How Busy Law Firm Owners Can Write a Book in One Year with Mary Adkins
Want to become a successful author while running a busy law firm? Learn the solution to writing and publishing your book while balancing your professional and personal commitments.
In this episode, Moshe Amsel and Mary Adkins detail a simple process for writing the book you always dreamed about. Mary shows us how the busiest people can accomplish this in just one year!
Listen now, to find out Mary's #1 tip for finding time to write a book.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction to Mary Adkins
Moshe introduces Mary Adkins, who shares her journey from being a lawyer to following her dream of writing fiction novels.
05:46 When is the right time to write a book?
Mary Adkins discusses some misconceptions about writing a book.She explains how this means NOW is the right time to your book.
13:11 Finding time to write
Mary Adkins shares examples of how busy professionals, including doctors, have found creative ways to write, such as dictating into their phone or writing on index cards, emphasizing that writing can take various forms and can be integrated into daily routines.
16:47 What to do after finishing your first draft
Mary discusses the importance of setting aside your first draft for 4-6 weeks, so that when you review it, it’s with a fresh look and more objective view.
20:29 Seeking feedback on your draft
Mary advises sharing the draft with multiple readers to gather diverse opinions. She cautions against accepting feedback wholesale and emphasizes the importance of filtering feedback through personal vision and gut instincts.
23:47 Understanding Reader Reactions
Mary explains the importance of asking readers for specific real-time reactions while reading the draft. She suggests focusing on their engagement, confusion, and boredom to gain valuable insights for refining the manuscript.
26:16 Incorporating Feedback
Mary warns against blindly incorporating feedback that may change the original vision for the book. She highlights the need to evaluate whether feedback enhances the story without altering the core storyline.
31:32 Seeking Professional Feedback and Publication
Mary explains the next steps after receiving feedback, including the option to send the book to literary agents and smaller publishers for further input and potential publishing.
33:06 Understanding Book Finances and Success
Mary explores the possibility of pursuing writing alongside a professional career, offering insights into the financial implications of publishing a book and the potential for success. She delves into the concept of book advances, discussing the average advance size, the payment structure, and the unpredictability of a book's success in the market.
Resources
Take the Law Firm Growth Assessment and find out how you rate as a law firm owner!
Check out our Profit with Law YouTube channel!
Learn more about the Profit with Law Elite Coaching Program here
Connect with Mary Adkins: Instagram
About Mary Adkins
Mary is a writing coach and founder of The Book Incubator, a 12-month program to write, revise, and pitch your novel or memoir. She is
author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read,” New York Post “Best Book of the Week”), and Palm Beach (recently named one of the New York Post’s “Best Books of 2021”). Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. A graduate of Yale Law School and Duke University, she helps aspiring authors finish their books with joy and clarity. You can apply for The Book Incubator by going to apply.maryadkinswriter.com.
Connect with Mary Adkins on her Instagram.
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Author
Moshe Amsel
Author
Moshe Amsel the host of the Profit with Law podcast is not an attorney. As the owner of a successful accounting firm DreamBuilder Financial and Law Firm Growth coaching organization Profit with Law, Moshe has proven that there are better and different ways for a law firm to do business and be successful.
