Get Your Book Published from Bill O’Hanlon

I started out as an unknown guy from Nebraska, clueless about how to write a book but with an idea that I thought could make a difference.

I had a busy life: a full time practice and four kids at home.

I actually had several ideas for books, but they remained unfocused and in my head.

I’m a bit on the ADD side of the spectrum, with lots of ideas, but a bit scattered.

I wasn’t a “natural writer” and found the process of writing excruciating.

I didn’t have the first clue about how to write a book or how to get it published.

Because of that cluelessness, it took me years to write my first book and get it published.

I wasted a lot of time and went down many blind alleys and dead ends.

And then I wrote another and another and another, until by now I have over 30 books published by mainstream publishers such as W.W

. Norton, John Wiley and Sons, Harper Collins, Penguin and others.

My books have been translated into 16 languages so far. I have also self-published print and e-books.

I gradually worked out a system for writing more quickly and the time it took me to write my books went down from years to months

. I typically write a book in several weeks part time these days.

Over time, I worked out 12 Rapid Writing Methods that helped me reduce the time I spent writing my books as well as helping me up with a better, more sellable book in the process.

My career path took off in unanticipated directions.

Now I was seen as an expert, and was regularly asked to speak and consult without doing any marketing to get those invitations

.

Success as an author brought many unintended but happy consequences.

Readers wrote to tell me my books changed their lives in ways I never imagined possible

I was able to help many more people than I had been able to just working one on one with people as a psychotherapist.

And I made money, both directly from book royalties and indirectly from increased speaking invitations and fees and sales of book-related products and services.

I now have a nice supplemental retirement income if I ever decide to stop working actively.

I now work fewer hours than before and have more time for my loved ones and my self care (I exercise regularly, get a good night’s sleep, and play music daily, as well as read several books a week).

The first person I formally coached was my friend and colleague Warren Berland.

He was telling me about an innovative therapy technique he had come up with and I said:

“Warren, you have to write a book about that!”

He looked at me as if I had two heads! “That’s what you do, Bill.

I wouldn’t know the first thing about writing and publishing a book. I’ve never written anything.”

“That’s okay, Warren. I know exactly how to get a book written and published and I’ll help you.”

I did and Warren’s book, Out of the Box For Life, was picked up by an agent and published by Harper Collins, with an advance of tens of thousands of dollars.

Pretty soon others were asking me if I could help them get their books written and published, and remembering the discouraging and frustrating time I had figuring it all out, I started helping them with the system I developed until by now I have coached over 150 books into publication from my students and coaching clients.

Some decide to self-publish, which is quick and easy these days, and some decide to seek a publisher.

One of my favorite students and coaching clients was Laura Crawshaw, who followed the system I taught her to get her book written and published (it is called Taming the Abrasive Manager, published by Jossey-Bass).

Not only did having her book out increase her consulting and coaching clients, but it led to speaking engagements all over the world and the establishment of coaching institutes in several countries where people can learn her method for helping difficult executives.

Other students and clients have discovered that through their books, they can earn extra income now and in the future, establish their reputations as experts, develop speaking careers or increase their speaking income and find fulfillment through getting their ideas out into the world where they can help others

So I decided to put all my knowledge of over 30 years experience writing and publishing books and coaching others into an online course to help you get your book written in months (rather than the years it used to take me for my first books) and to get your book published and sold.

I came across an idea some time ago: Either you get the results you are after or you get the reasons why you didn’t get the results. The reasons why are the booby prize.

Here are the common ones I have heard and my responses:

I’ll also share with you the “12 Rapid Writing Methods” that have allowed me and my students to write books part time in months instead of years.)