4-Day Planning Intensive
Nonfiction Book 360
This is not a writing challenge.
It is an opportunity to think deeply about the book idea you’ve been playing with, off and on, for years.
To look at your book project as a whole.
In the round.
From 360 degrees.
It is time to work out how to get your book done.
To assess the impact your book will have on your reader.
To address your lurking fears (everyone feels them) on the brink of a large project by naming and facing the risks and challenges that could undermine you.
And the best part?
I’m giving my time for free to support you through this process.
Transform Your Book Idea into an Exciting Plan in Just 4 Days
4 – 7 February 2025
This free 4-Day Intensive is designed so you can fit it around your busy working life.
Live sessions + self-paced learning + asynchronous coaching.
No need to take time off work!
Drop your name and email into the box and click the pink button so you can get the workbooks and Zoom invites by email.
Planning for success begins
before you write the first word
Sign up today and receive a valuable guide to support your book journey
📝 “10 Steps to Promote Your Book”
Think creatively about sharing your work with the right audience ➡️
When you join the Nonfiction Book 360: 4-Day Planning Intensive, this checklist is yours to explore.
The Nonfiction Book 360 is tailored to professionals who know the value of clear thinking and structured planning
You know that writing a book is one of the most impactful ways to showcase your specialist knowledge.
You want to cement your authority, and create opportunities in and beyond your current career.
You suspect there is a lot you need to know about the book world before you invest time and energy into the project.
A totally free, live, interactive programme without upselling or a sales pitch
Sales strategies embarrass me.
I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end.
Do you zone out when you spot one coming a mile off?
My approach to offering my services is this: if I think my particular skillset can help someone, I’ll say directly:
How can I help?
For now, it’s enough for me to have a chance to help you get your book started; you get to experience how my coaching works in practice.
Of course, I would love it if our connection in the Nonfiction Book 360 leads to a working relationship.
I work to help people like you get your book out into the world.
But you get to make your own mind up about asking to work with me.
Timings?
The Nonfiction Book 360 is designed to fit around your busy working life.
I estimate you would spend a minimum of 4 hours, spread over the week.
There are two coaching sessions (one hour each) to attend in real time.
In between, there are workbooks that give you a 360 degree view of your book project.
The live calls are on Day 1 (Tuesday) and Day 3 (Thursday) and held at 5 pm UK – the same time, both days.
Time Zone Converter
⏰UK 5 pm is…
⏰ Pacific US 9 am
⏰Mountain US 10 am
⏰Central US 11 am
⏰Eastern US 12, noon
⏰Central European 6 pm
Ready to ask for details of the 360?
I know. You feel too busy to commit to writing
And yet, the idea for your book keeps popping up at odd moments.
You really wish you could find the time and energy to work out how to get it done.
You worry your book won’t be good enough.
Will readers be mean? Might it reflect badly on your reputation?
Might you never finish it and feel you’ve wasted all that effort?
You know you need to know how to do it properly.
It must make the best possible impact.
But where on earth do you start?
Maybe you’ve tried to get started already, but…
❌ You mentioned your book idea to a friend but it left you feeling discouraged and you don’t know why
❌ You know you’ve got a unique perspective but you struggled – everything you wrote felt obvious and not what you wanted to say
❌ You felt lost in the process because you didn’t know what you should, and shouldn’t, do
❌You just aren’t sure you are doing it right.
It’s so daunting, you have pretty much shelved your book idea.
Which is a real shame, because it means your reader won’t get to learn from your expertise.
The solution is simpler than you think
The Nonfiction Book 360
This 4-Day Planning Intensive is designed to treat your book idea as the large project it is.
I help you to look at the biggest issues that face any writer at the start so that together we:
✔️ clarify your concept
✔️ define your structure
✔️ identify the risks involved in executing a large writing project, and
✔️ plan to organise your writing so that it fits in with your busy lifestyle.
What could the 360 possibly do for me?
It’s designed to help you get to grips with your book.
You may be nurturing an idea for sharing your expertise.
Or maybe you yearn to write a book that could change how things are done in your sector.
Or you want to change the way your industry is perceived.
The 360 clears away confusion and doubt so you can get going on your book.
What’s involved?
When you join the Nonfiction Book 360, you get:
✔️ 2 live coaching sessions by Zoom
You get guidance tailored to your situation, and answers to your questions
✔️ Bite-sized video instruction
✔️ Personalised coaching by email
✔️ 4 workbooks
✔️ Actionable emails with information and encouragement
… so you can get going on your book with confidence, free from confusion and doubt.
To get value out of the 360, you need...
To be able to join two Zoom calls (on Day 1 and Day 3) in person
To be able to use Excel at the simplest level of text input
To have a really strong desire to write a book!
You bring your time and your heart
⏰How much time?
A minimum of 4 hours
In between the 2 live sessions, I give you 4 worksheets.
These are actual tools I give my coaching clients, and I use them myself for my own books.
You can spend as much time as you like on them but a bare minimum of 15 minutes is necessary. Plus, you need time to listen to my video instruction or read the emails.
So your minimum time commitment works out like this:
2 x 1-hour calls + 4 x 30 minutes self-paced deep work)
= 4 hours
💙 My heart?
Really?
Yes, I want you to bring your whole heart! We are looking for wholehearted engagement here.
When we meet on Zoom, you need to actually come to session.
The two sessions are live and interactive, in meeting mode.
They are not pre-recorded webinars you passively consume.
We will talk about your book ideas, your writing life, your writing goals.
Prepare to engage!
The Nonfiction Book 360 is of particular use
To Banking and Finance professionals who want to write a nonfiction book about their specialism or experience but never have the time to get to grips with their idea.
You know that writing a book is one of the most impactful ways to showcase your specialist knowledge.
You want to cement your authority, and create opportunities in and beyond your current career.
Do I have to work in Finance to attend?
No!
You don’t have to be a Banking and Finance professional to join the Nonfiction Book 360.
If you think it’s a great fit for you, don’t hold back.
I don’t want to exclude anyone who feels the 360 could get them started writing their book.
I’ve worked in major banks as a lawyer since 1991. It’s my world and a lot of my clients work in financial services.
The Nonfiction Book 360 uses the terminology and concepts of managing large projects in banks.
But there is no reason why it shouldn’t work for you, too!
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU
What if your book led to a single speaking engagement?
What would that mean for you, and your career?
Do you believe in your heart of hearts, it could happen?
Or, what if your book led to a new job?
Maybe, it could take you to a new consulting career.
Or the CEO of a rival firm spots it and instructs the HR manager to sound you out on a new role.
What if your book were to change someone's mind?
Maybe you want to push for change in your part of the industry.
Your book could change opinions.
(Doesn’t that blow your mind?)
5 years of coaching writers has proved to me this is the way to start your book
My name is Ruth Bullivant. I am a writer, and I run a book coaching and an editing business. I’ve worked as a lawyer for over 30 years, in London, for the world’s biggest banks.
I studied book coaching under Jennie Nash of Author Accelerator TM to earn my certification over 18 months (2020-2021) and I keep up to date with continuous learning from the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.
With my training, and my business practice in which I’ve helped over 70 writers, I know how to help you frame your ideas and express them clearly so you write a marketable book.
FAQs
What exactly is the Nonfiction Book 360 program, and who is it for?
The Nonfiction Book 360 is a four-day, intensive planning program designed for professionals with a nonfiction book idea but unsure how to move forward.
It’s especially suited for those who want to create a structured, audience-focused plan for their book.
Does it work for Fiction?
Not so well, I’m afraid.
If I already have a book idea, will this program still be useful?
Yes! The 360 has been created for you.
The programme is not about magicking up ideas for a book out of nothing – although if you have two ideas, or several, I will show you how to deal with that wonderful dilemma.
This programme helps you refine your ideas, clarify your audience, and design a framework to structure your book.
You’ll leave with a better understanding of the book industry, a solid plan for writing and a clear sense of direction to achieve your book goals.
Why is this program free? What’s the catch?
There’s no catch.
As a sole business owner, I could spend time and money on advertising my services, or I could help you take the first steps to realising your book.
I prefer to take the hands-on approach, because I know from five years’ experience, the best client relationships develop from real-life experience.
The 360 gives you a chance to experience how my coaching works in practice and there is no upsell.
Like I said, my approach to offering my services is this: if I think my particular skillset can help someone, I’ll say directly:
How can I help?
Then you get to make your own mind up about asking to work with me.
What will I achieve by the end of the four days?
By Day 4, you’ll have:
📔 A refined book idea
📔 A starting framework for your book
📔An understanding of the risks that might get in the way of finishing your book and how to mitigate them, and
📔 The confidence to take the next steps to get to grips with your book.
How much time will I need to commit each day?
Plan for:
⏰ A 60-minute live Zoom session on two days
AND
⏰ From 30 minutes for additional tasks daily.
The schedule is designed to fit into your workweek but at the same time, it allows you to focus on your book and keep up the momentum.
Do I need any prior experience with writing or publishing?
Not at all.
The Nonfiction Book 360 is designed for professionals with expertise in their field but no published writing experience.
My role is to support you with my own expertise.
How are the sessions conducted? What technology will I need?
The two live sessions are conducted via Zoom.
You’ll receive materials and tasks by email, sometimes with a short video.
All you need is:
🛜 A stable internet connection
💻 A device on which you can work with Word and Excel, and, for the live sessions, with a camera and microphone
📒✒️ Paper and pen, to jot down thoughts.
Can I participate if I have a busy work schedule?
Yes! The program is designed for busy professionals.
Live sessions are concise, and tasks, while not a “breeze”, are manageable if you are really determined to get to grips with your book idea.
What happens after the program ends? Will there be further support?
You’ll receive some follow-up resources and tips to continue your progress.
If you’d like more personal guidance, it will be easy to get in touch with me.
Is this a scouting exercise, to introduce writers to agents/publishers?
No.
I do not work with agents or publishers.
I can explain to you how the publishing process works (traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing).
But I don’t hook you up with potential agents or publishers.
My purpose is to help you get to grips with your book.
Will the live sessions be recorded?
I regret not.
The point of the live sessions is to enable you to ask me questions and vice versa.
I don't feel ready
That’s alright.
As your coach, let me ask you:
What do you need to do, to feel ready to get to grips with your book?
Pro tip:
Grab a pen and a timer.
Set the timer for 3 minutes.
Write down all the answers that come up for you.
Even if you write, “Nothing“, I promise you’ll feel stronger for being clear.
I want you to benefit from my experience
I’ll guide you through the critical first steps of book creation. We look at your book project from all angles.
Leave that nagging feeling of being unfulfilled behind, and define your vision so that you make your book irresistible to your ideal reader.
Go from a state of doubt and uncertainty and move to a level of confidence where you can build a framework for your book idea.
Tackle the anxiety that you might be biting off more than you can chew.
I will help you do that by identifying the risks involved in the project of writing and finishing your book.
End strong with a plan tailored to your needs so that you organise your writing to fit in with the reality of your life.
Ready to sign up?
If today feels like the day you want to take action to get your book done, fantastic!
I look forward to meeting you in the 360.
Ruth
💙