Posts by Amy Isaman
Nonfiction Book Structure: Why Playing with Ideas Beats Planning Too Soon
Getting your nonfiction book structure right is one of the biggest struggles writers face. It’s tempting to lock in an outline early to give you a road map to follow, but you don’t want to create that structure too early. Last week, at a quilting retreat in Sisters, Oregon, I relearned this lesson in an…
Read MoreStorytelling in Nonfiction Writing: The Human Piece AI Can’t Replicate
Storytelling in nonfiction writing has never mattered more, and the reason is sitting in Tim Ferriss’s sales numbers. A few weeks ago, Mr. Ferriss of 4-Hour Workweek fame, published an article on his blog where he analyzed his dropping book sales. He correlates the rise of AI with a drop in sales of his how-to and prescriptive nonfiction books, writing,…
Read MoreWhat Is a Nonfiction Book Proposal (And Do You Need One?)
I’m a planner. My bullet journal is my baby. I don’t follow the bullet journal protocol exactly, but I do love a good brain dump of tasks, tracking progress, and marking tasks as complete. It’s more about seeing the whole picture of what I’d like to accomplish, so I can prioritize tasks, evaluate what’s important, honor…
Read MoreWriting on Substack to find my way back…
Several years ago, I heard about this new platform called Substack. Honestly, my first thought was, “UGH! Another platform to build a platform.” At the time, I’d committed to showing up on Instagram for my business, and I was trying (& failing) not to feel exhausted and frustrated with the whole endeavor. Creating short form…
Read MoreCrafting a Book Plan when Life Happens
It’s only the 2nd week of 2026, and it can already only go up from here (or at least I hope)! I expected this year to start off with a big trip we’ve been planning for months. Instead, it started off with me getting a head cold, and my husband slipping on some ice, breaking his femur, and…
Read MoreWriting by Hand
Have you picked up a pen lately to write? If not, I encourage it. In fact, it’s my favorite way to get a first draft out, whether that’s a newsletter, blog post, or even novel (yes, I’ve written the bulk of each of my novels by hand). It’s also my favorite way to help writers…
Read MoreWhat book should I write? 12 questions to help you decide
I’m writing this post on Sunday morning following the Thanksgiving holiday. My son, a football fan, has the TV on “The Red Zone” which is currently showing three different games at the same time. My son loves it because it removes any and all decision making. He can watch the best parts of all the games without constantly…
Read MoreHave you taught your nonfiction book’s content?
There are so many reasons people pick up and read self-help or prescriptive nonfiction. Perhaps they need a solution to a problem, are curious about a topic, want to learn a new skill or grow emotionally or spiritually. Perhaps a friend, therapist or doctor recommended a book to help give them clarity, knowledge, reassurance, or…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Point? How to craft a core message for your self-help book
We’ve all had the experience of sitting with a friend listening as they share a seemingly never-ending story about something mundane, like their drive to work that morning. They go on…and on. As they’re talking, you’re mostly trying to figure out why they’re sharing this particular story. Perhaps, you interrupt them and ask, “Sooo…what’s your…
Read MoreFrom Idea to Published: Tiffany North’s Journey to Becoming an Author
Like many clients, Tiffany North approached me with an idea for a nonfiction book but no idea how to turn her idea into an engaging book. Through her experience as an an R.N. and her work as an Intuitive Eating Coach, she’d developed an entire framework around using attachment theory in healing one’s relationship with…
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