gwern makes the case for not writing a book. All good stuff to consider, especially ahead of time. While writing a book is unlikely to make you rich, it’s an ambitious endeavor that can take a toll on your mental health and that of the people around you.

If you really must write a book—for a bit of extra income, to demonstrate your expertise, or to prove to yourself that you can—then it helps to ease up on the pressure. Don’t get too precious with it. 

Make it a short book of 10,000–15,000 words. Pretend like you’re a ghostwriter for a client, and you’re getting paid a flat fee.

Write outside of the book, too, and publish that just to keep things light, loose, and fun.

This is coming from a person who has wrestled with writing a book for years, and finally published one in 2020 (and a revised edition in 2022). The slight shifts helped unblock me. If you really need to write a book, I hope they do the same for you too.