make it great, then let it go.

3. You may love what you created and also fear letting it out in the world. No one can love a book they never get to read. Critics will come for you too. It’s ok.

4. Do your homework to make the book amazing.

5. Test the material with smaller audiences. I released my chapter titles first. Then dripped more content, tested cover pics, and much more.

6. Make sure every word deserves to be on the page. Do not take up your readers’ time with anything less.

7. Hire a great editor. Look for names in the credits of your favorite books.

8. Know what you want to accomplish with the book. #1 NY Times bestseller, establish yourself as an expert, help women/men do x, sell some number of copies, etc.

9. For nonfiction, approach each chapter with these questions (borrowed from Brendan Burchard): What do you want them to know? What do you want them to feel? What do you want them to go do?

10. Teach but don’t preach. Humor helps with this. Well, it helps with everything.

11. Engage your audience. You work for them.

12. Be funny, witty and honest. Connection is everything.

13. You must learn marketing. Your book will NOT sell itself. You are not Elizabeth Gilbert or Stephen King.

14. Never give up the rights to your creative work. Just read Taylor Swift’s and Mel Robbins’ stories if you don’t believe me.

15. The best method for getting your book published (self-publish, traditional agent/publisher, or hybrid) depends on your goals for the book and your budget.

16. Don’t put anything in the book, that you don’t want to talk about in an interview. I originally had a chapter called Don’t Be A P*ssy. It got cut for this reason, even though the content was good.

17. Talk to anyone who will talk to you about your book. No interview, podcast or blog is too small for you to be a guest on. (Advice from Malcolm Gladwell on achieving book success)

18. Announce your book before you get to 10,000 words. It will help you hold yourself accountable. Book coaches are great for this too!

19. If you want “easy” or “get rich quick,” you will want to pick something other than writing a book.

20. Begin. Then don’t quit. If you’re a sprinter, you’ll need to learn how to go the distance.