I interviewed keeps his Backburner as a running Microsoft Word document on his computer. On the last Sunday of every month, he prints out this ten- or fifteen-page document and, pen in one hand and beer in the other, spends half an hour editing the list. As he reviews each entry, he either cuts it, keeps it, or—in some cases—turns the

it, so will your audience.[18] Reread it. Revise it. Restructure it. Refine the reader experience. Front-load the value. Remove the chapters and sections that don’t apply to your ideal readers. Just remember that your goal at this stage is not to finish a perfect book. The immediate goal is to create something just barely coherent enough for your