Selling Books

Your Guide to Writing, Publishing and Marketing Books and Ebooks

  • Blog
  • Free Newsletter
You are here: Home / Author Interviews / Dan Janal – Write Your Book in a Flash

Dan Janal – Write Your Book in a Flash

June 14, 2020 by Cathy B Stucker

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

“Write Your Book In A Flash: The Paint by Numbers Systems for Writing Your Book – Fast!”

What inspired you to write this book?

I felt that writing books was my super power. I have written 12 books, several published by Wiley, several translated into six languages. This is a skill that comes easy to me. I felt I could share my advice with people who found writing difficult.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I wanted to be a writer since grade school. I wrote short stories. In high school, I wrote plays that highlighted the interesting antics of teachers and classmates. I even wrote a book that would be considered full of “tweets” – a sentence or two about my views and things I saw. I hand wrote the lines in the classic black marble notebook. I still have that book! I guess I should say I wrote 13 books, not 12. I went to Northwestern to study journalism. I worked as a reporter and business news editor at several newspapers in Florida and New York.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I definitely plan. When I write an outline, I get inspired – and organized! Or course, as I write the book, I let myself be open to new ideas and thoughts. So the outline becomes a starting point, but it remains flexible. An outline is not a straightjacket.

Do you have a daily or weekly writing schedule, or do you write only when you are inspired? How many words or pages do you complete in a typical day?

I wrote every day. I set a time for 15 minutes and I looked at my outline to see what I felt like writing about. Some days I wanted to tackle something difficult. Other days, I wanted to do something easy. If you can’t write for 15 minutes, then you’re not serious. It’s so easy to do, you can’t have any excuse for not writing. Of course, if I was on a roll, I kept writing for as long as I felt in the groove.

I created a spreadsheet that tracked how many words I wrote each day. I didn’t have a writing goal for the number of words. Any progress was good progress.

What software do you use to write? Or do you prefer to write longhand or dictate your work? What made you choose the method you use?

I use Word. It works. I didn’t need anything fancier. I used a graphics program to create process visuals.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would start marketing the book earlier. I would hire a developmental editor to help me see what I didn’t see.

Do you read reviews?

Of course. I have 60+ five star reviews. It’s a great ego boost. Plus you see what people responded to. In the rare case of a 3-star review, you either learn what people want to read, which you can add in the next edition.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Define your ideal reader. Ask how they will benefit from your book. Then write an outline that helps them.

Do you have friends who are writers? How do you help each other to become better writers?

I started doing a podcast to interview coaches, speakers, and consultants who write books. Some guests were friends before we started the interview. Everyone becomes a friend after the interview. I just published my 50th podcast so we’ll hit the one-year anniversary soon. Woo hoo!

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

Anyone writing a non-fiction book, especially people who want to be known a thought leaders or subject matter experts.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

www.WriteYourBookInAFlash.com or Amazon.

Related Posts :

Reducing Everyday Distractions So You Can Get...
Dale S. Rogers - Lighthouse on Tortola
Jonathan D. Villaire - The Stepford Employee ...
Why Do You Write?

Filed Under: Author Interviews Tagged With: author interview, non-fiction, Publishing, Writing

Sell More Books!

FREE! Sign up Cathy Stucker's Selling Books newsletter. You will get useful tips and techniques for writing, publishing and selling books, plus member-only exclusives such as free webinars.

BONUS! Get instant access to Cathy's audio program on how to Build an Effective Author Platform!

I respect your privacy & will NEVER sell, rent or share your email address. More than a policy, it's my Privacy Pledge.

Recent Articles

  • FAQs About Children’s Book Illustrations
  • 5 Posts Every Author Should Write on their Website
  • Reducing Everyday Distractions So You Can Get More Writing Done
  • E.S.Danon – Moon in Bastet
  • Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue – Complicated Heart
  • OLUWAmuyiwa Omole – Re.Think CULTURE
  • Dale S. Rogers – Lighthouse on Tortola
  • What’s in a Name?
  • Sebastian Schug – A Guide to Exploring Abandoned Churches
  • Camille Cabrera – Catalina’s Tide

Pages

Contact
Contribute Articles
Contributing Authors
Free Newsletter to Help You Sell More Books
Get Interviewed
Publishing Resources
Subscribe/RSS
Privacy/Disclosure Policies

Categories

Agents Amazon.com Article Marketing Author Interviews Author Platform Blogging Book Business Book Design Book Marketing Book Proposals Book Publicity Book Publishing Book Reviews Book Signings Bookstore Book Titles Book Tours Cathy's Blog Children's Books Content Marketing Copyright Copy Writing Ebooks Editing Fiction Writing Freelance Writing Get Published Ghostwriters Internet Marketing Marketing Fiction Motivation Networking Non-Fiction Writing Oprah Winfrey POD Publishing Public Speaking Research Resources for Writers Running Your Publishing Company Self Publishing Social Media Special Sales Video Marketing Writers Block Writing

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2006 - 2021 Cathy Stucker · All Rights Reserved

Log in to your account