Stop Doubting, Start Writing: Dr. Richard Nongard on Writing a Book

Have you been telling yourself "someday I'll write that book"? Stop waiting.

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Richard Nongard—author of over 30 books and founder of TwelveWeekBook.com—reveals why writing a book is far more attainable than you think.

Richard shares his remarkable journey from publishing his first book in 1994 (learning the ropes from legendary publisher Melvin Powers) to helping nearly a thousand students publish their own books. He breaks down the exact structure of New York Times bestsellers, explains why self-publishing beats traditional publishing in 2025, and reveals the simple daily habits that turn aspiring authors into published ones.

Whether you're a complete beginner or someone who's been stuck on page one for years, this episode will change how you think about writing and publishing.

What You'll Learn

On Getting Started:

• Why you should write your easiest book first (not your "best" book)
• How to identify your big idea when you have too many ideas competing for attention
• The truth about what makes a good book vs. a bad book
• Why "done" is better than "perfect" when it comes to your first book

The New York Times Bestseller Formula:

• The exact 12-chapter structure that most bestselling nonfiction books follow
• What should go in your first chapter (and it's not what you think)
• Why chapter two should focus on obstacles, not solutions
• How the "listicle chapter" becomes the backbone of your book
• The power of the penultimate chapter in bringing it all together

On Self-Publishing in 2025:

• How to publish a book in 12 weeks instead of waiting a year for a publisher
• The truth about vanity presses and why they're always a scam
• How to make your self-published book available in any bookstore worldwide

Building Your Author Platform:

• How social media creates opportunities traditional publishers never could
• Why content creation and book publishing are now inseparable
• How to turn your book into a broader content ecosystem

The Writing Process:

• Why writing 200-300 words daily is better than marathon writing sessions
• How to find time to write when you think you're too busy
• The role of AI in writing (and why it shouldn't write your book for you)
• Why writing fiction is "the best therapy there is"

On Overcoming Common Obstacles:

• How to stop cramming every idea into one book
• Why you don't need a doctorate (or even to be a "good writer") to write a book
• The difference between a memoir and a biography (and why memoirs are better)
• How to use storytelling to make nonfiction come alive

Key Quotes

• "There's no value in a great book that is never finished."
• "You don't even need to be a good writer. You just have to share your ideas with passion on the pages."
• "A book doesn't need to be thick to be good. It just needs to be finished to be good."
• "If you think you need therapy, write a book—it's the best therapy there is."
• "In 2025, there's no reason other than vanity to have a New York publishing company help you."
• "When you publish independently, you have total control over quality—the editorial content, sales, distribution, everything."
• "Write your easiest book first. Learning how to do it and actually finishing it builds skills for all your future books."
• "Most people think they have to put every idea into one book. You only need to write about the idea you want to write about."

Guest Bio

Dr. Richard Nongard is the author of over 30 books on leadership, personal development, psychology, and more. He holds two doctorates—one in leadership and cross-cultural engagement, a

Transcript

Derek Zboran: Derek here, and I'm incredibly excited to speak with Dr. Richard Nongard. Richard has written over 30 books on various topics, including leadership and personal development. Through his TwelveWeekBook.com community, he's helped hundreds of students publish their own books.

I was one of those authors. I joined the community in late 2021 and started the class in 2022. Before that, I thought writing a book was hard—something I wanted to do someday, but it would take forever to finish.

After taking Richard's class, I realized that writing a book and sharing your ideas is much more attainable than I thought. Through consistent, focused effort, you really can do it. I did it. Many people in his class have done it. And you can too.

I've invited Richard today to share his insights on writing, publishing, and creative living. I hope this conversation inspires you to write your book this year. Stop putting it off—it's attainable. You can do it.

Richard, let's start with your story. How did you get into writing and publishing?

Dr. Richard Nongard: I wrote my first book in 1994. It's long out of print now—it was titled Evil Stands Alone. I don't think it was particularly good. I wrote it because Scott Peck had written People of the Lie, which became a New York Times bestseller after The Road Less Traveled. I didn't think that was a very good book either, and his ideas prompted me to write a rebuttal.

At the time, I was training other mental health professionals who were familiar with People of the Lie, so I wrote a book offering a different answer and approach. I was surprised—it sold pretty well. That encouraged me to write my next book, The Perfect Victim Factor, which examined coexisting personality disorders that create difficulties for both clients and therapists. That also sold well.

It really came from wanting to share my big idea. Back then, self-publishing, print-on-demand, and Amazon didn't exist. I reached out to Melvin Powers, who had published some of the bestselling personal development and psychology books. He was in his 90s when we spoke, and he said, "Richard, your book sounds great. I'm willing to publish it, but I'm going to give you a dollar per book. If you think you can sell a thousand copies yourself in a year, you should publish it yourself. You'll make $9 per book instead of $1."

I asked him how to publish my own book. He taught me everything—how to buy paper, find an offset printer, get four-color covers printed, find a book binder, obtain an ISBN number, and get it listed in Books in Print so bookstores could order it.

I'm incredibly grateful to Melvin Powers because he taught me something crucial: when you publish independently, you have total control over quality—the editorial content, sales, distribution, everything.

Today, with print-on-demand, it makes no sense to share your profits with New York publishing companies. They don't actually care if your book is good. What they care about is whether you have a mailing list, a podcast, or a social media presence. If you can sell your book to your audience, they'll publish it—but they'll keep part of your money while requiring you to do the selling anyway.

I've been self-publishing since 1994 and have been very successful with it.

Derek Zboran: At the Rolla Public Library, this was my introduction to Melvin Powers—Psycho-Cybernetics. [holds up book] Powers was a giant in the self-help industry. I didn't know you were connected with him when I joined TwelveWeekBook.com. When I realized he had mentored you, it was amazing.

Dr. Richard Nongard: He was incredibly helpful. He taught me how to title a book. His philosophy was simple: tell people what the book is about. He had books titled "How to Win at Cards," "How to Win at Poker," "How to Do Self-Hypnosis." Just wonderfully straightforward.

I'd make calls to him throughout the process, and he'd answer my questions. He passed away a few years after that, but I kept in touch with him. Just a wonderful person.

Derek Zboran: You mentioned that he didn't overcomplicate things. Titles were simple, and he provided valuable information in the books he published and wrote. In your book community, you've helped many people go from having lots of ideas to actually narrowing them down and sharing useful information in a finished book.

What do you think is one of the biggest challenges when people have many ideas and are trying to complete their book?

Dr. Richard Nongard: Most people think they have to put every idea into one book. You only need to write about the idea you want to write about. If there's more to say, that becomes book two, three, or four.

People have a topic—fiction or nonfiction, even a children's book—and they want to pack too much into it. My bestselling book is what I call an "airplane book." I've written 400-page books, but my bestseller is only 21,000 words. It's five-by-eight inches. Someone gets on a plane in Dallas, flies to Newark for a couple of hours, and they've read a book with new ideas.

Your book only needs enough content to answer its thesis. If there are more ideas, those become additional books. It's common for authors to write four or five books on one broad topic. I've done that—several books on leadership, self-hypnosis, and different counseling approaches.

Even in fiction, trilogies sell well. Think of Star Wars, Star Trek, romance novel series. The problem most people face is trying to pack all their ideas into one book rather than focusing on a single big idea.

Derek Zboran: That's great insight. What would you say to someone who's not sure what their big idea is?

Dr. Richard Nongard: Write your easiest book first. It might not be the book you're most interested in or think will sell the most, but learning the process and actually finishing builds skills for all your future books.

Write the book you know the most about, that requires minimal research, or the shortest one. You can publish a 5,000-word book. Most people want to hit 100 pages—that's about 18,000 to 22,000 words—but there are plenty of novellas and short works in both fiction and nonfiction. One of the most influential books I've read was The Little Big Book of Leadership—about 44 pages, maybe 6,000 to 7,000 words. It had great ideas that helped me during my doctoral work.

Derek Zboran: You have two doctorates, right?

Dr. Richard Nongard: Yes, two—one in leadership and cross-cultural engagement, and one in psychology. But you don't need a doctorate to write a book. You don't even need to be a good writer. You just need to share your ideas with passion on the pages.

We can get it edited, reorganize things, fix writing errors—make it excellent in the end. The most important thing is getting it done. There's no value in a great book that's never finished.

Derek Zboran: That leads to my next question. You've read extensively and written a lot. What's the difference between a good book and a bad book?

Dr. Richard Nongard: A good book lets readers learn through storytelling. In my nonfiction books, I share stories from my own experience and from the many therapy clients I've worked with—I change the facts to protect confidentiality. I fictionalize those stories so readers can identify with the characters and see how to apply solutions.

I also use stories from national media and current events—public stories people are familiar with from culture, politics, or news. In my book on viral leadership, I used several well-known CEOs as examples, including Mary Barra, who started in an entry-level position and became CEO of General Motors.

I want readers to see themselves and their solutions in the stories. In fiction, what makes a book great is sharing the characters' emotions so readers can identify with them. If a reader finishes your fiction book thinking, "I was in that book," you've written an excellent book.

Derek Zboran: You've studied bestselling books extensively. Can you tell us about that process and what patterns you've found?

Dr. Richard Nongard: I went to a bookstore and told the clerk, "I need $1,000 worth of books that made the New York Times bestseller list." He looked at me like I was crazy, but we had fun loading up a shopping cart—I don't think they'd ever used a shopping cart in a bookstore before.

I brought them all home and spent months analyzing them. Religious books, inspirational books, political books, history books—all kinds. I looked for common themes: What did first chapters have in common? Second chapters? Third chapters? The middle chapters? The penultimate chapter—that's the second-to-last? The final chapter?

I created a set of prompts based on the most common attributes of New York Times bestsellers to help new writers understand the structure. Think of it as paint-by-numbers.

First chapters have about 17 paragraphs. They start with a two-to-three paragraph story—about yourself, someone else, or someone well-known. Then you present your thesis. Every book needs a thesis, even fiction. Then make promises: if readers continue, these things will happen as they understand your thesis.

Chapter two almost always addresses obstacles—the things standing in our way. Even with expertise, we sometimes aren't living our best. We're often in our own way.

Chapter three becomes the listicle—solutions to chapter two's problem. The seven most effective methods, the 40 laws, the seven habits. Chapter three is that list with explanations.

Successive chapters each cover one item from the list.

The penultimate chapter is a collection of stories showing how these solutions helped—from personal experience or others.

The final chapter—I call it chapter 12—is an exhortation to take action and apply these principles in their own lives.

This format works for any nonfiction self-help book—not just psychology. It could be raising happy golden doodles, grooming your dog, winning at cards, anything.

Even memoirs benefit from this approach. People often mistake biography for memoir. Unless you're writing history, memoirs are better than biographies. Biographies are chronological—I was born, I lived, I died. Memoirs focus on themes—I have these experiences organized into twelve themes, not in chronological order. It's easier to write and more powerfully shares personal experience from an emotional perspective.

Derek Zboran: You've written fiction too. This is Gum, which you co-authored with Dan Perez. [holds up book] What challenges did you face writing fiction versus your many nonfiction books?

Dr. Richard Nongard: That's actually my fourth fiction book. I used a pen name for the first three, though I don't recommend pen names. The challenge for me is that I've never viewed myself as particularly gifted at creative writing. Fiction needs to tell stories in certain ways with specific language.

That's why I brought Dan on board. I had the story idea, and I think I write facts well, but I write like a professor. Dan's an expert in fiction, so he helped elevate my language.

But you don't need a friend like Dan. Even if you're not a naturally gifted writer—like I don't consider myself—once it's done, even if it's not that interesting initially, you can edit it. Get feedback from beta readers, hire an editor. Once it's finished, we can revise and make it excellent.

I really enjoyed writing fiction because I write so many nonfiction books. I got to be creative, goofy, do impossible things—at least my characters did. In nonfiction, we have to stick to reality.

Derek Zboran: This is a really cool crime thriller. It speaks to the fact that people are scared to try something new in writing. When you have the mindset that you can write as many books as you want, you don't have to cram everything into one great American novel. You can try things and have fun.

Dr. Richard Nongard: That's one of the great things about my class. Many people start writing in their area of expertise. Jayne Wesler wrote about legal issues and children—she's a lawyer and social worker. Rusty Williams wrote about his experiences as a police chaplain and dog handler.

Then they'd say, "Let me try fiction." Many members have written several nonfiction books in their expertise, then let their creativity run wild. It's always great to see because using creativity in new ways is therapeutic. I've always said: if you think you need therapy, write a book—it's the best therapy there is.

Derek Zboran: How much do you write daily? How much should writers write if they're interested in writing a book? You help people write in 12 weeks—what's the time commitment?

Dr. Richard Nongard: What's most important is writing a little bit each day. That keeps you on schedule.

I write every single day. My pattern: I get up, check email, do some messaging, walk my dogs. During the walk, I develop ideas. When I return, I'll usually spend just 40 minutes writing 200 to 300 words on a current project. Do that enough days in a row, and you have a book.

Some days I get excited and spend eight hours writing 4,000 words. That's fine too. But spending a little time consistently—unfortunately, books won't write themselves. Even with AI, they won't. And you shouldn't let AI write your book. AI can be a helpful tool, but you need to write the book.

People say they don't have time. It doesn't take much. Get up 30 minutes earlier, stay up 30 minutes later, take a shorter lunch, use your break instead of watching TV or scrolling TikTok. Pretty soon you'll have a book.

A book doesn't need to be thick to be good. It just needs to be good to be good. Actually, it doesn't even need to be good—it just needs to be finished to be good.

Derek Zboran: Getting it done is getting it perfect—that's a thesis you state often. For me, the challenge was finding time. I realized you have to make the time. I started waking up an hour earlier to work in the morning, plus weekends. It's about making time, not waiting for it to appear, even when you're busy.

Dr. Richard Nongard: People say they don't like getting up early. If you have an idea you're excited about, you want to wake up early—you can't stop it.

I've been getting up at 6:00 AM lately, even going to bed at the same time, full of energy because I'm working on a project. I have a new book coming out titled Experiential Approaches to Somatic Therapy. I'm in the final stages—it'll be out within a month. I've been waking at 6:00 AM and working at the computer for an hour, and it'll be done on time.

Derek Zboran: The publishing industry has changed dramatically. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for writers in 2025?

Dr. Richard Nongard: The biggest opportunity is self-publishing and content creation.

In 2025, there's no reason except vanity to use a New York publishing company. Amazon is literally a monopoly—the publisher, advertiser, ebook distributor, printer, and sales vehicle all in one. The Amazon bestseller list is more important than the New York Times list now.

This presents a tremendous opportunity. Without wasting a year waiting for a publisher, you can do it in 12 weeks. Start with your big idea, outline it, write it, get it edited, design a beautiful cover, and have it distributed in 12, 16, or 24 weeks. And you keep all the money.

People say, "This is too much work. I don't know how." I teach people how. The biggest pitfall is people saying, "I'll get a publishing company to help—they only want $5,000 or $10,000." That's a vanity press. It's always a scam, always a rip-off.

You can do it yourself for a couple hundred dollars. The process is easy. We've had young people do it. We had a 93-year-old man in our class self-publish his first book—it's on Amazon now.

There's tremendous opportunity. If you're truly interested in a topic, you can create related content on social media to generate sales—whether podcasting, short-form video like TikTok, long-form video like YouTube, or social media groups.

Jayne Wesler wrote a book on bone density and wanted to start a Facebook group. I showed her how. I thought, "How many people want to join a bone density group?" About osteoporosis and osteopenia, increasing bone density. I thought she'd get 100 people. Two years later, she has 10,000 people in her group, selling books constantly, and has become an authority on the subject. Social media gives us opportunities we'd never get with traditional publishing.

Derek Zboran: As we wrap up, Richard, can you tell us about how you started TwelveWeekBook.com and how people can join if they want to write their book in 2025?

Dr. Richard Nongard: To join, go to TwelveWeekBook.com. All the information, dates, and sign-up details are there. It's not expensive—about $395. I'll teach you everything you need with 40 tutorials, handouts, step-by-step checklists, chapter template generators, and more.

How did I start the course? I'd previously done a version for therapists who wanted to write self-help books or textbooks—an asynchronous course with six or eight videos guiding people through the process.

When COVID hit in 2020 and the governor shut down my office and everyone's businesses, I did what everyone did: bought carbs, cooked at home since restaurants were closed, got fat, and watched the news. I had an idea for a book I'd been thinking about for 20 years and thought, "Now's a good time to write it."

After a few days, I hadn't written a word. I had no motivation—like many people, I was sitting around watching news and eating. So I thought, "I'll email my list: 'Write a book with Richard. Join me Sunday nights. I'll write my book and show you how to write yours.'" I figured 10 or 12 people would sign up.

I sent the email. One hundred people registered in three days. I thought, "Wow, I've never taught a Zoom class with 100 people."

The class was packed. I started writing my book, which held me accountable. I showed the class what I was doing—getting covers made, editing, writing content. Many people finished their books. I ordered them and held them up in class: "This is one of our authors!"

It was so successful that I scheduled another class. Another 100 people signed up. Four years later, almost a thousand people have taken the course. Hundreds of books have been finished. Even those who haven't finished will eventually, because they've made it real.

I think there's no end to it. I'm having so much fun. There's nothing I like more than hearing the doorbell ring and the dogs go crazy—I know it's Amazon dropping off more books from people who've finished.

Here's something cool: I don't just teach people to publish on Amazon—I show them how to make their book available at any bookstore worldwide. One of my favorite things is walking into random bookstores and asking, "Do you have a book by Richard Nongard on leadership?" They look it up and say, "Would you like us to order it?" "Not right now, but thanks." It's nice knowing all my books are available from any bookstore worldwide.

Derek Zboran: Richard, thank you so much for this conversation and for sharing your insights from working with so many people and your own projects. Being part of your group, I can see how much fun you have with it.

Dr. Richard Nongard: You've finished several books. How many have you completed in the course? Three?

Derek Zboran: Yes, three. [holds up books] I've considered myself a writer forever, but the idea of a book seemed unattainable. I'm a writer, but books? Probably impossible.

I signed up on Thanksgiving. I'd eaten dinner, was scrolling Facebook—we were already connected—and saw "Write your book in 12 weeks." You had a stack of books in the picture. I clicked, saw it was affordable, and thought, "I should do this." We spend so much money on books that sometimes make it seem even harder. This was affordable and actionable.

I started looking at the chapter generators—the paint-by-numbers approach. It was so much fun. I was passionate about podcasting then because I was experimenting with podcast projects. I thought, "This is what I'll write about."

I developed my thesis, thought about my experiences and others' experiences, and this book happened. Then I wrote Stress-Free Student about my productivity journey. I have so many ideas, and it's hard to get things done, so I shared my experience.

Then I wrote Mr. Derek. [holds up book] People from Rolla Public Library will recognize this. In 2023, I knew I'd be moving on from the library soon—you grow into new positions. I wanted to commemorate that time. Kids would draw pictures and leave them for me. One little girl drew a blue fish and said, "This is Jessica, the mom fish. Please never throw this picture away."

I had this file of pictures, so I reached out to her and others—actually to their parents for permission—and created Missing Library Book, illustrated by 34 patrons of the Rolla Public Library. That was wonderful.

I've had so much fun. I see how much fun others have with this class. The books are incredibly diverse. The perspectives are diverse. It's not just people in the United States—it's people worldwide. People whose first language isn't English are taking this class, writing their books, going through the process. It's amazing to see this diverse group writing and sharing their books.

That's a real testament to your insights and wisdom, because people really are getting it done and sharing their books.

Join TwelveWeekBook.com and write your book in Dr. Richard Nongard's next class!