Podcast 2 | Pen Name vs. Real Name — How to Write a Novel and Make Money Doing It

How to Write a Book and Make Money — Fiction, Nonfiction, and Choosing Your Genre

What kind of book should you write? In this episode, Author Jonathan David shares his approach to fiction, nonfiction, educational books, cookbooks, and illustrated stories. Learn how to choose an idea, develop your own voice, and build toward a longer manuscript through smaller, manageable projects.

Episode Summary

Start with the idea you want to explore. A nonfiction book may grow from something you know or teach, while fiction may begin with a character, situation, or question. Jonathan recommends developing your voice through short projects before taking on a full novel. His workflow varies by the type of book: spoken recordings for some nonfiction, direct typing for fiction and technical material, recorded demonstrations for recipes, and original designs for illustrated stories.

These steps organize the methods discussed in the episode. They reflect Jonathan’s personal writing process and recommendations.

Step-by-Step — Choose Your Book and Writing Method

1. Choose the idea you want to develop.
   Identify what you want to tell, explain, teach, or demonstrate. This might be a fictional story, a personal perspective, an educational topic, a collection of recipes, or an illustrated children’s book. Begin with an idea you want to spend time developing.
2. Identify the type of book that fits your idea.
   Decide whether your material belongs in fiction, nonfiction, education, cooking, or an illustrated format. This gives you a starting point for the work: storytelling, explaining a subject, demonstrating a process, or combining words with images.
3. Let your voice help shape the genre.
   For fiction, Jonathan recommends writing in a way that reflects your interests and style. His own work blends philosophical, scientific, and thriller elements. If you already have a specific genre in mind, use it as a direction; if your idea crosses genres, develop the idea and see what emerges.
4. Choose a manageable first project.
   Jonathan suggests beginning with approximately 500 words instead of immediately attempting a 100,000-word manuscript. For fiction, work on a short story. For nonfiction, apply the same small-project approach to a focused passage you can finish and review.
5. Write, review, and refine that short project.
   Read what you have written and revise it until the wording, organization, and flow communicate your idea clearly. Use the smaller piece to practice completing the whole process, from the first draft through revision.
6. Increase the length gradually.
   The progression suggested in this episode is: 500 → 1,000 → 2,000 → 4,000 → 10,000 words. Treat these as practice milestones. Use each project to develop greater control over your writing before moving to a longer one.
7. Review your writing as the project develops.
   Jonathan recommends revising during the writing process so that a large amount of unfinished material does not accumulate. Revisit manageable sections, improve them, and continue building the manuscript.
8. Keep an existing long draft for later revision.
   If you have already written a full manuscript and feel overwhelmed by editing it, Jonathan suggests setting it aside temporarily. Practice on smaller projects, develop a process you can manage, and return to the longer draft with that experience.

Step-by-Step — Jonathan’s Nonfiction Workflow

9. Record yourself discussing the chapter topic.
   Use a podcast or spoken recording to explain your ideas in your own words. In this workflow, the recording supplies the material for the written chapter.
10. Extract the transcript.
    Turn the recording into text so you can review and edit what you said. Jonathan mentions recordings of roughly 25–30 minutes as part of his process; the resulting word count depends on speaking pace and how much material remains after editing.
11. Clean up punctuation, grammar, and repetition.
    Jonathan uses AI assistance to clean up the transcript and sometimes remove repeated material or rearrange passages. Give clear directions about preserving your meaning and voice.
12. Review the edited version yourself.
    Read the chapter and listen to how it sounds. Check that the wording still expresses your ideas, that the sections connect naturally, and that the editing has not changed what you intended to say. Make your own final revisions.

Step-by-Step — Fiction, Recipes, and Illustrated Books

13. For fiction, develop the story through direct writing.
    Jonathan types his fiction himself and sometimes shares his screen while writing. Start with your idea and develop the story in your own words. Recording the process is an optional part of his workflow.
14. For educational material, work through the content directly.
    Jonathan also writes his mathematics and physics material while sharing his screen. Choose a process that lets you explain the subject and review the written work carefully.
15. For a cookbook, record your recipe demonstration.
    Jonathan creates recipes while cooking and records the process. The video provides a record of the ingredients, preparation, and cooking actions used in the recipe.
16. Turn the cooking transcript into an organized recipe.
    Use the transcript to extract an ingredient list and numbered instructions. Jonathan uses AI to help organize this material. Review the result against the demonstration so it accurately reflects what you prepared.
17. Select images from your cooking video.
    Capture screenshots of the preparation or finished food. Jonathan describes using these screenshots as references for AI-assisted images. Review any resulting image to make sure it represents the recipe accurately.
18. For illustrated books, create the story and visual concept.
    Jonathan begins with his own story, characters, and designs, using Canva for the artwork and layout. Establish what the characters look like and what happens in the story before assembling the pages.
19. Use your designs as references when developing illustrations.
    In Jonathan’s process, AI helps extend his original designs into additional scenes and backgrounds. Review the pages for consistency and check that the illustrations match the story you wrote.

Step-by-Step — Develop Your Own Process

20. Notice what works as you complete projects.
    Pay attention to how you generate ideas, draft, revise, and finish. Use that experience to develop a writing routine that fits you.
21. Recognize that readers have different tastes.
    The episode emphasizes that readers will respond differently to the same work. Consider feedback while deciding which choices best serve the book you want to create.
22. Build toward a longer book when you have a workable process.
    Apply the skills you developed through shorter projects to a larger manuscript. Jonathan’s central recommendation is to grow the scope gradually while learning how to write, review, and complete your work.

Disclaimer: My videos and podcasts express personal opinions and experiences and are intended for entertainment. Commentary may include speculation, hearsay, satire, or fictional material and should not be treated as verified fact or professional advice. Writing and business methods reflect my personal approach and do not guarantee earnings or publishing success. Fictional works may contain mature themes and are recommended for audiences 18 and older.