Question 1

How long does it take to write a book?

Accepted Answer

Let's not beat around the bush: Writing a book - on your own, using AI as a tool and not as a replacement for YOU - takes time and effort. Sure, I could claim, like some others do, that using my system will result in a published book in just 6, or 10, or 12 weeks. But we've all read and seen books that have obviously been rushed, haven't we? How quickly do you discard it? Given that you didn't get to be the a professional and expert in your field that you are, I would expect you'd want to be proud of your effort and your results. And I, in turn, want to be proud of what I help you publish. I strive to help my clients complete all of the exercises in the Start Messy, Finish Mighty method and finish their first draft by the end of their 12th group coaching session (usually ~3 months, depending on holidays or breaks) dedicating 5 - 10 hours each week.*Getting your first draft written is a huge accomplishment! Once that's done, you're off to the races with revising, editing, designing, typesetting, and finally, getting your book published. These activities - done diligently - might take as little as 3 months, or as long as 6 - 9 months. It all depends on your commitment to the process. Put together, a realistic total amount of time  for someone who is truly writing their own copy and using AI as a tool, not as an replacement, is 6 - 12 months. But that  timing depends entirely on you! Writing a book is like getting a work project done; you need accountability, deadlines, and someone to push you to the finish line. The Start Messy, Finish Mighty method breaks down every part of the process into bite-sized pieces, making planning, organizing, and writing far simpler than if you just started banging out copy. Some of you may go through the first few exercises and realize that your book is ready to pour out of you in just a few weeks. For others, you may need to dig in and do research or interviews, or include pictures, graphs, or charts. These things may result in additional time to completion.  The point is this: If you stay committed and use the Start Messy, Finish Mighty system to set and plan how to work through your obstacles, the entire process will be easier, faster, and more focused on your clients.You can do this!

Question 2

I’m so busy; how do I find the time to write a book?

Accepted Answer

One of the biggest misconceptions about writing a book is that will-be authors feel like they need to take on the entire thing all at once. To that I say: you wouldn’t shove an entire cooked chicken in your mouth because you’re hungry, right? Right. You’d choke, which would be very unpleasant, especially if the chicken was dry. Your as-yet unwritten book is like eating a chicken. Bite off small, manageable chunks!  The Start Messy, Finish Mighty method draws on behavioral and motivational theory developed by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen and her fellow researchers. Their work helps you identify your wish, consider how you'll feel when you obtain your goal(s), understand the specific obstacles in the way of your goal(s), and develop specific "if-plans" of action to accomplish them. Examples of how I did it: As I write this, I'm in the process of finishing my own Start Messy, Finish Mighty book. Since my boys are involved in all sorts of sports and activities, I wrote much of my first draft during their evening practices. However, I found that often, other parents want to talk during the times I wanted to focus on researching and writing. I decided on an if-then plan for myself: If another parent wants to chat during a practice and prevents me from working on my book, then I will nicely tell them I have to finish some research for a project. It worked every time and I finished my first draft in 11 weeks!Another instance I used if-then-planning: I try not to work on weekends so that I can spend time with my family, but sometimes I had extra free time. I instituted if-then plans for myself that I adjusted based on where I was in the writing process. For example: If everyone is occupied with other things on Saturday morning and I have some free time, then I will focus on one topic and write or research for 30 minutes. If I had more time, I would adjust and/or just keep going!For me, some of the hardest moments came on the occasions when some or all of my family members were watching a T.V. show the family room right next to my home office. It was especially difficult when they were laughing together. Instead of relying on willpower, I used this if-then plan: If everyone is watching a show and I feel left out, then I will write one more <paragraph, section, etc.> then go join them. Fortunately (ha, or perhaps unfortunately!) for me, we don’t have much time in our schedules for T.V. so I didn’t have to fall back on this if-then plan often. Try it! I truly believe that if you start to identify even small pockets of time during the week, you'll get the ball rolling. During my group coaching sessions, we focus on keeping you on track and setting reasonable, realistic goals to get your book drafted, edited, and published!

Question 3

What's your story and what makes you qualified to help me write my book?

Accepted Answer

After starting my career in banking and telecom, I became an entrepreneur, running a regional marketing and promotional goods business for almost eight years. I sold that business, and found a home with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PwC), and later, Sage Group. I worked almost entirely with exacting directors, partners, and C-Suite executives to manage - and expand - the relationships that PwC and Sage had with Amazon Web Services (AWS) across almost every continent. What makes me qualified? My work included developing global business and marketing strategies, country specific expansion forecasts, sales handbooks, C-suite briefings, project managing high-stakes, multi-million dollar proposals, leading website development efforts, leading business development trainings, and developing long-and-short form case studies and videos showcasing how PwC or Sage worked with AWS. I also used my experience as a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) to coach executives from Fortune 500 companies on how to effectively communicate as well as teach business development and marketing skills. Long and short, I know how to project manage, I know how to consult and ask the probing questions you need to get to the heart of what's important, and I know how to help you successfully achieve your end goal, because I've done it over and over again in my career. "So what happened?" you ask. "Why did you leave corporate?" I loved my work and the companies I worked for...and I'm an admitted workaholic. That made me oblivious to the many stressors (both good and bad!) in my life that began accumulating over just a few years - a new (Covid) house that turned out to be an insidious fixer-upper, multiple new jobs, my mother moving in with our family, the addition of both kittens and puppies to our home (at the same time, ack!), learning how to cope with hearing loss and hearing aids, the death of one of our young dogs, a drastic change in diet necessitated by the discovery that I'm gluten intolerant...for me, it became too much. But I dismissed the brain fog as just feeling stressed. I pushed through my anxiety of facing hundreds of emails every day claiming I just needed a vacation. I covered up my growing angst of mishearing (or not hearing at all) during meetings. I blamed my zero-to-ten irritability on perimenopause (which was probably also partly to blame). But when I started having panic attacks multiple times a week, and when the day came that I almost couldn't get out of bed for fear of having to make even small decisions, my husband helped me put on the brakes and step back. It took a long time to work through the mental exhaustion of burn out (to this day, I have to fight the instinct to say, "I should have just been able to get over myself").  And just when I thought I was ready to consider moving back into the work force, I suffered a debilitating back injury that eventually resulted in surgery. It was almost as though I was suffering the physical embodiment of my mental burnout. As I healed emotionally and physically, I realized that life is too short to do work that isn't personally fulfilling and purposeful. I revisited my true passions: consulting, writing, public speaking, and coaching others in bringing their own unique voices to the world. I started to write my own book (Start Messy, Finish Mighty: Write the Book That Builds Your Business, publication date to be the end of 2026!), and as I did, I discovered that too often, other "how-to-write-a-book" authors lacked the deep business and storytelling acumen that clients need to build, market, and speak about their brand.  Many, also lacked a clear, step-by-step method to write your book in manageable pieces. I've used my own process to write my book and am helping business professionals turn their hard-won knowledge into meaningful books, brands, and opportunities.

Question 4

What is the Start Messy, Finish Mighty method?

Accepted Answer

Start Messy, Finish Mighty is a six-step method based on research-backed motivational and goal-theory that walks will-be authors through how to create a plan to actually achieve the goals they set.  The method utilizes Amazon's interpretation of the longstanding concept of Working Backwards. I gained exposure to their method throughout my years at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and Sage Group in my roles helping to manage our relationship(s) with Amazon Web Services (AWS).The Start Messy, Finish Mighty method walks clients through a step-by-step process of identifying their Who/What/Where/When/Why/How, determining the right topics and considerations for your book, flexible techniques for outlining, and specific guidance on translating your outline into an actual, complete manuscript.

Question 5

Why not just use AI to write my book for me?

Accepted Answer

For so many reasons! First and foremost, AI is frequently wrong - a phenomenon you have likely heard of is AI hallucinations. This occurs when AI provides wrong answers in an extremely confident way. If you aren't thoroughly checking the sources it provides, you could end up with a lot of misinformation in your book!Second, AI simply doesn’t have the wealth of client relationship experiences and stories that you’ve accumulated over the years. Perhaps you could put them into your favorite AI tool, but once you did, you would likely find that the tool doesn’t have the capacity to write in your voice. It may write well, and you may like the way it spools out information to you like a roll of paper towels knocked down the stairs by your cat. But when you read more closely, you’re likely to find that the words on the page aren’t actually what you would say. There are so many other reasons, but what it comes down to is, why would you risk putting your reputation and brand on the line just to write your book with AI? It's just not worth it. All that said, I do advocate using AI as a tool for research, provided that you have personally confirmed the source material given that the tools often pull from the topmost - and often paid - search results on the web. I condone using AI for organizational purposes, grammar and spelling checks, light editing, and any other number of administrative functions. But we will not publish any book we suspect has been overly reliant on using AI for copy.  We help our authors with this process by validating citations and searching for plagiarism with sites like Trinka and Verify My Writing, which provides a certification of human authenticity for any writing that is determined to have a 95% "human" score.

Question 6

I have a manuscript already; can you still help me edit and publish it?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Roland Media offers various packages that cover the full range of book coaching, editing, internal and external design, and publishing, as well as personal and professional branding through keynote and speaker training. If you already have a manuscript, check out our Mighty Manuscript package.

Question 7

How do I publish my book?

Accepted Answer

Once your manuscript has been written, edited, and designed, it’s time to publish! If you choose to have Roland Media assist with your the publication of your book, you'll have two options: either you can set up an Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) author site by yourself, OR, you we can set one up for you. Depending on your package, Roland Media will format, typeset, provide cover design (with your input, of course), identify KDP category selection, and actually get your book published to KDP and out in the world. If you opt to self-publish, you’ll manage the entire process and handle every aspect yourself. If you are vying to be traditionally published, you’ll need to send out query letters and find an agent willing to represent your manuscript in hopes of selling it to a publisher. As a publishing consulting firm, we can provide advice and guidance for those looking to do so, but we do not distribute, license, or pay royalties through our company, since you keep 100% of any royalties you make.

Question 8

What opportunities are there after writing a book?

Accepted Answer

The sky’s the limit! You can use your book to promote your business by:Giving it away to prospective clientsUsing it as a springboard to design workshops Creating an online course based on your workOpening doors to podcastsCreating speaking opportunitiesGenerating interviewsPutting together a TedTalkAnd so much more! Emails, blog posts, newsletters...your book as a business asset provides any any number of avenues for you explore.The entire goal of your book is to help you expand your business and yourself as a professional. Are you going to become rich strictly off your book sales? Probably not. Instead, you have the chance to generate an abundance of opportunities, some of which you may never even thought of!

Question 9

What is a book coach and do I really need one?

Accepted Answer

YES! I cannot express strongly enough how important I believe a book coach is in the process of writing your book! Especially if you’re a first time writer, a book coach will provide an invaluable function. They'll: Act as an accountability partner to help keep you on track by helping you create realistic deadlines and celebrate milestonesHelp you brainstorm and refine your ideas (sort the wheat from the chaff)Ensure that you have a good flow and structure to your bookFind ways around writer's block, or help you overcome writer's fatigueProvide feedback on strengths and weaknesses of the textProvide high level revisions (and/or even act as your editor), especially with the first few chapters, in order to maintain reader appeal, as well as with the manuscript as a wholeCoach you on how to how to edit/revise while maintaining your own unique writer's voiceWalk through the benefits and disadvantages of using various AI tools*Prepare you for publicationExplain publishing options and give guidance on marketing Be a cheerleader for you all along the way!I offer group coaching and a limited number of 1:1 clients (must be highly motivated!). If you’d like to book a 30-minute consultation session to determine if we’re a mutual fit, simply reach out through our Contact page. *Roland Media condones the use of AI as a tool, however, we will not work with authors who use AI to write actual copy. All client work is human-verified through Verify My Work. For further detail, please check out our FAQ "Why not just use AI to write my book for me?"

Question 10

How do I convince my clients to use their names and/or stories in my book?

Accepted Answer

Many clients may initially hesitate to be referenced in a book. However, unless the client situation is exceedingly personal or sensitive, most clients are more than willing to share their experiences, especially when they realize that they are benefitting from free marketing. Make your client a part of the process! Send them the text you intend to include so they can approve it and explain to them how you use the book and showcase the client in a successful, positive way. Any named client stories you include should avoid anything harmful or embarrassing unless the client has explicitly, and in writing, approved of their representation in your book. Roland Media will not publish any client story that is unable to be told without being respectful, or that appears to engage in libel, slander, defamation, racial discrimination, or hate speech.

Question 11

My clients want to be anonymous; can I still talk about their stories?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While you may not be able to use real names, you are able to - and should - relay your business experience in a way that demonstrates your expertise. We advise our clients that they can discuss their examples in a broad way (e.g., if you're unable to name a particular company, state the industry or sector). You can also refer to someone by their title within that industry, rather than specifying who they are (e.g., "My client, a C-suite executive in the real estate industry...")

Question 12

Do I need an editor?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Writing without having someone - and preferably, multiple someones - edit your work is like trying to bake a cake without using some sort of flour. You’ll need to edit your own work, of course, but when you’ve spent so much time with your manuscript, it becomes very hard to see the forest for the trees AND the trees for the forest. In other words, it’s easy to miss both the big picture mistakes and the details. There are numerous layers of a book edit, including getting an initial editorial assessment, then developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading. Check out this blog post or the FAQ "What are the different types of editing?" that I've written on how to map the entire editing maze. In short, your editor will ask you questions, suggest that you remove extra stories that don’t help or move the story forward, pinpoint places that are too wordy, or where you’ve repeated yourself. They'll suggest that you expand certain areas, or provide structural advice. They'll look at the overall health of your book, make sure your research makes sense, highly inconsistencies, or annoying patterns, and give you specific revision feedback to act on - without losing your own writer's voice. Traveling the “full path” of editing truly makes the difference in creating a “decent” book versus an “outstanding” book. Be sure to go beyond just a single edit of your manuscript. Get multiple edits that assess, develop, nit-pick (line edit), copy edit your grammar and spelling, and proofread prior to publishing. And remember: no matter how great an editor you think you are, you absolutely need someone else to help you. I will note that good editors are quite hard to find. In some cases, you may expect a developmental edit, when what you get instead is a copy edit. Be careful who you work with, insist on samples of their work, and take recommendations from other authors whose books you find to be well-edited. We strongly recommend using Roland Media (of course!). We offer the full range of editing services in conjunction with our various packages. To find out more, check out our Pricing page.

Question 13

Do I have to write my outline (book, chapters) in order, from start to finish?

Accepted Answer

Certainly not (unless that’s how you want to, of course).Some people can magically outline, in perfect order, every chapter, bullet, client story, key point, inspiring and humbling moment, and resolution, without pausing. Yeah, I’m not that person. I’m guessing you aren’t either. That’s the beauty of the Start Messy, Finish Mighty method. It doesn’t require you to have everything captured in order. The whole point is for you to be inspired by the process and for client-centered ideas and stories to be triggered as you move through the steps, whether that's in order, or not. While Start Messy, Finish Mighty is written in a way that allows you to work through each step successively in order to write your book, you don't have to do so.

Question 14

What are the different types of editing?

Accepted Answer

There are five different kinds of editing, outlined below. Note that your book coach will help guide you as you’re writing the book, and some of their suggestions will be in line with your editor’s; ideally, they’re working together. But unless your book coach specifically states that they will also edit your manuscript, your editor will do the heavy lifting of actually editing.Editorial Assessment - Usually done early on in the writing of your manuscript, an editorial assessment will provide your key strengths and weaknesses as well as any big-picture issues with your structure and/or plot. The assessment will also confirm (and/or question) your book’s goals and themes, your book’s sellable / unique features, and provide holistic feedback with high-level suggestions. Developmental Edit - Often called a “dev edit,” this type of edit will provide you with a detailed assessment letter stating the overall strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, a narrative arc assessment, any thematic concerns, questions about the manuscript and/or goals of the narrative, and direct manuscript edits, including marginal comments and notes. Line Edit - Line edits go into much greater detail than either an editorial assessment or a developmental edit. When your line editor reviews your manuscript, they will provide detailed marginal comments on every aspect (and line) of your document. They may have suggestions for stiff or unrealistic wording, tonal inconsistencies, run-on sentences, “tics” that may reduce reader enjoyment, and potential paragraph or section restructuring. Line edits are the most comprehensive edit you will receive for your manuscript. Copy Edit - Copy editing focuses on readability, plain and simple. Your copy editor will make sure that your manuscript is error-free and adheres to a consistent style. They will review every line for clarity and accuracy, point out redundancies and suggest rephrasing of weak words, phrases, or sentences. They will also ensure conformance to an established style sheet, including number treatment, compound words, formatting, layout, and punctuation. (Style sheets may vary by manuscript and editor; the key is having a consistent style throughout your book. So, for example, if you prefer to use Oxford commas, which are the commas that come before “and” or “or” in a list of items, then the style sheet will specify that usage and the copy editor will ensure it’s consistently used throughout.) Proofread - The final stage of editing is proofreading, which is the last pass in a read-through of your manuscript to ensure it is as error-free as possible. Now, let’s be real…no manuscript is ever completely error free, but a good proofreader will help eliminate any errors or oversights before you head to press. They will look at spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or any other issues impeding reader enjoyment of your masterpiece.

Question 15

In what format should I write my manuscript?

Accepted Answer

While writing your document, I recommend either Google docs (for real-time edits with your editor), or Microsoft Word. There are many writing apps out there - Scrivener, Dabble, AutoCrit, Novel Factory, etc. - but many of them have a learning curve and may actually cause more confusion than help. That said, the Start Messy, Finish Mighty method will work with any app you choose to use.Note, however, that when it comes to publishing, you will need to convert your files into an .epub file for the interior of your eBook, and a PDF for the interior of your paperback (or, in rare cases, hardcover). If you’re looking for assistance, Roland Media can help you publish your book, or show you how. Check out our Services!

Question 16

What is typesetting?

Accepted Answer

Typesetting is the process of formatting the inside (and outside) text of your books. There are many different styles, fonts, and applications of how you might want your book to look; if it’s sloppy, or you use a difficult-to-read font, your reader can get frustrated or worse, come away from your book viewing you as unprofessional. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) offers Kindle Create, which is a free tool for formatting e-books and paperbacks, however, we recommend using professional services to avoid any mistakes. Important note: the very best thing you can do for yourself and for any editor/publisher/typesetter is to NOT try to overly format your manuscript as you write. Doing so will make for odd discrepancies in formatting, result in misaligned pages, etc. Simply write your document and format as little as possible!

Question 17

What format should I use for publishing my manuscript?

Accepted Answer

When publishing, Amazon KDP accepts several formats, including .doc, .docx, .epub, .kpf, and .pdf files. For eBooks: KDP’s preferred format is .epub for the interior of your book. For paperback/hardcover: KDP’s preferred format is .pdf for the interior of your book. If you’re looking for assistance, Roland Media can help you publish your book, or show you how. Check out our Services!

Question 18

What format should my cover design be in to publish my book?

Accepted Answer

Great cover design is crucial! The dimensions, format, image quality, file size, and color mode are critical to ensuring that your cover looks professional. We strongly recommend using a professional who has experience in creating book cover designs.Take a look at a book on your desk (you’re a writer now; you assuredly have at least one book on your desk, don’t you?). Whether it’s a paperback or a hardcover, you’ll see that the cover consists of three distinct, but connected parts: the front, the spine, and the back. KDP has strict rules around what they accept, and if the dimensions are off, or wrong, your cover art, no matter how pretty, will be rejected. An experienced cover designer will help ensure you get it right the first time.For eBooks: KDP’s requires an RGB JPEG or TIFF file that is 2560 x 1600 px. You ONLY need a front cover design for an eBook. For paperback/hardcover: KDP requires a single, full-bleed PDF combining the back, spine, and front cover, generally using RGB and having a 300 DPI.

Questions? Answers.

FAQs