Tips for writing your first book

So, you're thinking of writing a book. Maybe it started as a university essay you couldn’t let go of. Maybe it’s a collection of poems in your Notes app. Or maybe it’s just something that’s been growing in your head for a while, waiting to take shape.

Whatever brought you here—welcome. Writing your first book is exciting, strange, occasionally terrifying, and absolutely worth it. Here are some tips to help you get started (and keep going).

1. 🎯 Start with what you’ve got

You don’t need to invent everything from scratch. Some of the best books begin with something that already exists—a dissertation, a zine, a short story, a Twitter thread gone rogue. Use what you’ve written, said, or thought before as a foundation. You can build from there.

2. 🧱 Don’t write a “book”—write a bunch of small things

The idea of “writing a book” can be paralysing. Instead, aim to write:

• One paragraph

• One poem

• One short chapter

• One day’s worth of thinking

Books are built one small, manageable piece at a time. Think bricks, not cathedrals.

3. 📚 Read (but not too much)

Read widely. Steal structure. Borrow tone. Learn from what works. But beware the trap of endless “research.” You don’t need to read 17 writing blogs and 42 books on writing before you begin. Sometimes reading is just procrastination in disguise.

4. 🧠 Know who you’re writing for

It doesn’t have to be “everyone.” Maybe you’re writing for your friends. Maybe it’s for your future students. Maybe it’s for people who think the same strange things as you. That’s your audience. Write to them.

5. ✏️ Edit later. Much later.

First drafts are supposed to be messy, full of notes-to-self and unfinished thoughts. Just get the ideas down. You can—and will—edit it into something brilliant later. (And we can help with that too.)

6. 🗣 Say it out loud

If your writing feels clunky, awkward, or robotic—read it out loud. You’ll hear the rhythm, the gaps, the sentences that need reshaping. If it sounds like you, you’re on the right track.

7. 💡 Keep a ‘cutting room floor’ file

You’ll write things you love that just don’t fit. Don’t delete them—move them to a separate file. You might come back to them later. Or not. Either way, it makes cutting easier and less painful.

8. 📆 Set small, realistic goals

“Write a book this week” = meltdown.
“Write 300 words today” = possible.
Set a pace that works around your life, your energy, and your schedule. Consistency matters more than speed.

9. 📣 You’re allowed to ask for help

Writing might be solitary, but publishing doesn’t have to be. At Bandstand Books, we support new writers through every step—editing, designing, producing, and (if you want) distributing your book. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

10. 🧷 Finish it—then breathe

The biggest difference between people who dream of writing a book and those who do? They finish it. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if you’re not sure. Write it, polish it, and press send.

That’s when the real magic starts.