How To Become a Professional Author

Publishing has changed. But there is still a timeless way to become an author.

You want to get published.

Of course, you do. But that alone isn't enough, right?

You'd also like it to become a bestseller, preferrably a #1 New York Times bestseller.

And while we're there, it would be great if your book was turned into a three-part film series or a multi-season HBO special, wouldn't it?

Or if you're writing nonfiction, having a book that kicks off a speaking tour at $50,000 a speech would be pretty great, right?

And along the way, you of course want to be able to quit your job, write full time, and perhaps even become a multi-millionaire.

But the publishing industry is in crisis.

Bookstores have all but disappeared. Publishers that have been in business for hundreds of years are closing. The ones who are still around are publishing fewer authors than ever. At the same time, with the rise of self-publishing, more books are being published than over, greater than 1 million per year.

It's harder than ever to get noticed by a publisher. And if you self-publish, it's harder than ever to get your book noticed by readers.

Because of the state of the industry, writers today have to bear more burdens than ever, burdens that were once born solely by publishers, like:

  • Marketing
  • Printing
  • Public Relations
  • Cover Design
  • Web design
  • Social media management
  • Admin
  • Editing
  • Book tour scheduling
  • And so much more!

Just reading all of that is overwhelming!

Maybe you've already published books but don't know how to make a living in the new publishing landscape.

Maybe you've written a book but don't know the next step to accomplish your dream.

Maybe you're just getting started, and dream of writing books, and just want to be prepared when you get there.

A dream is a nice thing. But the realities of publishing have crushed the dreams of many a writer before you. It will probably crush yours too. 

I know how hard becoming a professional writer is because I've done it.

My name is Joe Bunting, and I've written seven books. In fact, my writing has reached more than 5 million readers in this year alone. I've also gotten to help hundreds of writers write and publish their books.

But it took me a long time to figure out how to write and publish books for a living. In fact, I aspired to write for more than 10 years before I was able to do it full-time.

In college, I studied creative writing. After college, I worked part-time at a magazine. After that, I traveled the world and wrote in 15 different countries.

But even then I wasn't making a full-time living off my writing.

Then something happened: I met my cartel.

A cartel isn't anything sinister. The definition of “cartel” is an agreement amongst competitors.

In this case, my competitors were three other writers. One was an author working on his third book. Another was a New York Times bestselling author. The third was a popular blogger and now Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

They mentored me, edited me, showed me how the writing and publishing world works, and helped me get started. Their acts of generosity gave me the career I love today.

After meeting them, I wrote my first book. And since then I've written seven other books. But if I hadn't joined a cartel, I would still be stuck today.

Then, I noticed all the other writers I admired throughout history—J.R.R Tolkien, Mary Shelley, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf—they all had cartels too, groups of other writers who were supporting them and their careers.

If you think you can do it on your own, you're destined to continue to fail. You have to find your cartel.

 

A publishing course based on timeless principles.

INTRODUCING THE
STORY CARTEL COURSE

A Timeless Process to Get Published and Become a Professional Writer

 

STOP WAITING TO GET PUBLISHED

The biggest mistake you can make as a writer is waiting for a publisher to find you. Instead, start building the foundation of your writing career now. There are things you can be doing right now that will prepare you for a long career as a writer.

Here's How It Works

It Starts With Expert Guidance

Daily writing inspiration, weekly lessons, and frequent check-ins with our team of authors will equip you to write a great book.

Then, There's the $100 INCENTIVE

Meet your weekly deadlines and finish your book on time and we'll give you $100. Miss three deadlines or fail to finish your book and miss out on the $100. Pretty great incentive to finish, right?

FINISH YOUR BOOK

100 days of creativity, encouragement, and feedback later and you will have a finished first draft. What are you waiting for?

Encouraging Feedback

Workshop your book in our secure, encouraging community. This is the BEST part of the program. (Some plans also include professional editing.)

Accountability is a Lifesaver

Our editors will check in with you every week to hear where you're struggling, problem solve, and keep you on track.

What's in the Story Cartel Course?

When you join the 100 Day Book Program, you get a proven process to write a book. But that's just the beginning.

OVER 7 HOURS OF LESSONS AND INTERVIEWS

Each lesson breaks down a technique, a piece of the writing process, or a common pain point. After going through each lesson (or choosing the lessons that matter most to you), you'll be able to write with confidence—on both your current and future books.

Book Plan

People who finish a book plan are 52 percent more likely to finish their books.

Consequences

Set consequences to ensure you actually finish your book.

Build Your Team

How to get feedback and accountability.

How to Long Your Book Should Be

Know your target word count

Characterization 101

Great characters are one of the main reasons people read, but how do you actually create memorable characters?

7 Reasons to Write a Book

Tap into your core motivation

The 12 Steps to Writing More in Less Time

Essential steps to writing faster without reducing quality.

The Strongest Form of Characterization

Create memorable characters with this essential writing technique.

The Weakest Form of Characterization

Avoid this in your novels at all cost.

Book Structure 101

We'll look at how to structure fiction and nonfiction books.

Fiction Scene Structure

Every scene in a novel composed of six individual elements.

Nonfiction Structure

Your nonfiction book needs to contain these 5 elements.

Workshop Your Book

How to workshop your book and get feedback on what's working and what isn't.

World Building 101

How do you build a unique world your readers can grow to love.

Writing Scenes

The trick to writing captivating scenes.

Voice

How to find your unique writing voice.

The 4 Types of POV

First person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient.

POV Mistakes

The most common problem writers make when writing a book is messing up their POV. We'll look at how to avoid common pitfalls.

Style

What new literary techniques can you pick up to enhance your style.

Villains

We'll look at 9 examples of villians to better understand how to use them to enhance your story.

Writers Block

We all face writer's block. In this lesson, you'll get a proven method for getting unblocked.

Heroes

There are three types of heroes, and knowing which one is in your story is essential.

Editing and Publishing

What do you do after your book is finished? How do you edit it? get it published?

Why 100 Days?

You might think, no one can write a book in 100 days. And certainly not a good book.

You might even feel like a program like this is just a quick fix. Writing a book should take longer. It's about the experience!

But let me ask you this: When was the last time you spent 100 days completely focused on your writing?

This level of focus can be life-changing. You'll write more than you ever have (plenty for a book). Best of all, you'll feel creatively invigorated and alive.

This is why Stephen King said:

The first draft of a book—even a long one—should take no more than three months, the length of a season.

Writing a book in a short period of time like this gives an energy and focus to your writing.

That's why we believe that 100 days is the perfect length of time to write the first draft of your book.

Yes, your book will need more work afterward, so we'll walk you through the editing process, too.

However, after 100 days, you will have accomplished the most important part: You will have written a book! And that's something to be very proud of.

Get Everything You Need to Finish Your Book

If you commit to writing a book with us, here's exactly what you can get:

 

Standard Level

Daily Lessons. Each day, you'll get an email with encouragement, writing prompts, quotes from great writers, and video lessons to help you get fresh ideas on how to finish your book and make it as good as it can possibly be.

Weekly Deadlines. Every Friday, you will turn in one chapter of your book, giving you a practical structure to finish your book over the course of the program.

Incentive. If you meet all your deadlines and finish your book, we will give you $100!

Accountability. Each week, we will check-in with you to see if you met your weekly deadline. If you miss a week, we will send you a warning. If you miss 3 weeks, you will miss out on the $100 incentive!

Feedback. You'll get a year's worth of access to Becoming Writer, our writing community, where you can workshop one chapter per  week for the next 12 months.

Manuscript Critique

As an add-on, you can also get:

Professional Editing. When your book is finished, get a full manuscript critique from a professional editor on our staff to give you feedback and make your book as good as it can be. Includes full assessment of writing style, plot, characterization, use of point of view, and more. Normally valued at $1,000+.

What Our Students Are Saying

A proven track record of writers finishing their books.

“This program gave me the tools I needed to create a plan, execute in a timely manner, and accomplish my goal of writing my first draft of my book. Without the planning on the front end, the accountability of Joe's coaching and my writing community, this would never have been possible.”

Kevin Garcia

“The most effective part of the class for me was the accountability and community. Having other people to take that journey with me was a substantial force behind my success.”
Kellie McGann

“I wouldn't be a published author without Joe Bunting. Not only did he teach me how to take an idea and turn it into a story, he showed me how to collaborate with other authors to make my writing the best it could be, which gave me the courage to share it with the world.”
Brian Rella

Stop Stalling. Get Writing.

This is the month you could finish your book.

Stop trying to write your book. This time, get the community support, the accountability, and the focus you need to actually do it.

For just $160 a month for 3 months, you get full access to our 100 Day Book program, including the lessons, accountability, feedback, bonuses, and more.

Make this the month you become an author. Register for the the program today.

Here's how to sign up now:

  1. Choose your level below and click the registration link.
  2. When the secure form pops up, enter your credit card information to pay your membership fee.
  3. You will be redirected to a form to create your username and password.
  4. Once your account is created, you'll be sent to the orientation page to get started with the process of writing (and finishing) your book.

Note: Are you a member of Becoming Writer? Check your email for a special discount on this program.

Ready to write your book?

We've tried to make this as affordable as possible. Get started today!

The Finish-Your-Book Guarantee

Our mission at The Write Practice is to help writers accomplish their goals, but if after 30 days of writing you feel this program won't help you finish your book, you can email us, show us you've done the work, and we will return your membership fee.

There's no risk, unless you continue to put off writing your book!

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 100 days begin?
The 100 days officially begins on May 22 and ends with your finished book on August 30! However, as soon as you sign up, we'll guide you through the preparation process, helping you hone your idea and create your book plan.
I have a book in progress. Is this course open only to people who are starting from scratch?
If you're in the middle of a book, that's great! You are the perfect person to join this program and get the focus and accountability you need to finish.
What if I write nonfiction?
This challenge is available to both fiction AND nonfiction writers. We've helped thousands of authors of both fiction and nonfiction finish their books. We would love to help you too!
What if don't live in the United States?
This course is open to all authors and aspiring authors, whether in the United States, Europe, Australia, India, or elsewhere. If you want to write a book, this course is for you.

Still not sure?

Have a question about the program I didn't answer above? Send me a note and I'll get right back to you.