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From my biggest flop to a creative success

Published 13 days ago • 2 min read

Hello Reader—

This week, I told you how I became a USA Today best-selling author.

And about the time one of my books went big in Brazil.

My indie author career wasn’t all sunshine, pina coladas, and book royalties.

I also explained how I spent a year writing a business book… that almost no one bought

But what about the book I’m most proud of?

5 Biggest Myths About Writing a Book

Common myths about writing many aspiring authors face when struggling to finish their first book.

Common Writing Mistakes To Avoid

These are the common writing mistakes that tripped me up before I published my first book.

Well…

In 2020, I quit a corporate job to write it.

It didn’t sell a huge amount of copies.

And I didn’t earn a fortune either.

But I’d fun writing the book.

And I leaned heavily into it.

The book in question?

I Can’t Believe I’m a Dad! What Every Guy Must Know About Parenting, Fatherhood and Hair Loss

In my early twenties, I became a Dad unexpectedly.

I didn’t handle the whole experience well.

Cut to turning 40…

I had three kids, a rapidly receding hairline, and an armory of stories from the front line of parenting.

So, I turned my experiences of raising three kids into a memoir.

It’s the type of book I wanted to read back when I became a Dad for the first time.

It contains all the advice I wish I’d known before our son was born.

I get into a lot of my messy mistakes, too.

Like when I botched a birds and the bees talk with our oldest son at Disney Land.

Commonly Overused Words

Strong English writing requires unique verbiage. Some words are overused in English, and they make writing weaker.

How Long It Takes to Write a Book

Take ample time to complete your drafts, fine-tune your point of view, and ensure that your book comes together.

Re-reading the book, I’d do a few things differently.

I’d stip out some prescriptive advice.

I’d let the stories speak for themselves.

But the book feels like a personal creative success.

Why?

Because I wrote something honest.

If you want to become an author, write something only YOU can say.

Don’t hold back.

Mine your personal experiences.

Lean into discomfort.

You’ll end up with a book you’re proud of.

And after that?

Book sales are a nice bonus.

Order it on Amazon

Or you can buy it directly from me.

That’s the end of my mini-series about book writing.

But… if you want to hear about the time I wrote a sex book, email me.

Or reply and tell me what you’re writing.

I’d love to hear about it.

Sponsored by...

I use Grammarly's AI writing assistant and grammar checker daily–it's powerful and fast.

Write on,

—Bryan Collins

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