As a developmental editor working with experts and thought leaders, I’ve noticed a common belief that stops many potential authors from creating the powerful book they envision:
“I’ve been creating content for years—I should be able to write this book on my own.”
If you’re like many of my clients, you’re already successful in your field. You write compelling blog posts and viral LinkedIn articles…you deliver engaging presentations on big and little stages… and you craft persuasive proposals that yield you beaucoup business. That writing experience is valuable, don’t get me wrong—but it can also become a “subtle” barrier to creating a truly transformative book.
Note the ironic quotation marks.
Here’s what experienced non-fiction authors know: writing a book that changes lives requires different skills than writing other content. Yah, you could probably figure out why your chapters feel disjointed or why your core message is failing forward… but at what cost?
How many months (I’m being generous…years) will you spend restructuring content that doesn’t serve your readers? How much expertise will remain trapped in your head because you can’t see your own blind spots? And what will you sacrifice along the way… your book’s impact, your momentum, your confidence? Opportunity costs?
I’ve certainly met my fair share of experts who woke up one morning and decided it was time to get out of their own way. Instead of asking, Can I write this book alone? they started asking, How can I ensure my expertise reaches and serves my readers most effectively?
Maybe not word for word, but close.
For some, working with a developmental editor who can help structure knowledge into a compelling journey for readers made an awful lot of sense. For others, hiring a ghost writer to do the heavy lifting was the obvious way to go.
Sometimes, simply having someone to help you see where you’re making assumptions about what your readers already know can save you time and grief. (We forget what we know, and others don’t. All.The.Time.)
When I work with authors, here are the questions we explore together:
What is this really costing your message?
Is your determination to do it alone preventing your expertise from reaching the people who need it? (By Gum, if a mother can lift a Chevy Suburban off her toddler, I should be able to pull this off!) Are you missing opportunities to make your content more actionable because you’re too close to your own knowledge? What impact are you leaving on the table?
What kind of support would amplify your expertise?
Could a developmental editor help you identify the gaps in your reader’s journey? Would early feedback help you speak more directly to your audience’s needs? Or maybe you need someone to help you transform your professional experience into a teachable framework? Or just take the show-stopping choices off your plate and do it for you?
How do you want your readers to feel?
Empowered? Equipped? Transformed? (As opposed to confused and enraged?) What structure and support do you need to create that experience for them? And what assumptions might you need to challenge regarding your content?
Here’s what I’ve learned from working with successful non-fiction authors: seeking developmental support doesn’t diminish your expertise—it amplifies it. It doesn’t mean your professional writing experience doesn’t matter. If anything, it shows your commitment to serving your readers at the highest level. Because when your book finally reaches their hands, you’ll know you valued your message enough to ensure it creates real change.
And isn’t that the kind of author you want to be? One who creates not just another business book, but a trusted resource that transforms lives?
So I’m curious: How could some strategic support turn your ideas into a powerful book sooner, rather than so much later?
Take a moment to think about it. What aspects of your book development keep you up at night? What parts of your message feel stuck? I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
Here’s to valuing not just your expertise, but the readers waiting to be transformed by it (and you).
Now, I’m off to fix my leaking dishwasher because, you know, if I know how to wash dishes, I should be able to figure out this bad boy. (Just kidding.)
