How to Write a Book on Medium
I’m Writing a Book on Medium & You Can Too
Six months ago, I started the journey of writing my first book. It is a handbook of techniques for winning the daily battles against stress, anxiety, and depression (because the war is never over). I wanted a place to trial the chapters and share ideas that work for me. Additionally, I hoped to validate these concepts as being useful for others. So I turned to Medium.
It was at about that time that Dr. Mehmet Yildiz invited me to join the Illumination writers community. What serendipity! My first chapter, Who’s Driving Your Car, appeared in Illumination on July 13, 2020. Since then, I have gone on to write 29 more. Now the first draft of my book, Win the Day, is completed and I am on to the editing, design, and marketing phases. It’s an exciting journey. One I will document here in Synergy, in hopes of providing a blueprint about how you too can write a book on Medium. So buckle up and get ready for the ride.
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”
~ Marie Curie
Stress, anxiety, and depression are serious issues that affect more and more people every day, and the pandemic has only made matters worse. It wasn’t the first time I felt crippled by my anxiety and depression, but when I was laid off from my job at the end of 2016 and could not find gainful employment, I had several occasions when ending it all seemed like a viable solution. In fact, the only things holding me back were my responsibilities. I would have left behind a family that trusted me enough to pack up and move across the Pacific from Japan to California. I would have left them only deep scars and no breadwinner for their unquestioning belief in another person.
God only knows the downward spiral that would have triggered. I knew deep down, I had so much more to achieve, not yet coming close to reaching my full potential. I vowed that would be the last time I contemplated such dire solution. Now, I have techniques and systems that ensure I will not find myself in such a place again. Many of my friends and colleagues say I am one of the most positive people they know. The knowledge I share in my book is how I got there.
“No matter what you’re going through there’s no pit so deep that God can’t reach in and get you out.”
~ Joyce Meyer
I started the writing process with an overarching theme and brainstormed 40 topics related to that. Put them on Post-It notes and stuck them on the wall. It was as if someone flipped a switch. These ideas all came to me in one evening of brainstorming.
As each chapter was finished, I moved its note to another wall. Some topics were combined, and others later ended up in the circular file. This week my task has been to organize these 30 chapters into a well-structured program: five sections, each with six chapters. Those sections are — You, Your Emotions, Your Environment, Achievement, Your Habits.
Next, I am finalizing edits on my last three chapters. Those will appear over the coming weeks, so make sure to follow me to catch those when they come out. After that, I will be combining the articles into a single document and making another pass at editing. My writing has improved so much over this process that I may barely recognize those first few chapters.
Over the time I’ve written these chapters, not only has my skill improved but also my writing style has changed dramatically. That will happen for you too. Whether you are writing a book or regularly posting content here on Medium, you will develop your writing voice. One thing I would suggest as that begins to reveal itself to you: analyze everything about those articles that gain traction. Then, learn how to duplicate your own success. That will help you to create a style guide, ensuring your readers get the excellent experience they expect from you every time.
As I finish this first article in this series, these are the takeaway I want to leave you with:
- You can write a book. You do it one idea and chapter at a time.
- Create a plan for your book, then work your plan.
- Trust serendipity will provide you new opportunities that you can not even begin to imagine, yet.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this story and hope you come along for the ride. It’s going to be an amazing experience.
Keep up with my writing and other projects — Sign up here
