How I Wrote My First Book: Don't Do These 7 Things

TL;DR

The video discusses the author's experience writing their first novel, including the setbacks they faced and the lessons they learned.

Transcript

this is a story of how I wrote my first novel in this video I'm gonna talk about the mini setbacks I experienced and talked about the whole experience for you so that you can learn from it what's up guys michael around with off the level up here helping you write world-class stories better and faster and i create these writing videos because i beli... Read More

Key Insights

• 📚 There is a market for choose-your-own-adventure books for adults, but proper research and data are necessary before jumping into such a project.
• 📖 The author made the mistake of focusing too much on being unique, leading to a departure from the traditional second person point of view in the genre.
• 🔍 Lack of clarity in the genre and story made it difficult to effectively market the book.
• 📕 The cover design of the book did not align well with the genre, impacting its marketability.
• 💰 The author invested heavily in ads and promotions without fixing the foundational mistakes in the book, leading to ineffective marketing efforts.
• 🏆 Despite setbacks, the author is proud of finishing their first novel, which served as a valuable learning experience and master class in ebook formatting.
• 🎯 The first novel laid the groundwork for the author's writing career and subsequent opportunities, including the creation of Off the Level Up.
• 🔑 The key takeaway is to prioritize finishing the first novel, learning from mistakes, and using it as a foundation for future growth as a writer.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the author's motivation for writing their first novel?

The author was inspired to write their first novel after a near-death experience in 2012, which led them to pursue their passion for writing.

Q: What were some challenges the author faced with their first book?

The author encountered challenges with market research, genre confusion, and marketing mistakes while promoting their choose-your-own-adventure novel for adults.

Q: How did the author view the success of their first novel?

Despite the setbacks and low sales, the author considers finishing the book, gaining expertise in ebook formatting, and laying the groundwork for their future career as successes of their first novel.

Q: What lessons did the author learn from their experience writing their first novel?

The author learned important lessons about market research, staying true to genre conventions, avoiding unnecessary expenses like trademarks, and the importance of effective marketing strategies.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The author's journey as a writer began after a near-death experience in 2012, leading them to decide to write their first novel.

• The first book, titled "How to Be Bad," was a choose-your-own-adventure style novel for adults, but faced challenges due to market research, genre confusion, and marketing mistakes.

• Despite the setbacks, the author found success in finishing the book, gaining expertise in ebook formatting, and laying the groundwork for their future writing career.