Guest Blogger Wylie Blanchard, BSBA ’08, is an executive technology advisor and the Founder of Reintivity Technology Solutions, helping organizations modernize, secure, and simplify their IT, especially in healthcare and financial services. With 20+ years of experience leading large, cross-functional initiatives, he is the author of Zero-Downtime Care, an Amazon #1 bestseller focused on practical modernization for healthcare leaders.
If you can run a project, manage competing priorities, and follow through under real-life constraints, you can write a book. That’s the mindset I brought to writing my book, Zero-Downtime Care. I wrote it by treating writing like any serious business outcome: define the target, build the plan, execute consistently, bring in pros for the parts that need professional skills, and publish a version you’re proud to put your name on.
Here’s the process.
Step 1: Start with an Ideal Reader Profile
Before you outline, write a short profile of the person you want to help. In business, you’d call it an ideal customer profile. For a book, it’s an ideal reader profile.
- Who are they?
- What are they trying to achieve?
- What is making it hard right now?
- What do they fear will happen if they get it wrong?
- What does “success” look like in their world?
This profile becomes your compass. It keeps you from chasing side topics that don’t help the reader.
Step 2: Define the Reader Promise (and what the book will NOT do)
Once you know who you’re writing for, define the promise:
- This book is for (who) who want to (result) without (risk or frustration).
Example: “This book is for healthcare leaders who want to modernize technology without disrupting care.”
Next, write 3–5 bullets for what the book will not be.
Examples:
- Not a technical certification guide.
- Not a catalog of tools and vendors.
- Not a book for people who want theory without action.
Step 3: Build the Map
A simple structure that works for most nonfiction books is:
- The problem: what’s happening and why it’s hard.
- The process: what to do about it, step-by-step.
- The future: what success looks like, and how to sustain it.
- Common mistakes: If you want to add a final helpful section, include what people do that quietly sabotages their progress.
For each chapter, ask yourself:
- What confusion does this remove?
- What decision does this help the reader make?
- What action can they take soon after reading?
If you can’t answer those clearly, the chapter needs to be reshaped or cut.
Step 4: Write in Small, Consistent Blocks of Time
Choose a realistic weekly plan:
- Two writing sessions per week if your schedule is tight.
- Three sessions per week if you want steady momentum.
Each session should have a minimum “win,” so you can make progress even on hard weeks:
- Write for 60 minutes, or 1,000 words, whichever comes first.
Simple rules that help:
- Use the same writing platform every time (Google Docs or Microsoft Word).
- Keep a consistent folder structure so you can find everything quickly.
- Start by reviewing the last paragraph you wrote.
- Write the next paragraph before you do anything else.
Track your progress like you are working on a project. A simple weekly checklist works:
- Sessions completed.
- Words written.
- One section improved for clarity.
- One example or story added.
Step 5: Use Real Examples
Nonfiction readers want confidence and advice that holds up in real life. Consider including one or several of the following in your examples:
- A pattern you’ve seen repeatedly.
- A story.
- A before/after situation.
- A common objection followed by a practical answer.
Step 6: Hire an Editor If You’re Not a Professional Writer
A good editor helps you:
- Make the book easier to follow.
- Tighten the writing.
- Remove repetition.
- Strengthen your argument.
- Turn “what you meant” into “what the reader understands.”
There are different kinds of editing:
- Big-picture editing: structure, flow, clarity of the message.
- Line editing: sentence-level clarity and readability.
- Proofreading: catching errors before print.
If budget is a constraint, prioritize big-picture help first. A confusing book won’t be saved by perfect grammar.
Step 7: Choose a Publishing Path
Your path should be determined by your goals, timeline, and how much control you want.
Traditional publishing benefits:
- A longer runway.
- Gatekeeper validation.
- Distribution support.
Tradeoff: Less control and often slower to market.
Self-publishing benefits:
- Speed.
- Control.
- Ability to update and improve over time.
Tradeoff: You own quality and marketing.
Hybrid publishing benefits:
- Professional support (editing, design, production guidance).
- More speed than traditional.
- More structure than doing everything alone.
Tradeoff: You must vet providers carefully and understand the contract.
Step 8: Launch by Getting It to Market, Not by Chasing “Perfect”
It’s better to get the book to market and learn than to keep polishing it in private. You can always update the book as a new version. Think of launch as a plan, not a single day; the goal is to put the book in the hands of the right people and let it do its job.
- Make a list of 20 to 50 people who would genuinely care about the book (friends, peers, colleagues, alumni, clients, etc.).
- Send personal messages to the most important 10 to 20.
- Ask early readers for honest feedback and reviews.
- Share a few short posts that repeat the core message of your book (people need repetition to understand and remember).
Recommended Readings:
Gordon, S. (2022). The million dollar book: The ultimate blueprint for writing a 7‑figure business book.
– Practical guidance on writing and building a nonfiction book business.
https://get.themilliondollarbook.org/
Chandler, S., & Palachuk, K. W. (2018). The nonfiction book publishing plan: The professional guide to profitable self-publishing. Authority Publishing.
– A professional, step-by-step view of publishing and profitability. https://www.amazon.com/Nonfiction-Book-Publishing-Plan-Self-Publishing/dp/1949642003
Broad, J. (2023). Self-promote & succeed: The no boring books way to build your brand, attract your audience, and market your non-fiction book. Stick Horse Publishing.
– Clear, actionable guidance for marketing without sounding salesy.
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Promote-Succeed-Attract-Audience-Non-Fiction/dp/1736031511
Blanchard, W. E., Jr. (2025). Zero-downtime care: A plain-English playbook for providers, payers & population-health leaders to secure and scale IT.
– My perspective on modernization and operational reliability in healthcare, written in plain English for leaders.
https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Downtime-Care-Plain-English-Providers-Population-Health/dp/B0G25HZ11Q
Written by Walden University graduate Wylie Blanchard, BSBA ’08
Edited by the Walden University Career Planning and Development Staff