Have you ever wanted to become a published nonfiction author? If yes, have I got a treat for you! That’s the topic we are simplifying today as we continue our focus this month on writing.
My special guest today is book coach Jennie Nash and she’s simplifying how to become a published nonfiction author. And I don’t mean to alarm you, but she throws a bit of a curveball into the mix, right at the beginning of the conversation that you don’t want to miss. It’s all about writing your book proposal. What? You don’t have one yet? No biggie, she simplifies that as well.
Here’s how.
Contents
We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:
- When starting to write a nonfiction book, what the most overlooked, yet critically important first step is.
- Why you need to write a book proposal before you dive in and invest too much time into writing the entire book
- What the very best way is to structure your book proposal… what parts do you need and what you can simplify down
- How to tell if your book idea is commercially viable (or not) and what makes you attractive to a literary agent and a publisher
- …and ultimately, what it (actually) means if you get a book deal – what you can expect and what myths you need to dispel.
If the world of book publishing is an absolute mystery to you, don’t worry… you are not alone. It’s a machine all into itself. I highly recommend going back and listening to Elizabeth Kracht’s episode 104, how to write your first book, as a preamble to today’s conversation. Grab your notebook and pen, there are lots of tips and tricks shared in today’s talk as well.
If becoming a published author is on your bucket list for this year and beyond, you’ll definitely learn one or two new things today.
It’s time to #DoTheThing!
<What’s catching my eye this week>
- Breonna Taylor: Who She Was, How She Died, Why Justice Is Overdue – The Daily Show
- 7 creative ways to tell a powerful story – The Write Life
- 50 powerful questions to help you reflect – The Institute of You
- Mary is offering 50-minute 1-1 brainstorming sessions for those looking for ideas on how to pivot their businesses
My challenge for you this week:
How are you going to take what you’ve learned in today’s episode and start to become a nonfiction author this week? What’s one thing you’ll do differently? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and tag @thesimplifiers on Instagram for added accountability and support!
Links, books and apps mentioned:
Book: The Writer’s Guide to Agony and Defeat: The 43 Worst Moments in the Writing Life and How to Get Over Them – Jennie Nash
Book: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work – Seth Godin
Podcast: How to write your first book, featuring Elizabeth Kracht – The Simplifiers Podcast
Podcast: How to squash your limiting self-beliefs – The Simplifiers Podcast
Get Unstuck with The Simplifiers Morning Prompts
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About Jennie Nash
Jennie Nash – She is the founder of Author Accelerator, a business that has trained more than 60 book coaches to support writers through the entire creative process. Author Accelerator also matches writers with the right coach who can give them the sustained editorial support they need to complete their book projects.
She’s spent 30+ years on all sides of the publishing industry and is the author of nine books in three different genres.
Where Jennie hangs out online:
Website: authoraccelerator.com
Website: bookcoaches.com/
Twitter: @jennienash
Jennie’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:
Rachel Rodgers – She is an intellectual property attorney and business coach. Rodgers started her career working for state and federal judges, nonprofits, and even Hillary Clinton. Today she’s the owner of a multi-million dollar business, mother of four, and visionary featured in publications like Time, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and The Washington Post.
The Hello Seven team includes marketing and sales experts and master coaches who can whip your mindset into shape, get you unstuck, and get you behaving like the boss you know you can be.

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