You too can write an article that leads to a book deal.

I was invited—out of the blue— to write an academic book by W. W. Norton, a publisher of books essential to the practice of psychiatry and neurology.  I’ve been writing and practicing psychiatry for decades in obscurity and felt like a long-time actor might feel who gets “discovered overnight”— Disbelieving. Thrilled. Validated.

Thinking through how it happened makes me believe that you, too, can write an article that leads to a book deal.

The article that caught Norton’s eye was the product of thirty years of practice. It’s about the “doorknob moment.”  That’s when a client has an emotional breakthrough—which usually leaves them sobbing—just as the session ends.  Does the clinician allow more time to talk? Or should she end the session on time? I wrote this 2,000-word piece for The Psychiatric Times: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/doorknob-moments-why-they-happen-and-how-to-use-them

A publisher from W. W. Norton read it, contacted me, asked me to write a proposal and then offered me a paid contract on this subject for a 40,000 to 50,000 word book, completed manuscript due October 2023.

Why would this respected publisher of academic books take a financial risk on me, an unknown author without academic affiliations? Here’s my analysis.

Publishers are a business: they are publishing books to make money. Three things predict a book might sell well: the audience for the book, its value, and a motivated market that will spend money on it.

1.     My audience: psychiatrists and other medical clinicians; mental health clinicians from other disciplines (psychologists, nurses and social workers); trainees in all of these.

2.     The value: the article content was original, well written, and made a compelling argument that solved a perennial problem of therapy work.

3.     A motivated market: the value would motivate a broad range of clinician/therapist readers to buy the book.

Perhaps my credibility as an author, writer and blogger had influence:

·      I’ve written an award-winning book, Practice, Practice, Practice: This Psychiatrist’s Life, which suggests I have the skills to write another.

·      I’ve published a number of articles in The Psychotherapy Networker, an international, professional journal which provides readers with useful clinical content.

·      Thus, my writing already has a market—paying subscribers of The Psychotherapy Networker— motivated to buy clinically helpful content.

These things don’t guarantee that I’ll produce a book that sells well, of course. But they increase the odds—enough anyway, for Norton to have reached out.

What advice would I offer? Alas, there are no short cuts to writing well. A committed, regular practice; deep interest in the craft for its own sake; and persistence matter.

·      Commit. Delegate a specific time to write and protect it fiercely. Don’t let life take that time for other things.

·      Take an interest. Play with the medium—language—because you enjoy it and find it fascinating.  Anything you write counts. Progress notes, memos, emails, texts, blog posts—it’s all writing. Any opportunity to manipulate the language to see what it can do is a craft challenge.

·      Persist. Continuing to write over time is a mindfulness practice. Sometimes it’s easy, other times a bear. Sometimes your mind is sharp, other times dull. Doesn’t matter. Just keep writing to keep the muscle toned.

If you work at something long enough, you’ll build a body of work and get better by default. Good writing rises to the top. Keep at it and an an article or story you’ve written could lead to a book deal. Beware of what you wish for, you might get it!

This article was first published in the 12/10/2022 issue of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists newsletter.