Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t

And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer

By: Steven Pressfield

Narrated by: Steven Pressfield

Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

There's a mantra real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this: "Nobody wants to read your shit." Recognizing this painful truth is the first step in the writer's transformation from amateur to professional.  

“When you understand that nobody wants to read your shit, you develop empathy. You acquire the skill that is indispensable to all artists and entrepreneurs - the ability to switch back and forth in your imagination from your own point of view as writer/painter/seller to the point of view of your reader/gallery-goer/customer. You learn to ask yourself with every sentence and every phrase: Is this interesting? Is it fun or challenging or inventive? Am I giving the reader enough? Is she bored? Is she following where I want to lead her?"

©2016 Black Irish Books, LLC (P)2018 Black Irish Books, LLC

How to get over the mediocre part of yourself

This book is fantastic. It's the kind of book I return to hundreds of times until I'm a living example of the concepts in the book. even as a painter, I learned a LOT. Senor Pressfield DOES IT AGAIN!!!

Listened Twice

So full of info, good writing info I’d not thought of before. I listened twice. I liked this better than the War of Art. Also a great little gem for sex scenes that I didn’t expect.

Not only for professional writers

This book goes so much beyond the profession of writing.
It has helped me greatly improve my daily comunnication skils (writing e-mails, website articles, phone conversations...) by understanding a truth that everyone agrees with but almost no one takes advantage of: nobody wants to read your sh*t.

By understanding that people are busy and their attention span shortened, you are better inclined to set your communication a lot more direct, specific and especially interesting for the reader/listener. Instead of communicating what you want to say, you concentrate on what the other party whats to read/listen about.

Straight to the point learning!

I like the style of Steven Pressfield, as he doesn't hold any punches and tells you what you need to hear. I like that style as it removes all the fluff and makes it clear.

read with urgency

i enjoy fast paced narrations as long as there's no sacrifice to content quality. Here Pressfield delivers. No chance to space out or day dream with the rapid fire chapters coming at you with writing tips galore. Plenty of humor dotted throughout. I've the feeling that this is one you'll love or hate for its unconvention. I loved it!

A Theme? Imagine that; A Story Needs A Theme!

Hello Steven Pressfield:

Just checking in from HQ at Plain-as-the-Nose-on-My-Face, Ltd., located in the heart of the City of Dumbass, situated in the great and picturesque Commonwealth of Homer Simpson, because I'm compelled to and must report the sudden onset of a crimsoning and overheating face to the point that my eyebrows are sweating and there's enough egg dripping from it, my face that is, to make a nice custard and maybe a quiche, as well. Can I get an resounding and reverberating, "DOH!?" And in this case, "DOH!" says all that need be said. And here all this time I entertained a notion that I know what I am doing. For the record: That's a crock!

In further clarification, please let me state that I'm a complete imbecile, meaning that a) I don't now, and did not then, know what I am or was doing; and, b) I have all my appendages,accoutrements, education, training, practice, and so on signifying that, a) I am an imbecile, and b) nothing’s missing but some hair that likely knew and fled in humiliation and there's really not much of anything I need to finish up and get off this whirling blue rock.

Simply put: Anyone who fancies him or herself a writer, of anything, should get this and listen to it, a lot.

A theme? Well, I'll be damned.

Many thanks,

Neil

Pressfield another slam dunk ..

insights into his previous work and a new twist another Journey another adventure in artist way a call to create launch and create again

Listen to the end. It’s worth it.

If I’m remembering correctly, the book started off a bit slowly. Of course, I was walking the dog at the time and he kept finding interesting things to do so my attention was split.

Still, as they say, I persisted. I was rewarded by the payoff at the end.

Keep going. It’s worth it.

Bit repetitive but good.

Book is a little repetitive but a solid listen for anyone who is a writer.

Blunt and honest and REALLY helpful.

Stephen Pressfield goes amazingly practical advice about how to hold your attitude in check while you learn. He also describes his own process, and his own education, in a way that you can apply it directly to your own sh*t.

I was (am) in the middle of trying to give a presentation on the ‘neuroscience of excellent presentations’ (a pretentious title I am already regretting after reading this book), and haven’t moved forward for an entire three months. Then I heard his section towards the end on his struggle with The War of Art (a book which I previously read and love) and how it was greatly improved by structuring it as a hook, a build, and a payoff.

Eureka! I became unstuck - my problem is solved. (Glad I ran across this book as my presentation is in two days). :-|

This book is great- highly recommended!!

A lesson to all book authors

Although it follows a great deal of Pressfield's life, in essence, the title says it all!...

The lesson?

No-one wants to read your ****,

so make EVERYTHING about THEM,

YOUR READERS.

Sharp, succinct, shockingly useful.

I don’t know why I resisted reading this...perhaps I thought it would be this same regurgitated writing advice that chokes the interwebs. But after hearing it recommended by several of my marketing heroes, I bit el bulleto. So glad I did. This is a refreshing masterclass in writing with endless food for thought and practical steps. In love.

A must listen and then read

Full of insight, perspectives, experiences that transcends. A must for anyone at any stage of your journey.

Interesting to read as an existing author

Really interesting, as I got to reflect back to my own book that I wrote, without this kind of insight, but with experience in marketing. My book is in production procees and I think I covered it well, but I learned a lot here. Thank you Steven ❤️

This is an eye-opener

If you want to advance your writing, this is the toolkit you need for writing your novel, your dissertation your TED Talk so it works.

I wish I could have given it 10 stars!

I greatly enjoyed this book. As a writer myself, it offered insight I neve thought of, and taught a few lessons I hope to apply to my writing. The no-nonsense, straight ro the point narration was fun to listen to. Simply loved it.

Love this

This is such an important and useful book. Thanks a million Steven for writing it.

Superb

Straight to the point, informative, insightful, uncompromising, brutal, undoubtedly very helpful. Steven narrating his own book works perfectly.

very impressive book

learnt more from reading this book than I have all of the others on novel writing

My go-to book when writing content

I’m a freelancer designer who knew nothing about writing, now that I have to write my own content this book proved a gem.

Not only does the title provide a very accurate reminder, but the book contains great advice and guidelines from top to bottom of how to write