How I Wrote My Second Book in Half the Time (And Made It Twice as Good)
Faster, better, stronger: my writing evolution in just a few months and my learnings for you
The journey of writing my first book, "Meeting People In Real Life," was like walking through a dark forest without a map. Armed with determination and countless lattes, I spent nine months finding my way through the book-writing wilderness.
Fast forward to my second book, "Letting Go Right Now," which was a vastly different journey. I completed my second book-writing adventure in less time and am far more satisfied with my result!
Here's what I discovered that guided me in navigating my path to my second book:
My Compass - Knowing My Reader
My first book suffered from a rookie mistake - I wrote it for myself. It was only through growing my Substack audience that I discovered a crucial insight: many of my readers were women who expressed strong interest in transforming from some past part of their lives to embracing a new opportunity or version of themselves in the future.
By reading (and re-reading) my audience’s comments and questions, I recognized this common interest in moving on from past experiences. This idea became the foundation for "Letting Go Right Now," - which I believe resonates much more deeply with my audience.
Means Of Travel - Writing in Micro-bursts
The way I got through my writing journey, my “means of travel,” was to write daily in 250-word micro-bursts. Forget ambitious writing goals; I learned that these are motivation killers.
When I wrote “Meeting People In Real Life,” I discovered that my initial target of ten pages per week was unsustainable. Over time, I discovered the micro-burst magic of writing just 250 words daily. This modest goal transformed my writing process. Those first 250 words often inspired me to keep going and I found myself easily writing 1,000 words or more. The key? Making the daily target so achievable that failure is impossible.
Pro tip: I recently started sharpening my writing skills by publishing 100-word Substack notes every weekday. I do this because it hones my writing and forces me to be extremely clear about my message. (Now you can also schedule your Notes!)
Expedition Support Team - Outsource Where It Makes Sense
I didn't go alone when I went on a hiking trek in Peru’s mountains. I had a team that included a guide, a cook, and horsemen who transported our camp and gear. Writing a book is also an arduous trek! So, finding (and hiring) a support team to help you with difficult but essential parts is worthwhile.
For "Letting Go Right Now," I outsourced:
Book cover design - For “Letting Go Right Now,” my designer got it right the first time!
Amazon A+ Content creation - I hired a professional who created great A+ Content for my Amazon page.
Book description copywriting - I use this description on my Amazon page.
Audiobook narration - This was my first time making an audiobook, so hiring a professional narrator greatly streamlined this process.
Outsourcing these parts of my book freed my time to focus on writing the highest quality content and connecting here with my audience on Substack!
I hope the results of these lessons show the quality of my new book. I feel that not only is “Letting Go Right Now” a better book overall, but I completed my journey in much less time than it took me to write my first book.
Whether you're writing your first book or your fifth, these principles can guide you to create something truly remarkable - and complete your journey in far less time than you might think.
Matt is on fire! Online Club member and author Tomporowski writes “Chasing Dreams In Middle Life” on Substack and…
…his new book, “Letting Go Right Now,” is available on Amazon.
You can read it and support Matt to reach 50 reviews on Amazon, the pinnacle of success.
Meet Book Publishing Mastermind Matt LIVE!
Are you dreaming of writing a book or finally finishing your book? Do you want to get positive Amazon reviews or need advice? Do you want to start a Book Launch Club or market your book via social media and/or Notes?
Then book publishing mastermind of The Online Writing Club Matt is your man!
Meet Online Writing Club member
for a special Q&A session to ask all your Qs. I know is writing a book. sold over 100 copies of his first book, a young adult novel, and 40 copies of his children’s picture book. Many more are thinking about finally publishing their book or promoting it more to keep selling it.Club members are all set and will get the invite and Zoom link.
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Oh, and here’s Matt’s first guest post on publishing his first book and getting authentic positive book reviews:
How Authors Are Using Substack to Get Positive Book Reviews
Like so many of us, I dreamed about writing a book for a long time. Finally, after countless false starts, I began writing in earnest.
Are you writing a book, want to market it, or need help publishing it? Hit reply!
P.S. Do you also have a story to share with the Online Writing Club community and want to publish a guest post? Become an annual member, and let’s do this to be seen by 11000 people!
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Many thanks, Matt, for sharing ALL these wonderful learnings and insights with me. Hope to publish my book/s this year too. I bet you're gonna publish two more this year.
Such a great story, Matt!
You've come a long way and I love the learnings you shared, in particular listening to your audience and knowing exactly what they want.