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Advance Reviews:So You Want to Write a Book – How to GetOff Your A and Make It HappenBy: Tony Rubleski“If you’re serious about finally writing and not wishingabout it any longer, this book is for you. I’ve sold millionsof books and Tony knows what he’s talking about. Hebreaks it down in a direct, no fluff, fashion that you canuse to write and keep writing. Follow his advice and yourchances of joining the club as known as “author” increasesignificantly.”-Ben Gay III, The Closers Book SeriesNot only is Tony a world class speaker, best-selling authorand great guy, but now he can add “author ass kicker” tothe list. He pulls no punches in his newest book “So YouWant to Write a Book - How to Get Off Your A and MakeIt Happen.” He gives action to thoughts that that we allhave. He is genius in his approach. I am finally getting offmy ass and finishing the manuscript I have been working onfor years! Thank you Tony for this gem!-Geoff McLachlan, Coeur d’Alene, IDii

“Everyone says they have a book inside them, howeverwriting a book is not as easy as people think. Havingwritten 35 books myself, follow Tony’s advice and committo writing your daily pages. When you get enough pagespulled together, you can double check your work againstTony’s suggestions. Good advice on writing is hard tofind. Get this book and put it to use.”-Mark Gleason, Grand Haven, MI“Vulnerable, hard hitting and authentic. “So You Want ToWrite A Book” will make you do one thing that most neveraccomplish in a lifetime write and publish a book. Rubleski brings credibility and authenticity to his latest “kickass” work and you will find powerful truth throughout thisbook.”-Tom Dutta, Vancouver BC Canada“The book you NEED to stop procrastinating and STARTwriting! Tony’s nailed it on this one. From the start, it leadsyou on the path that you were looking for if writing a bookhas ever been on your “bucket list”. Tony did a superb jobshowing you exactly how to overcome the resistance andget words down on paper! If you even thought about puttingyour story out there or writing about a passion of yours,this book should be your first stop!”-AJ Kehl, Las Vegas, NViii

“Tony takes a wrecking ball to common obstacles andexcuses to writing a book and replaces them with a proven successful formula to make you the author you always wanted to be. His over two decades of investing in,refining, and perfecting his craft of writing, speaking, andpersonal development are evident in this book. He is wellqualified to help you become a successful writer.”-Brad Brinkman, San Diego, CA“Tony delivers “no-nonsense” advice from the trenches. Often times, (well mostly) unfiltered! What I mean bythat is that he is a straight shooter with no concern forhurting my feelings. I like that. His “No BS” approachis exactly the kick in the pants you need to write the bookthat is inside of you and shave months, if not years off yourprocess of making your book a reality.”-Robert “RJ” Regan, Grand Rapids, MI“You are reading this book because the thought of writing abook entered your mind. Tony has provided you the processto follow. This is not some made up process. It’s his processand one that has made him a successful writer. Those of uswho have been given this process over the years and followed have also joined the ranks of published authors. Tonyhas given this to you and at the same time thrown down thechallenge, will you accept it? Take the process, follow itand write your book, join the ranks yourself.”-David Brown, Monroe, MIiv

“If you’re lacking motivation of any kind, So You Want toWrite a Book is like the ‘power song’ you listen to beforeyou go crush a workout. Tony lays it all out and calls youout because he’s been there, done that, and knows what theother side looks like. This book is short, so it’s a perfectpump-up to get you in the mood to finally hit those writing—or any other professional—goals.”-Kelsey Turek, Grand Haven, MI“Insightful. Witty. Direct. These are but a few words thatdescribe Tony’s newest book. He shares a roadmap forfinally getting off your butt and writing your book. Thebook is not only a roadmap for writing, but also a cure for“stinkin thinkin” that most of us experience whenever wetry something new to improve our lives.”-Johnny Campbell, Orlando, FLv

So, You Want toWrite a Book?How to Get Off Your A andMake it Happen NOWby Tony Rubleskivi

DEDICATIONTo every author—alive or dead—who pushed onward to gettheir book done, and to the legions of other aspiring authors who will hopefully hit the end of their excuses and getinspired to finally complete their damn book!vii

Copyright 2020 by Tony RubleskiAll rights reserved. This book or any portion thereofmay not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoeverwithout the express written permission of the publisherexcept for the use of brief quotations in a book review.Printed in the United States of AmericaFirst Printing, 2020www.mindcapturegroup.comviii

Table of ContentsAdvance Reviews.iIntroduction.1Chapter 1:Write. Write. Write.7Chapter 2:Chunk it Down.12Chapter 3:Beware of the Devil Known as Doubt.15Chapter 4:Set a Deadline.27Chapter 5:Don’t Let the “How-To” Stop You.30Chapter 6:Read. Write. Read. Write.37Chapter 7:Hire an Editor or Your Book Will Suck.41Additional Resources.45About the Author.46ix

IntroductionSometimes, if we are open, life can throw us a unique curveball, or in this case, an opportunity. Exhibit A: This book.For many reasons it should not exist. It wasn’t on my radar.I had no clue it was inside me, but here it is. I call these littlemiracles “God winks” and I’m grateful to have caught thisone when it winked at me on a chilly November morning.The initial seed to write this book was planted during a meeting with my friend and fellow author, Robert “RJ” Reagan.As we prepared to call it a wrap after talking about his upcoming book, he casually threw into the conversation witha devilish grin that each of us should write a book in 30days. Normally, I would’ve reverted to a quick laugh and thepatented “maybe some other time” response, but somethingmust’ve been in the coffee because I didn’t shoot the ideadown.As I mentioned to Robert “RJ” several times earlier in themeeting, one of my core goals over the next two monthswas to complete final interviews in order to start edits for thefollow-up to my recent bestseller Trailblazers – LeadershipLessons from 12 Pioneers Who Beat the Odds & InfluencedMillions. The book did well and the natural follow-up wouldbe a Volume II edition with people who didn’t make the cutfor the first book due to space requirements and me havingover 100 interviews to select from.How This Book Came to BeA few days after my meeting with Robert “RJ”, I was running on the treadmill at a local gym and about 15 minutesin, the voice in my head said, Funny how many people tell1

me that they want to write a book and how so few actuallyever get it done. Maybe I should write a book that’s direct,hard-hitting and raw called, So You Want to Write a Book.Now What?For some strange reason my mind thought, Tony, this isa huge problem that frustrates the hell out of and annoysyou—maybe you could help others quit making excuses andfinally get their own books done? I paused the treadmill immediately, grabbed my phone, swiped open the Memo App,and quickly typed the initial title down. I wasn’t going tolose this idea (the “God wink”) or rely on my memory. Afterturning 40 a few years ago, I no longer count on my memory,but voice notes, pictures, post-it-notes, or whatever I can getmy hands on to remember a moment of inspiration when itstrikes subtly or, in this case, loudly. It ain’t pretty, but damnis it effective.Fast forward an hour later: I’m sitting down before my firstmeeting with 10 minutes to spare, so I grab my notebookwith the title of this strange book still nagging at me and Ibegin to write. The initial outline for this book took 10 minutes. If flowed easily. Intuitively. Naturally. I was stunnedby the inspirational download and how easily it transferredfrom mind to paper.As my guest arrived and approached the table, I closed thenotebook and felt an exciting giddiness knowing that thisspark of inspiration was not planned, yet made completesense. Tons of people approach me wanting to write a book,and many of them are at various stages in their writing, ranging from not knowing where to even begin, to having threepages written, to having a stalled-out, half-completed or almost finished manuscript.In my mind’s eye I could see people I’d not yet met, carryingon about someday wanting to write a book and me handingthis book to them and saying, “Start here!” The main goal toquit wishing in the head, to moving into the actual stage oftaking bold action to finally get started and writing. To get2

them thinking that not only could they write a book, but alsoinstead of whining, worrying, and overthinking the processor the steps involved in writing, to share my own expertiseand that of other writers I’ve studied. I want to kick wannabewriters square in the ass to start writing—to plant LOUDLYin their heads to stop waiting and start writing.Why You Should Shut Out All Distraction andRead This Book NOWThe number-one goal of this book is to push, prod, compel, and kick your mental ass into writing and finishing yourbook. That’s it!“Tony, I want to write a book. Where do I start?”I get this question so often that if I had a nickel for each timeI heard it, I’d have a stack five miles high. As a student oflife as well as an active writer and speaker, it frustrates thehell out of me when a common problem or question comesup over and over and I don’t take time to research it, try tosolve it, or share with others a possible solution.At 47, I’m far more aware of the passing of time, especiallyas I crossed the “bonus line” in my mind at midnight on July23, 2019. My father died in 1984 when I was 11 at the age of46 from lung cancer. Yes, it was a defining moment for me,but frankly it served as a warning. A few observations abouthis passing that have served as a driver in my life, especiallywhen it comes to getting things done, are the following:*Do your best to stay healthy. Your health is true wealth.Here’s the deal: If you don’t make time proactively to stayhealthy, it will eventually bite you in the ass and want pay3