How I wrote my first book (non-fiction)

TL;DR

Simon discusses the process of writing his first book, from receiving an email from a publisher to submitting the complete manuscript, and reflects on how it improved his writing skills.

Transcript

this video was made possible by the lovely people supporting me on patreon hello if you've not seen one of my videos before my name's simon i make science videos and i just wrote my first book if you have watched some of my videos before then hello my name's simon i make science videos and i just wrote my first book it's an introduction to and hist... Read More

Key Insights

• 📔 Simon's book writing opportunity came after creating book-related content on his YouTube channel.
• ✍️ Researching and structuring the book was a crucial part of the writing process.
• ❓ Developing an authentic authorial voice was a challenge but ultimately rewarding.
• 🌱 The pandemic disrupted Simon's plans for personal experiences and delayed the submission of the manuscript.
• ✍️ Writing the book improved Simon's writing skills and made him more comfortable in his own voice.
• 🪈 The editing process involved reviewing the chapter order, paragraph structure, and overall message.
• 💌 The book writing process took approximately three years from the first email to the manuscript submission.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Simon get the opportunity to write a book?

Simon received an email from a publisher after creating book-related content on his YouTube channel, which eventually led to a meeting where he pitched his ideas.

Q: How did Simon find his authorial voice for the book?

Simon had to combine his academic writing style from his PhD with his popular science writing style from YouTube, finding an authentic voice that was convincing to him and would hopefully be so to others.

Q: How did the pandemic affect Simon's writing process?

The pandemic disrupted Simon's initial plan to visit places and research facilities for the book, as well as incorporate more personal experiences. It also delayed the submission of the manuscript.

Q: How did Simon improve his writing skills through the process?

Writing the book made Simon more comfortable and confident in his writing. He found his voice and became more skilled at summarizing complex concepts into digestible sentences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Simon received an email from a publisher asking if he would be interested in writing a book after creating book-related content on his YouTube channel.

• He pitched several book ideas to the publisher and they chose "Firmament," an introduction to and history of atmospheric science.

• Simon went into research mode, compiling sources and structuring the book, writing a few thousand words as a writing sample for the publisher.