The Power of Partnership, Patience and Process in Book Writing

The power of partnership, patience, and process in book writing can’t stated strongly enough.

If you’ve ever downloaded a “Write Your Book in 30 Days!” template to help you with your book writing…Or called a friend hoping to see if you could take a peek at their book outline for inspiration , you know that ‘figuring out your book’ is far more difficult than it seems.

How about trying to write your whole manuscript before writing your book proposal?

If you have, you know that ‘figuring out your book’ is not as simple as that.

While book writing is a wonderful, soulful and rewarding experience, you can’t truly understand what it takes until you’ve been on the inside.

So in today’s post, two published authors share their candid reflections and insights about what really worked to bring their book to life and sell it to a publishing house.

You’ll notice that while no two authors experience the book writing process the same way, there are some key takeaways both agree make all the difference.

Let’s get into it!

Meet The Authors 

When I met my client Vasavi Kumar, a licensed therapist, mindset coach, business strategist, host of the “Say It Out Loud” podcast, and now-author of Say It Out Loud she was eager and ready to bring her book to life by joining my Book Proposal Blueprint program.

But she struggled with what most of us do – she experienced self-doubt and thought, do I really have what it takes? Do I have it in me? 

After she insisted on looking me in the eye (literally!) over FaceTime, she recognized that she needed thought partnership and a clear plan to get her book proposal written.

Jessica Baum, owner and founder of the Be Self-fullⓇ Method and Relationship Institute of Palm Beach, went a different way.

Over 4 long years, she toiled away at her manuscript for her first book, Anxiously Attached: Become More Secure in Life & Love, mostly alone.

After surrendering to the support she needed in the form of a coach and editors, the final manuscript she sold to publishers looked nothing like the first manuscript she wrote — and she’s so thankful for that!

So what do these two authors want to share to help you think about your path forward?

Surrendering to partnership, patience and the process.

[Listen to the episode with Vasavi Kumar and Jessica Baum on the Bound + Determined podcast].

The Power of Partnership in Book Writing

If you’ve started to write or done cursory research as you think about the book you were meant to share with the world, you’ve likely felt like a deer in headlights.

Even though you have the professional expertise, tons of ideas, and some know-how about what it takes to bring a book to life, it still seems daunting.

The truth is that there’s so much more beneath the surface of the book publishing process. I know this rollercoaster ride intimately as I’ve been doing this for 20 years as a publishing exec and a book coach.

As Vasavi and Jessica will attest, what makes all the difference in getting your book outlined, written and sold is thought partnership, creative partnership, and a trusted confidante who knows what they’re doing.

Because here’s the thing – writing a book is a deeply personal experience, and it’s just you and the keyboard as you write. But who can you turn to for feedback, accountability or that creative spark when the words don’t come?

What’s more, it’s not your job to know everything that goes on in the minds of publishers and book agents and what they’re really looking for as they review them.

And, one of the things I catch in most book proposals is not what needs to be edited but what’s missing.

As Vasavi says in the episode, “I loved how much you encouraged us to show our personality. I did not know how to do that. I didn’t realize that I could show up as myself just as on my podcast or IG. It was like ‘ding ding ding’ because I thought it had to be formal.”

So if you choose to get some support as you write your book, no shame! In fact, you’re ahead of the pack.

But partnership is only half the equation. Book publishing takes time and patience.

The Power of Patience

When you listen to both episodes, you’ll notice a theme pop up often in conversation — the need to surrender to being patient.

The book writing adventure requires that you have enough compassion to be patient with yourself as you dig deep to write your proposal and book. Plus, you have no choice but to be patient as you wait for feedback from book agents and publishers.

One of the questions I get asked most often is: what is taking so long to get feedback on my writing? 

Jessica shares that it took 2.5 months to get feedback on her proposal from her book agent, and each day ticked by at a snail’s pace.

Here’s another area where partnership comes in handy. Book coaches know exactly what’s happening during the waiting period. They can break it down, so instead of you thinking … they hate it! I’m going to have to re-write it… again! you can take some solace in the fact that this is business as usual.

(Good news! I’ve never seen a response on a book proposal that I’ve helped with come back with a “Hate It!!” Suggestions for improvement, yes–and that’s helpful to you. But that’s the power of a solid, stand-out book proposal 😉)

Next up … why process matters.

The Power of Process

Embarking on the wild journey of book writing is overwhelming, so it’s natural to wonder how on earth you’ll bring your book into the world.

That’s why following a proven process is so powerful.

When I work with my clients, I see the transformation happen for them once they can visualize how each stage will work. Only then, do they feel comfortable releasing a bit of control and surrendering to the process.

In our first sessions of the Book Proposal Blueprint, Vasavi had ALL the questions:

• How many pages should my book proposal be?
• How many chapters? Words?
• What are benchmarks I can measure?
• How long should the Overview be?
• How do I build my platform?

But when she could see the roadmap I set out and understood the reasons for my recommendations, she felt comfortable and confident following my advice and came to see me as a confidante.

“I’ve never relied on anyone in this way, but I loved having you on speed dial. I literally come to you with my every move, and I think that’s healthy for someone like me, who’s so quick to react.”

My process reflects the necessary components that not only make every step of the book proposal process easier but it’s also designed with the needs and wants of book agents/publishers in mind.

Writing Your Book? Lean Into These 3 Ps

You know I advocate for all authors, the ones I’ve worked with, like Vasavi and those I haven’t, like Jessica.

As I mentioned above, every author experiences the book writing process differently, but behind every book is the need for partnership, patience and a proven process.

If you want my advice (and that of Jessica and Vasavi), give yourself permission to get the support you need so you can focus on writing your book

I’ll let Vasavi close the post, “If you’re listening to this episode, and you’re like, ‘Man, I really have this book inside of me that is dying to come out’, please don’t sit and suffer in silence. If you’re truly serious about getting your story, your message, and your teachings out into the world, definitely ask for help. Honestly, Richelle, you were the absolute best investment I made in 2020, 100%.”

Learn more about the Book Proposal Blueprint, my 10-week program to Create a Book Proposal That’ll Have Agents Begging to Sign You & Publishers Eager to Bring Your Book to Life here.