How to write a book

One year ago, I embarked on a journey of discovery: I was given the opportunity to learn from some of the best engineers in the world that were assessing, developing, and deploying generative AI to millions of customers. Over that time, I have met with and learnt from some of the most passionate and experienced thought leaders, technologists, designers, and ethics experts - each willing to share their insights and help to bring these lessons to the world.

So, I had to write a book!

In this new series of the newsletter, I will share insights from each of the chapters. While writing this book, I decided it might also be useful to capture and share the process involved in the creation of a book - the toils of being an author. Anyone can do it, but it helps if you know how to get started.

I discovered that I enjoy writing for the process of learning: While I know the topic at the start of the writing process, by the time I get to the end I have new ideas, concepts, analogies, and clarity of thought. By writing down my knowledge and sharing my unique point of view, I have to consider how the reader might perceive my words. If you have read the previous season of this newsletter, you will know that I am very visual by nature - so writing a book isn't that natural, however it encourages me to continue to develop new skills.

It's not the first time, but one was different

The first books I wrote were technical in nature and aimed at a specific audience, with the very capable assistance of PACKT PUBLISHING LIMITED. Each book had co-authors: the books on Windows for Enterprise Administrators were written with Jeff Stokes and Manuel Singer, and the books on Microsoft Sentinel were co-written with Gary Bushey - thank you all.

I then created my first book on Kindle to experiment with the self-publishing option, the tools, and process involved. That book is focused on productivity and helps the reader gain an empty inbox and manage information overload. It is now available in print and on Kindle: Productivity Field Guide.

This latest book I created from scratch. It was a whole new journey to navigate; I had to commit to creating the structure of chapters, defining the content of each one, and writing out every word - and no, I did not use generative AI to help me write, only for research and some interesting graphics - every word of this book I typed by hand.

How long does it take?

60,000 words - that is the ideal target length of a modern-day book on technology or business, if you want to provide a balance of content and readability (I ended up at 71,750 words).

6,000 words per chapter - it is an average word count, not all chapters require this many words, and some require more.

200 pages - If a book is to feel good in your hand, and fit nicely on a shelf, it needs to be good length. It was 200 pages when I wrote it using Microsoft Word, but once it is uploaded to kdp.amazon.com it became 340 pages.

500 words per hour - I had estimated 425 when I began writing, some chapters were easier to write than others. Writing a chapter where I knew the topic well, I could reach 650 words per hour. Other chapters took more deliberation and came in at 350 words per hour, but the average turned out to be 500.

140 hours - writing the first draft of all 11 chapters, and then editing a second draft following reviewer feedback.

200 hours total - includes 60 hours of research, images, editing, and administration. Those last few finishing touches can really add up.

Structure and organization

The best place to start writing your book is the development of the list of chapters. This defines your storyline and allows you to concentrate on writing one chapter at a time. Start with a basic list that follows some kind of learning journey for the intended reader:

Then create your chapter template in Microsoft Word, this will be copied and used as the starting point for each of your chapters:

Create one copy of the template for each chapter of the book, including the preface, conclusion, glossary, and references (if applicable):

Use OneNote to capture ideas, track your research, and links to sources for further information when you need it. This is a simple method that ensures quick access to your notes, its available on laptops, tablet, mobile, or web. Use this to capture new ideas, links to articles of research, or notes from conversations that could be particularly useful when you start writing the associated chapter:

As you can see in this screenshot, I am planning to keep track of progress for AI safety and security over a 10-year period, and then write another book to reflect on all the changes and differences from the first book.

Putting it all together

Eventually, after all that time writing individual chapters, you get to put them together in a single document - this becomes your manuscript!

I zoomed out to see what it looks like on a single screen:

It's a rewarding feeling seeing it all in one place like this. It is also a good way to see how the chapters flow, spot errors in formatting, and quickly jump to the chapters or pages that require further attention.

Becoming a published author

There are some scary moments, including realizing how many hours you just committed to spend on writing, the moment you send out chapters to your editors & reviewers, and when you hit publish on Amazon.

There are also some very happy moments: Finishing the first draft of the last chapter, getting positive feedback like "I love this chapter!", and holding a physical copy of the book in your hands for the first time.

I hope this helps and encourages you to write your own book. In the next newsletter we will explore some of the key insights from Chapter 1: Introduction to AI Security.

The book is available now on Amazon - Guardians of AI: Building innovation with safety and security.