Just Do It - Write That Book! - August 21, 2026

Getting Started Is The Hardest Part - Shake Off Those Doubts

If you’ve had thoughts of writing a book, but weren’t sure if your book idea was good enough, or if anyone would read it, I encourage you to simply start writing.  That’s what I did a couple of months ago, when I first started writing a book manuscript.  On September 1st, 2026, my first book will be published and will be available on Amazon.   

I’m not a journalist, or a professional writer, but I have been writing and publishing articles on Substack for just over a year now.  My goal in writing short-form pieces on this platform was: to share my views with the world; and, more importantly, to practice and hone my craft with the goal of one day writing a book.  The best way to learn is by doing the task; the only way you’re going to know if people like your writing is to simply put it out there.   With that in mind, I added writing a book to my weekly activity, along with my Substack articles.    

My book is about famous rock bands who continue to tour, perhaps record and release new music, but without any original members, or without band members who formed the identity of that band.  The question the book asks is, at what point does it become a cover band, using a famous band name and taking advantage of a legacy someone else built?  As a huge fan of rock music, this topic was of great interest to me, and this subject has been in the music media quite a bit lately.  But this is a niche topic and may not be of interest to a broader population.  Having said that, if the writing is compelling then even non-rock music fans should find the book interesting. But, there’s only one way to find out, and that is to put it out there to see who reads it.  

The Common Fear

Going through this exercise has given me a greater appreciation for the journey any professional artist, writer or content creator goes through on a regular basis.  And, these creative folks are trying to make a living by putting their work out there for people to consume and enjoy.  

Every time a musician releases a song or album, they’re going to wonder if anyone is going to pay for it and listen to it.  The same notion applies to authors; will anyone buy and read my book? It’s the same for social media content creators: people who post Instagram reels or Tik-Tok videos; how many views, likes and comments am I going to get?  Every time a “creative” puts out content they have this angst and anxiety about whether anyone is going to see, read or hear their product. The natural concern is whether their work is going into a big black hole or will it be memorable.

How Do We Overcome This Fear?

When an opportunity came up in conversation, I would mention that I’m working on a book.  That would naturally lead to the question, “Oh, what’s your book about?” I would reply with the topic and premise of the book, as mentioned above, and I would watch for their reaction.  If they asked follow-up questions then my book idea resonated with them.  If they replied with “That’s nice…” and moved on to another subject, I knew they didn’t find the subject of my book of interest.  No one conversation was going to sway me, but the aggregate of this informal market research did validate for me that this book idea was indeed a good one.  In addition to this casual approach to testing your book idea, I’d also suggest sharing your book idea with someone you trust, who is an avid reader and whom you feel knows good writing from bad.  

Once you’re committed to the idea of writing a book, the next question to be answered is, how do I get my book into the hands of readers, beyond my family and friends?  

The Process Of Publishing A Book

I published my book using the Kindle Direct Publishing (“KDP”) program from Amazon.  There are lots of similar, inexpensive programs available to self-publish a book. I chose KDP because it guides you through the entire production process; from manuscript to finished hardcover, paperback, or ebook, with easy-to-follow templates and the ability to perform ongoing revisions to the cover, description, and author biography.  

Do You Need An Editor?

Early in my writing process I was thinking ahead and asked two already published authors if I needed to engage a human editor to review my manuscript.  The answer both times was, “For Sure!”.  I'll admit I didn’t like this answer. Perhaps my reaction was driven by my pride in my work. I know how to use word processing software, so spelling mistakes and basic grammar issues weren’t going to be a problem with my writing.  I know I'm guilty of using run-on sentences, so when reviewing my writing I particularly watched for that. Anyway, instead of hiring a human editor, I used an online tool called, “Pro Writing Aid” which I found helpful for basic editing. And, I used an A.I. application (Claude or ChatGPT); I found this A.I. tool added more value in that it picked up repetitive ideas, or made suggestions of moving blocks of text around for greater effectiveness…things a human editor would do.  

Did I Use A.I. To Write My Book?

I did not use any of the writing/text suggestions the A.I. tool offered in the editing process I described above. Nor did A.I. write any of the original text or ideas in my book.  Apart from the editorial function described above, I did use A.I. to research facts and confirm my recollection of historical events, the same way I used to Google things to confirm my understanding.  Call it personal pride, or being old-fashioned, but I’m not a fan of A.I. - generated music, art or writing.  A.I. product still feels fake because it’s too perfect, and absent of the inconsistencies human-created content offers.   

The Business Side Of Book Publishing

A “book deal” means a publishing firm provides an author with an advance of money on the future royalties on book sales, as well as paying the author a royalty as a percentage of ongoing actual book sales, once the book is published.  The publishing firm will also help with book cover design, the production of physical books and marketing and promotion once the book is ready for sale.  The business model is fairly straightforward.

As I imagined, very few authors get a book deal from a publishing firm.  To get a book deal, you have to be a known entity: an already successful author; a pro athlete; a well-known actor or musician; or a well-known business person.   Book deals can provide such authors with an advance ranging from $5,000 to $1 million dollars, depending on who you are.  

An unknown author such as myself isn’t getting a book deal.  But, being unknown didn’t stop me from publishing my first book, which is happening September 1st!  

If making money is your primary motivation for writing and publishing a book, keep in mind that the greater your advance is from a publishing firm, the lower your royalty will be from ongoing book sales. Many published authors have told me that very few authors get rich from their book writing, but a well-received book can build a personal brand that leads to speaking engagements and consulting work, if those are of interest.  

The Final Word

I’ll know if my book writing/publishing endeavour was a successful business venture once I see how many books were sold.  However, this exercise will already be deemed a success personally, once September 1st rolls around and I’m officially a published author.  My intent in taking on this project was to actually do just that: write a book and have it published.  I’ll have created written content for public consumption, to be judged and commented on by other people, just like any creator of content.  Putting yourself out there is thrilling, and not to be feared…as Nike says, “Just Do It”!

Thanks for reading.  

In the comments section below, let us know if you’re thinking about writing a book; or if you have an idea for a book but experiencing some reluctance, share what your hesitation is.  We’d love to hear from you.