WP171 | Lessons I Learned from Writing a Book
I’m really glad you’re here today because this episode is a little different and honestly pretty personal for me. I’m talking about something I’ve never shared before, what it was actually like to write my first book. Not the polished highlight reel version, but the real behind-the-scenes story. The doubts, the learning curve, the surprises, and the parts I didn’t expect at all.
If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, creating something meaningful, or putting an idea into the world that’s been sitting on your heart for a while, this episode is for you. I’m walking you through why I wrote The Practice of Becoming, how it came together over time, what I learned along the way, and what I wish I had known before I started. We’re talking about the why, the process, the fears, the imperfect launch, and why doing the thing imperfectly still matters.
So if you’re curious about writing a book, self-publishing, or just need permission to start before you feel ready, stick with me. I’m sharing the honest, messy, encouraging version of this journey, and I think you’re going to get a lot out of it. Let’s dive in.
I Never Set Out to Write a Book
I want to start by saying this clearly: I didn’t wake up one day and decide I was going to write a book. In fact, I didn’t even realize I was writing one until it was basically already happening.
This book started years ago in small, quiet ways. Journaling. Writing emails to you. Reflecting on what God was teaching me through the work of running a practice. None of it felt like “book writing.” It just felt like paying attention.
Why I Wrote The Practice of Becoming
This book wasn’t written because I wanted to make money or create a new revenue stream. Honestly, if that’s your motivation for writing a book, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
I wrote this book because God had already been doing something in me, and I felt called to share that with other practice owners. Running a practice is deeply spiritual work, whether we realize it or not. The leadership. The responsibility. The weight of caring for people while also running a business. All of it shapes us.
I wanted a devotional that spoke to that exact space. I couldn’t find one. So eventually, I started writing what I wished existed.
I Didn’t Know I Was Writing a Book Until I Was
A lot of this content lived in old journal entries. Years of them. Scripture paired with reflections about staffing, finances, burnout, courage, rest, and calling. At some point, I realized I already had so much material.
Then I remembered the Lent email series I shared a couple of years ago. Many of you told me how meaningful it was to move through Lent together as practice owners. That was the moment I thought, maybe this could be more than emails. Maybe this could live on.
Writing a Book Is Vulnerable Work
I don’t think people talk enough about how vulnerable writing a book is. You’re not just producing content. You’re letting people see you. Your thinking. Your faith. Your doubts. Your growth.
And once it’s out there, you don’t get to control how it’s received. That part is uncomfortable. It stretches you. But I also think that’s part of the point.
This Was Never About Perfection
This was not a perfect book launch. I didn’t hire a publisher. I didn’t do a big promotional campaign. I didn’t send advanced copies to influencers or line everything up neatly.
And I had to be okay with that.
As practice owners and therapists, perfectionism can stop us from doing meaningful work. I didn’t want perfection to be the thing that kept this book from existing. I wanted it to exist more than I wanted it to be flawless.
The Role of Support and Accountability
There is absolutely no way I would have finished this book without support. My coach pushed me to stop treating this like a someday goal. My team, especially Z, carried so much of the logistical and creative weight.
You are not meant to do big things alone. If you’re trying to do everything by yourself, it’s going to be exhausting and slow. Having people who believe in you makes all the difference.
What Writing This Book Gave Me
Writing this book gave me clarity about my message. It gave me confidence in the work I do. It helped me articulate why faith-based practice ownership matters and why this work is sacred.
Whether someone reads the book or not, the act of writing it changed me. And that alone made it worth it.
If You’ve Ever Thought About Writing Something
You might already have more content than you think. Blog posts. Emails. Notes. Trainings. Journal entries. That idea you keep circling back to might be trying to become something.
You don’t need to know the outcome before you begin. You don’t need to know how successful it will be. You just need to be faithful with what’s been placed in your hands.
Who You’re Creating For Matters
One thing I want to say clearly is this: it’s important to know who you’re talking to. I wrote this book for practice owners. I already had a relationship with that audience through the podcast, email list, and consulting work.
If you’re creating something, ask yourself who it’s for and how they’ll find it. Ideas are powerful, but connection is what gives them impact.
Why The Practice of Becoming Exists
This book exists to remind you that your work matters. That becoming is happening even in the small, ordinary parts of running a practice. That God is present in spreadsheets, sessions, leadership decisions, and rest.
It’s not about hustle. It’s about faithfulness.
An Invitation
If you’re carrying an idea, a project, or something you feel called to create, I want to encourage you to take the next step. Tell someone. Ask for help. Let it be imperfect.
And if you’re looking for a grounding companion for Lent, The Practice of Becoming is now available. My hope is that it supports you, steadies you, and reminds you that your work is holy.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Links and Resources
Get my book, The Practice of Becoming, at my website https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.com
Join the Wise Practice Membership Community
Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting
Connect with Wise Practice on Instagram
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[00:00:00] Whitney Owens: Before we jump into today's episode, I want to share something I'm super excited about the practice of becoming. This is a Lent devotional for faith-based practice owners, now available on Amazon. This book was written especially for you people who are spending their time caring for others, practice owners.
[00:00:20] Doing the clinical work who want a steady and reflective way to move through the length season. So if you're looking for a devotional to invite you to slow down, notice what's happening in front of you, and stay grounded this busy season. I'd love for you to check it out. You can search for the practice of becoming on Amazon or head to the show notes to get your copy today.
[00:00:48] Hi, I'm Whitney Owens. I'm a group practice owner and faith-based practice consultant, and I'm here to tell you that you can have it all. Wanna grow your practice, wanna grow your faith, wanna enjoy your life? Outside of work, you've come to the right place. Each week on The Wise Practice Podcast, I will give you the action steps to have a successful faith-based practice while also having a good time.
[00:01:10] Now let's get started.
[00:01:14] Jingle: Where she grows your practice and she don't play. She does business with a twist of faith. It's Whitney Owen and Wise Practice Podcast, Whitney Owen and Wise Practice
[00:01:29] Whitney Owens: Podcast. Welcome back to The Wise Practice Podcast. Thank you so much for being here with me today. I'm looking forward to jumping into this episode because I've never really talked about writing a book, 'cause I've actually never done it before till now.
[00:01:45] And I have always asked people tell me what it's like. You know, where did you publish it, how did you write it? And all those questions. So I'm gonna tackle those with you today 'cause these are the questions that I used to ask. So I'm gonna jump into the real stuff, like why I wrote the book. What the process was like, what I learned from it, the positives, the negatives, all the juicy stuff.
[00:02:09] So make sure that you listen for the entire episode, especially if you've ever been thinking about writing a book. So it's pretty common that people come to me and say, I wanna know how to write a book, and I have some things that I definitely want you to be thinking about before you do so. So it's important that you consider.
[00:02:31] Your why, the process and how to go about it, and we're gonna talk about each of those things today. So before I share about my experience, I want to very be clear here. I actually didn't really realize I was writing a book until I'd already done it. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but the beginning of this book was years ago.
[00:02:57] I've always really enjoyed writing. I like to journal. I like writing the emails that I send to you every week, and this book was a little bit of that process and that writing that had come about for a very long time as God was doing work within me as a practice owner. So I think it's really important when you start thinking about writing a book, you've got to have a why behind why you're writing it.
[00:03:23] So. The thoughts, the things that were within me, these were things that God was already doing in my heart for quite some time. And so that inspired my why behind this book. 'cause God had done a work in me and I wanted to talk about that. I wanted to help you on your practice journey. And as I'm always telling you on this podcast, so much of the work we do is really about God's work in us, right?
[00:03:49] You're gonna get this book and you're gonna read it and it's gonna be helpful to you. But more than anything, it changed me writing it. Right? So that is part of the why behind the book. I can tell you that writing a book is a lot of work, so you better have a passion behind it when you write it. It is time consuming.
[00:04:11] It fills your space in your mind. You are in a vulnerable place, not only writing it, but boy, you're putting it out into the world. And now everyone. Not really everyone, but people will read it and they will know you in a deep and more intimate way. So another thing I want you to really think about when it comes to a book is that it's not a revenue generator.
[00:04:37] Don't write a book because you wanna make a bunch of passive income. Unless you are famous, you're probably not gonna make a lot of revenue off your book. But there are a lot of other reasons to write a book, and I can tell you that revenue generation was not the reason that I wrote this book. So we're gonna walk through each of these concepts today on the podcast.
[00:04:58] So this idea, like I said, didn't really start as a book several years ago as I was doing my writing. I started thinking I really enjoy devotional books, right? I, I've always liked having something in the morning to focus on. In fact, I read a daily devotional almost every day. And I'd gone online and looked for devotional books for practice owners.
[00:05:23] There really are not very many out there, but I feel like the work of running a practice is so in line with my spiritual walk because it's my mission, it's what I'm doing in the world. I was really wanting something that incorporated the spirituality piece along with the practice running piece. And I couldn't find that anywhere.
[00:05:42] So I was like, huh, maybe I'll start just kind of writing about this and, and I have a lot of past journal entries of things God was teaching me through his word that were practical to running my practice. So I started kind of going through some old journal entries, years of journal entries, really, and seeing God in the midst of my practice and Bible verses that related to different aspects.
[00:06:05] And so I started writing and I started putting it in a Google document each day. You know, here's the Bible verse, here's how it spoke to me. And then eventually it became clear that maybe I should share this with practice owners. So if you've been following me in my work for a while, you might remember a couple years ago, I put out an email series about Lent.
[00:06:26] And so each morning you get a Lent devotional. Then you would enjoy that and benefit from that, and then you'd get another one the next day. And that went on for about six weeks. It was a really good test run. I got some great feedback from you about the experience that you had reading it, things God was teaching you.
[00:06:45] It was beautiful and I loved the way it brought us together in that experience and that there were people all over the country reading the same devotionals. It's like we were doing it together, so. Then I thought, huh, I've got all this content already. What if I put this more into a book? Maybe this would be a great book.
[00:07:08] I kind of started toiling around with the idea. I didn't think to myself, oh, I should write a book, or I have to write a book. I did it 'cause I wanted to, I had a message that I wanted to give and I wanted to give it to you because I knew that I wished I had had a devotional in the work that I was doing.
[00:07:28] Right. There is a lack of content surrounding running a Christian private practice, and that is why I'm putting this out into the world and why I do the work I do. So speaking of that, we're going to our why. Like I said, you've got to have a why behind what you're doing, or you're never gonna make it to the end.
[00:07:48] 'cause it is really hard to do a book. I mean, it's hard to do lots of things, so we've gotta have a passion behind it. I am consistently reminded lately that the word passion means suffering. I, I want to go with Greek. It could be Latin, you might wanna look it up, but passion means suffering. I definitely experienced this in my life, and I experienced this through the book.
[00:08:12] It was hard. There was an element of suffering, but I think we must have that in putting great things out into the world. So like I said, I wasn't expecting to make a lot of money. In fact, if you were to take the number of hours that myself and my team have gone through to make this book a reality. It would never measure up to the financial benefit that we are gonna have from launching the book.
[00:08:38] 'cause we've put so much time and energy into it. But some reasons that I wrote the book was to get the word out there. To tell other people about wise practice. There are a lot of Christian practice owners that are feeling lost. They're struggling to grow their practices and we want more people to be able to find good Christian counselors.
[00:08:58] So that's another reason that I wrote the book, is so people could find a community so they didn't feel so alone and they'd be equipped to do the work. Also wanted practice centers to start thinking about how our work is sacred and not just the clinical work. 'cause that's certainly a special. But the, the work of running a practice, right?
[00:09:21] In fact, this book is called The Practice of Becoming because as we are doing our literal practice, we are becoming more like Christ, more of our authentic selves, and I want us to be paying attention about how the work impacts us and how God is always moving in it. His presence is everywhere. Even in our work, even in the small tasks.
[00:09:47] So this book is reflective and meaningful and to support people like you that are doing the demanding work of seeing clients and running a practice. But I did not write the book for money. I wrote it for impact. So as I, as I kind of look back over the past few months, really years, I've always wanted to write a book.
[00:10:07] It just seemed like a fun thing to do. I, I've never really thought of myself much as a writer. But I also thought, huh, this would be kind of a fun thing to do. Honestly, as a business owner, sometimes we do it 'cause it's creative and we enjoy it. So there was an element of that as well as everything else I just said about impact.
[00:10:24] So if you've been on following me on the podcast for a while, I've talked about the business coach that I hired back in June of 2025, and I remember when we got on our first call to talk about. Wise practice. And he said, okay, let's identify what are your goals for wise practice over the next three years, over the next year.
[00:10:44] And we started talking about that. And then offhandedly, I was like, well, I wanna write a book. And I really didn't think too much about it or I was really thinking that's more like a three year goal. I definitely thought that. And my coach came back to me and he said. Okay, well let's do it. Let's get that done before three years.
[00:11:07] And of course I'm kind of rolling my eyes. Yeah, that sounds nice. That's not happening, right? But it happened way sooner than I ever thought it was going to, and. At the time when he told me we're gonna do it, I was like, I don't, I don't even know what I would have. The idea of this limp devotional book wasn't even on my radar.
[00:11:30] But then over time, that idea came to me and I was like, huh, that's an idea. I already have so much content on this. Which, by the way, many of you that are thinking about writing a book, you probably already have lots of content out there in different formats. So. I came to my coach, I said, Hey, I'm thinking about doing this.
[00:11:48] He was like, great, let's do it. So I went on ahead and created a goal and I thought, okay, well writing a Lent devotional certainly has a timeframe on it. You gotta get it out there before lent. Well, that's February 14th for 2026. So that put a timeframe on it. And I told myself, eh, I'll try this out. So I started editing the devotionals from the past.
[00:12:14] I actually wrote some new ones, made updates to make it more insightful for I am now, and experiences that I've had as a practice owner, and we got it done. We have been pushing hard. I never thought we'd get to the finish line. Certainly didn't. And. We made it and we're here. So it helped me understand that it is possible to push yourself to do something big, and I can tell you with certainty, I would not have done it if I hadn't had my coach kicking my butt along the way, step by step, he believed in me and that gave me the motivation to keep moving forward.
[00:12:52] I also wanna point out here that I'm recording this episode. While the book just came out and when I was looking at podcasting, I thought to myself, do I need to wait until I know the outcome of this? Like waiting to make sure that it's a successful before I do a podcast? But I want you to hear this, that we don't do things necessarily because we want some kind of outcome.
[00:13:15] Like certainly we want an outcome and a certain extent, but I wasn't really doing it 'cause I needed to sell a certain number of books or I needed to have a certain amount of income. I did it because of the process and because of what it puts in your hands, right? And so I, I didn't launch this book in the perfect way.
[00:13:36] You know, I didn't do a podcast interview series like people do or send books to people in advance or do a bunch of other things to help launch a book. I didn't hire a publisher. I had to let go of perfection. So this is not a traditional book launch. In fact, most people don't even know I wrote a book and they're gonna find out on the release date of the book, and that's okay, right?
[00:14:02] Because I'm not in it for the perfection. I'm in it to put something out into the world. And I think as practice owners, we and therapists, we become perfectionists. And I want you to let go of that because it's keeping you from doing big things in the world. So what I learned through this process. That when you put something into the world, it doesn't have to be perfect.
[00:14:21] It just needs to be, it just needs to exist and have presence. It's better to do the thing than to hold onto it because then nothing happens. There is no impact. So this book exists because I chose to move forward even when I didn't have it all. Right. Right. It wasn't about. Perfection piece. It was about doing something and now I know how to do it and I can try to do it again.
[00:14:49] Actually, I, I feel certain I will do it again. I guess it'll be when my coach comes back to me and tells me I'm, it's time to write another book. Right. So let's talk about some of these practical realities, because I didn't even know some of this existed before I started thinking about writing a book. So you can self-publish on Amazon.
[00:15:08] I had heard that before. Didn't really understand it. It's actually a lot easier and harder than I thought it was gonna be. So one thing about Amazon is it will print the book for the person when they purchase it. So I know that's can feel a little confusing. It was something I didn't quite understand.
[00:15:30] But when you go online to buy my book. It will print it specifically for you and send it to you. So I think that's kind of cool. You don't have to like mass produce it or mass purchase it or anything like that. If you go through Amazon and you know, in my mind I'm like, wow, I can just like put a book together and put it on Amazon and now I'm a published author.
[00:15:50] Yes you can, which is really great. Maybe a little scary that people can just put stuff out there, but it's also really wonderful. You can do the printed version or a Kindle version. So you've got options there. You price it the way you wanna price it, and now you do create all your content, obviously, but you also create.
[00:16:12] Images to go along with the book and things like that. I will say chat, GPT was a dear friend of mine as we were going through this process. 'cause I was trying to figure out how do we format this and what's included in a book. So I had to do a lot of research about the components, like copyright pages or acknowledgements pages or you know, when do I start page one and how do I do a reference in the back?
[00:16:34] Like I wasn't, I didn't know any of these things. So I used a lot of examples from books that I've read. I did a lot of research, but I have to give a huge shout out to Zia. Y'all might know her as Z. She's my marketing specialist with Wise Practice and she was incredible. In fact, when she sent me the first draft of the cover of the book, I had literal tears in my eyes 'cause it was so beautiful.
[00:17:00] So you cannot do this alone. Just get a team of people to help you. I guess you, you could, but it's not as fun and it's really hard. Z really came through with me, and there were so many times along this journey where we had to change things a million times. In fact, with Amazon, which is so interesting, you can order a book in advance so you know what it's gonna look like.
[00:17:24] But it's a proof book. So it says proof on it. I have so many proof books around my house right now because we would order it and this wouldn't be centered or what. At one point we realized we forgot to put page numbers on it. I was just laughing so hard. I'm like, we did all this work and forgot page numbers.
[00:17:39] You know, it was one of the simple things, and even with all the back and forth, Z was a champ and just kept moving forward with me, kept doing the work, and I truly would've not done this without her help. So, Z, you're the best. So one thing I wanna continue to make clear is you don't wanna do it alone and you need that emotional support.
[00:18:01] You need also just the hands to do it. I do know that there are people you can hire to do this. I have friends that have self-published where you can hire someone that just knows how to do the self-publishing process on Amazon. So I think that's a great idea. I'm really lucky that I had Z and she did the research and figured it out.
[00:18:21] But I think that's also a really good suggestion to be able to hire somebody to do it. 'cause it certainly took us a lot of back and forth when we were doing it. Alright, so writing the book gave me clarity, credibility, confidence. So now my name is on a book and I can say I've written one. So I think that really makes a difference for people.
[00:18:43] It sets me apart as a Christian consultant for private practices. So if you're thinking about writing a book, it's good to consider how it can set you apart within your field, how it will give you knowledge, how you'll have something to talk about. Yeah, so it's kinda like this level of cloud that I didn't really have before.
[00:19:03] And then if people read it or not, it still is good for you to be able to say that you've put out a book into the world, and I hope to continue to do more. You know, going back to that perfectionism, the fact that I've already done it gives me the confidence and strength to do it again. As you have ideas of things you're thinking about doing, I want you to go back and think about how can I grow from this and not be so focused on the perfectionism, but knowing that I'm gonna continue to get better at what it is that I'm putting out in the world.
[00:19:35] So the process of writing a book, I am so glad that I did it. I don't know how the sales are gonna turn out 'cause I'm actually recording this before the sales come out. But I am excited that I put something out in the world. I feel confident, and I would encourage you if there's something that you're thinking about, maybe you're worried about getting it right.
[00:20:00] Just try. Just tell somebody. I mean me just verbally telling my coach and then he said, okay, we're doing it. It like made it a reality. I know that you've got things in your heart, things that would help people that you're carrying around with you, and I want you to put those out there if it's a book, a podcast, a course.
[00:20:22] Another thing I want to make sure that, that we touch on real quick here before the end is when you choose to put something out there, I wanna encourage you to also consider who you're speaking to, right? I'm talking to practice owners. I need to make sure that I have a relationship with those people, that they know who I am, and of course the book is gonna help me with, with that long term.
[00:20:48] But a lot of practice owners I see have these great ideas. I especially see this for courses. So they have this great idea for a clinical course they wanna put out there for couples. Maybe they put the course out there. Like, who do they market to? How do people find it? If they don't already have couples that would want to take the course on their email list, listening to their shows, all those types of things, no one's gonna find it, right?
[00:21:12] So if you are thinking about putting out something into the world, my hope is that you already have people that you know that kind of follow you and understand it. But if you don't, I wanna encourage you to take a few steps back and ask yourself, who's this ideal for? How are they gonna find it? Because you don't wanna spend your time and energy putting something out there that they're not gonna find.
[00:21:34] And so I'm grateful that I have a podcast. I have an email list. I have relationships with other people who talk to practice owners, so I have the ability for people to hear about the book. So make sure that you've got some kind of outlet for people to be able to hear about this amazing product or service that you wanna put out into the world.
[00:21:54] So I don't really know where this book is gonna go, and that's okay, but I'm excited to hear about it. I'm excited for the story and I want you to tell me about it, about your experience of reading it. And how it impacts you. And I would love to also hear from you on what you are thinking about doing in the world.
[00:22:12] If you've got that idea that you're carrying and you need that extra accountability, you want someone to kick your butt the way my coach did, shoot me an email, reach out to us through the website, last practice consultant, fill out a contact form. We would love to follow up with you and maybe do some coaching with you.
[00:22:29] If you're thinking about writing a book and you would like some help along the way, I would love to help you with that. Reach out to us. It is about being faithful with what God's put in your heart, and I know you feel called to these things. Create a plan, get the team you need, and follow the steps.
[00:22:49] That's exactly what I did with Amazon. I followed the steps and got it out there, and I had people doing it with me. So before we close up here today, as you've been hearing me talk about writing a book. Lent devotional, the practice of becoming is now available on Amazon. So if you're looking for a thoughtful grounding companion for the lint in season, please head to Amazon and get the book or head to the show notes and grab the link.
[00:23:15] Thank you so much. Over the next two weeks, as we get close to Lent, we're gonna be exploring what Lent is and how we embrace it as practice owners. So stay tuned for the next two episodes and thanks for hanging out with me today.
[00:23:33] Jingle: So click on follow and leave a review and keep on loving this work we do with Whitney Owens and The Wise Practice Podcast, Whitney Owens and Wise
[00:23:47] Whitney Owens: Practice Podcast. Special thanks to Marty Altman for the music in this podcast. The Wise Practice Podcast is part of the Site Craft Podcast Network. A collaboration of independent podcasters focused on helping people live more meaningful and productive lives.
[00:24:05] To learn more about the other amazing podcasts in the network, head on over to site craft network.com. The Wise Practice podcast represents the opinions of Whitney Owens and her guests. This podcast is for educational purposes only, and the content should not be taken as legal advice. If you have legal questions, please consult an attorney.
