3 People You Need When You Write A Book

"Everyone has a book inside of them - but it doesn't do any good until you pry it out." - Jodi Picoult

Do you have an idea for a book? Are you already exploring self-publishing? Are you stuck in the middle of Chapter 4 tearing your eyebrows out?

Wherever you are in your creative process, adding three specific people to your team can make the whole process more empowering. 

This winter, Shelley Bamberger and I finally finished our book: "Easy For You To Say - The Presentation Skills Handbook." Apologies – it will disappoint everyone who was hoping for a grueling textbook. 

• It's half tell-all novelization of the fabulous (and questionable!) speakers we've coached

• and half workbook helping you write your next presentation on the spot. 

If you have five minutes to write a speech that you're giving in one hour, or you'd like to improve your overall executive presence, this is the book for you. Look for a release date in early fall. 

And while the book draws heavily from Shelley's & my coaching experience, three people provided irreplaceable support. 

3 People to Help You Write a Book: 

1. Illustrator. 

Now more than ever, people learn visually. 

Younger generations are less inclined to imagine characters from text, though some young authors still pursue the Great American Novel. (Check out my cousin Chiara's book here).

When appealing to an audience that scrolls memes all day, having a collaborative human illustrator is priceless. ChatGPT may help with early drafts, but there's no replacement for a true collaborator.

Our illustrator, Dakota Trasser, is a superb graphic artist and a teacher specializing in blind children. He understands colors, content, and visual strategy. His images help the audience linger on key moments and envision how a public speaking strategy might work.

Working with an illustrator early in the process helped the book be easier to read and scan. Go find an artist who speaks your language – visually. 

2. Editor. 

Most self-publishing companies will offer you a content editor. They'll scan your work and make suggestions on format, grammar and style. 

But that editor doesn't know you. 

And by then, you've already completed your manuscript. You're eager to move forward. If the editor is any good, they'll have copious notes that could send you back to the computer screen. 

Shelley and I engaged an editor before we went to the publishing company. Emma Sawyer is everything you could want when you deliver your book-baby: friendly, encouraging, well-versed in the scaffolding of English, and unafraid to help the book grow. 

"Easy For You To Say" succeeds or fails on Chapter Two: The Bottom Line Up Front. Emma let me know early that this content needed a different rollout in book form. She was right. Her feedback spurred me to reinvent that chapter, giving it new life and adjusting later chapters to fit.

If I had waited to engage an editor until the book was "finished," and then had to completely rewrite Chapter 2, and change all the references to it in later chapters, I would've felt pretty demoralized. Go to your local university's English department and find a bright young person to walk the journey with you. I'm proud of that chapter now, because Emma helped earn it. 

3. Typical Audience Member. 

I hope everyone loves your book. (I hope everyone loves our book!). 

Your publisher will ask for a target audience. Everyone you meet will ask "What's it about?" Having a typical audience member in mind helps with the questions. 

Traditional "target marketing" advises you to focus on the characteristics of the person – young moms, sports fans, corporate tycoons, etc. I found it more helpful (and less limiting) to imagine our target audience in action. If you have to write a presentation in five minutes or less, you'll love this book. or If you're a strong speaker who knows you can still grow, you'll love this book. or If you want to give a speech that doesn't sound like a speech, try this. 

Pinpointing those three people – illustrator, editor, typical audience member – can make the writing process a little less frustrating, and a whole lot more fun. I hope you pry a book out of your creative mind soon.