How to Become an Author
Most people who want to write a book never start. Most who start never finish. And most who finish never publish.
The gap between "I want to write a book" and "I am a published author" is mostly a process problem, not a talent problem. This guide closes that gap.
What Kind of Author Do You Want to Be?
Before anything else, get clear on your goal. "Author" means different things depending on what you're publishing:
Thought leadership author, A business or self-help book that builds your authority in a professional niche. The goal is credibility, clients, and speaking opportunities, not bestseller lists.
Memoir author, A personal story that documents a life, a period, or a perspective. The audience may be intimate (family, community) or broad (readers who share your experience).
Expertise author, A how-to book that packages your professional knowledge for a specific audience. Think: a financial advisor writing a retirement planning guide.
Creative nonfiction author, Narrative nonfiction that reads like a novel but is true. The most technically demanding and often the longest timeline.
Each path has different expectations, different audiences, and different routes to publication. Knowing which one you're pursuing shapes every decision that follows.
The Two Routes to Published Author
Route 1: Write It Yourself
Timeline: 3–18 months depending on length, discipline, and how much free time you have
Steps:
- Define your audience and core idea
- Build a chapter outline
- Write daily, even 500 words/day gets you to a 60,000-word book in 4 months
- Edit ruthlessly (or hire an editor)
- Design a cover and format the manuscript
- Upload to Amazon KDP or a similar platform
- Launch with your network
What it requires: Sustained discipline over months. Most people who start this route don't finish. That's not a judgment, it's a documented reality.
Who it's right for: People who have the time, enjoy the process of writing, and don't need the book urgently.
Route 2: Work with a Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter produces the book for you, capturing your voice, ideas, and story, while you stay focused on your work.
Timeline: 1 week to 4 months, depending on the service
Steps:
- Find a ghostwriter or done-for-you service
- Complete a discovery process (intake form, consultation call)
- Review the manuscript and provide feedback
- Receive the final files
- Upload and publish
What it requires: Time for a discovery call and one or two rounds of review. That's it.
Who it's right for: Busy professionals who want to be published authors but don't have months to write, and who value the outcome over the process of writing itself.
Do Authors Who Use Ghostwriters "Really" Count?
Yes. Here's why this objection doesn't hold up:
Authorship has never been purely about who typed the words. It's about whose ideas, voice, and perspective the book represents. When you work with a ghostwriter, you are the source of everything that matters, the expertise, the stories, the framework, the worldview. The ghostwriter is a craftsperson helping you express it clearly.
Most readers don't care who wrote the book. They care whether the book is useful, honest, and well-crafted. A ghostwritten business book that changes how a reader thinks about their career is a better book than a self-written vanity project that no one reads.
Politicians, executives, celebrities, and professional athletes have used ghostwriters for decades. So have thousands of entrepreneurs and coaches who became thought leaders partly because they had a book. The credential is real.
How to Actually Publish Once You Have a Manuscript
Self-Publishing (Recommended for Most Non-Fiction)
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is free, fast, and puts your book in front of millions of readers.
- Create a free KDP account at kdp.amazon.com
- Upload your manuscript (.epub or .docx for Kindle; PDF for print)
- Add your cover, metadata, and price
- Click publish, live in 24–72 hours
See our full guide: How to Self-Publish a Book
Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishing is possible but requires years. You need a literary agent (who takes 15%), the agent needs to sell to a publisher (takes 12–18 months), the publisher needs to produce the book (another 12–18 months), and you earn 8–15% royalties on a lower price.
For most business books and memoirs, self-publishing is faster, more profitable, and gives you more control.
What Being an Author Actually Does for You
If you're a professional, consultant, coach, entrepreneur, executive, a published book does things that nothing else can:
- Pre-qualifies clients, People who read your book arrive already convinced
- Commands higher rates, Authors are perceived as experts; experts charge more
- Opens speaking opportunities, Event organizers actively look for published authors
- Generates media, Journalists and podcast hosts want authors, not just practitioners
- Creates a permanent asset, Your book works for you indefinitely
The ROI on a book is rarely from book sales. It's from what the book enables.
The Fastest Path to Becoming an Author
If you want to be a published author in the next few weeks rather than the next few years:
- Order a TurnkeyBook, $2,800, human-written, delivered in ~7 days
- Upload to Amazon KDP, 24–72 hours
- Published, You're an author
That's it. The book publishes under your name with full copyright. Our team is never credited.