A&B #59

Hey everyone,

This week I shared a

that went mega-viral.

It received over 20k retweets, 75k likes, and 4.5 MILLION impressions. The craziest part? It's only two sentences: "If you’re overthinking, write. If you’re underthinking, read."

I also wrote two threads this week I think you'll enjoy:

• 20 Psychology books that will change your life.

• 10 Best book-related subreddits.

Alright, let's dive into this week's newsletter.

📚 Book Lessons:

This week's book is Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick.I've read a lot of books about writing a book, but this is one of the best ones yet. It's short, practical, and filled with valuable insights. If you're looking to write a non-fiction book, definitely read and study this book.Here are 3 lessons from it:1) Write A Problem-Solving BookNon-fiction books can be divided into two categories:  Pleasure-givers: books that are interesting to read and more for entertainment Problem-solvers: books that are designed and built to solve a specific problem.Another way to think about it is that pleasure-giving books are supplements (nice to have) whereas problem-solving books are painkillers (must have).For a pleasure-giving book to become a big hit, it needs to have a lot of PR momentum or a famous author behind it. But problem-solving books are more meritocratic. A first-time author can have a successful book if their book provides a helpful solution to a problem. 2) Increase The Value-per-pageWhen writing your book, your north star should be to deliver as much value-per-page as possible.For instance, readers hate long introductions. The faster you can begin delivering your book's core value, the happier (and more engaged) your readers will be.Readers also dislike fluffy sections that take forever to get to the point. The more fluff you can cut out, the more time you'll save your readers, and the more they'll appreciate your book.Stephen King once said that he ends up deleting twice as many words from each book as he leaves in. So if your book is 120,000 words, chances are it would be a much better book if it were only 60,000 words. Get to the point as soon as possible and your readers will thank you for it. 3) Fall In Love With Negative FeedbackToo many writers get insulted if a beta reader doesn't like their early drafts. But that's the wrong approach to take.As a writer, compliments feel good to your ego, but they won't improve your book. Only feedback will. If early readers say they found a chapter boring or confusing, don't get mad at them. Instead, thank them for their feedback because they've just shown you a weak point in your book.Use their disinterest as data. Whenever a reader says a section is boring, confusing, or pointless, edit that section. If one reader gets stuck reading your book, chances are others will too if you don't fix the problem. It's far better to hear negative feedback from readers now while you still have a chance to edit and improve your book than to be blindsided by it later when it's getting dozens of 1-star reviews on Amazon. 

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Write a problem-solving book:

• You want your book to be a painkiller (need to have), not a supplement (nice to have).

• Identify a problem people are having and write a book that helps people overcome it.

2) When writing your book, make value-per-page your north star:

• Skip the long introduction and foreword.

• Get to your book's core value as soon as possible.

• If you notice some chapters are much longer than others, chances are it's a sign there's a lot of fluff you can cut out of it.

• Remember: Readers prefer to read a short book with a lot of value than a long book with mediocre value.

3) Fall in love with negative feedback:

• Whenever a reader gets stuck in your book, pay attention to that precious signal–It means there's room for improvement.

• It's much better to hear negative feedback now when you can still edit your book than to hear it on Amazon after your book's been published.

🎧 Podcast Update:

I took my favorite lessons from my podcast with MJ DeMarco and turned them into short clips. Watch them here:

• The Myth About Getting Rich Through Compound Interest

• 2 Questions I Always Wanted To Ask A Multi-Millionaire

• Marriage Advice For Entrepreneurs

📖 Reading Lesson:Instead of picking up a new book for your next read, reread one of your favorite books.Why?No man ever steps into the same book twice, for it's not the same book and he's not the same man.

⭐️ Weekly Quote:If you’re overthinking, write.If you’re underthinking, read.(share here)

🙏 Support:This week's sponsor is Audible.If you want to read more books but don't have much time, audiobooks are for you. You can listen to an audiobook while commuting to work, exercising at the gym, or cleaning the house. Audible has 200,000+ books you can choose from.Sign up here to get two free audiobooks.

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!Read on,Alex W.