“A book is for the reader, not the writer.”

Lately I’ve been hearing this idea a lot: that you should write a book based not on what you want to say, but on what the reader needs to hear.

There’s truth in that. But the opposite is also true:

At its core, a book is a form of self-expression.

Yes, it’s for the reader. But I’d even argue the reader is sometimes the excuse to write, not the reason.

A book is for the writer.

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The other day a client gave me a huge compliment.

After reading the latest draft of his memoir, he said, “This is the book I set out to write.”

That’s the goal.
To bring my clients’ vision to life.
To make something from their imagination physical.

Because that’s one of the most satisfying things we humans can do.

It’s also one of the hardest.

My first novel flopped because the finished version didn’t reflect the idea faithfully. It wasn’t the book I set out to write. Too much was lost in translation from imagination to reality (for a lot of reasons, but that’s for another post).

The vision: fabulous. The execution, not so much.

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Of course the reader matters.

Writing for the reader can sharpen the book. It can enhance, stretch, challenge, and enrich the writer’s vision in necessary ways. It can also keep the writing from becoming self-indulgent.

A book is self-expression; it’s also a bridge, a connector, a vehicle.

But here’s what I’ve seen again and again: when a writer stays true to their vision—when they say what they actually want to say, what they feel they need to say—that’s what reaches people.

That’s the kind of self-expression—authentic, unapologetic, real—that people want to read.

If you can use some support in writing your book in 2026, get in touch.

I’d love to see how I might support you in bringing that book to life.