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Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t: And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer Paperback – April 25, 2016

by Steven Pressfield (Author), Shawn Coyne (Editor)
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,224
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There's a mantra that real writers know but wannabe writers don’t. And the secret phrase is this:

NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T.

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?"

Previous page
  1. Print length
    189 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 25, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    5 x 0.48 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1936891492
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1936891498
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black irish Entertainment LLC (April 25, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 189 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1936891492
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1936891498
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.48 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,224

About the author

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Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield

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Steven Pressfield is the author of The War of Art which has sold over a millions copies globally and been translated into multiple languages. He is a master of historical fiction with Gates of Fire being on the required reading list at West Point and the the recommended reading list of the Joint Chiefs. His other books include A Man at Arms, Turning Pro, Do the Work, The Artist's Journey, Tides of War, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Last of the Amazons, Virtues of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, The Profession, The Lion's Gate, The Warrior Ethos, The Authentic Swing, An American Jew, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, and The Knowledge.

His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance was over 30 years in the making. He hasn't stopped writing since.

Steve lives and writes in California. You can following him on IG @steven_pressfield. Sign up for his weekly writing newsletter at stevenpressfield.com

"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,224 global ratings
How to apply narrative structure to all kinds of writing!
5 Stars
How to apply narrative structure to all kinds of writing!
Pressfield hits another home run! The War of Art was life-changing for me as a writer. It propelled me into completing my 1st book. As a writer of self-help, the section on using narrative form for self-help writing is the epiphany in this book for me. What a delight to read.
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Top reviews from the United States

Kenneth Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Masterclass In Print
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
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The War of Art changed my life. I didn't think Pressfield could write anything else that impacted me as that book did. I was wrong. This book is a writing masterclass. Moreover, he breaks down with both poignant HOW and WHY. I am so impressed by how he makes a jawbreaking impact using as few words as possible. He cuts away all the fat and leaves you with lean, mean, relevant content...on theme...on point...and on time.
6 people found this helpful
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Stephanie Romano
5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: This book might change your creative life forever! It just gets better and better and better
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2016
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If you are a writer, you need this book. Mr. Pressfield has a great sense of humor and a very stern message. No one wants to read your stuff. He's very direct and to the point. So, how do you overcome that fact and keep writing with hope? He spells it out for you. He's gathered up the best and employable devices to help us all understand the framework and structure needed to turn the title of the book into a question of ...why wouldn't anyone want to read this book. When someone takes the lessons they've spent life cycles learning, and makes a book that's easy to read, easy to understand and makes you laugh, you have a true mentor. Thanks to this book and the War of Art...I'm ready to take off my training wheels. I may fumble a little...but I'm so excited to grab my own project and give it the life it deserves.
7 people found this helpful
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loyal customer Bill
4.0 out of 5 stars Are black ink and white paper more expensive?
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
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This will be the same review for 2 books by Steven Pressfield: The War of Art (c 2002) and Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t (c 2016). Both easily merit 5 stars for content, mostly about writing, but creativity in general. They are heavily, but with relevance, autobiographical. I assume other reviews have confirmed this opinion. BUT: I am writing this review because, except for teenagers with perfect memories and 20-20 vision, they are unnecessarily difficult to read for reasons all too common in modern printing: cream-colored paper and gray print. MUCH slower reading than bright white paper and pure black ink. Worse, both lack a table of contents and an index. Each has numerous very short “chapters” on very good topics, but when I want to review for particular topics, endless flipping pages is necessary. Bottom line: excellent content, but Pressfield, his editors, or his printers make life unnecessarily difficult for readers. Thus, only 4 stars. I was tempted to give 3.
9 people found this helpful
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greatlakesguy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for new writers and veterans
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2017
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Great book and an excellent follow-up to Mr. Pressfield's The War of Art. These are not how-to books for aspiring writers; those are a dime-a-dozen on Amazon. What Pressfield does in Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh"t is take what you already know to the next level. He shows you what gives your work texture, and what separates it from the others who are grinding away with the proverbial inciting incident, 3-act structure, and hero's journey stuff. For example, on p. 34 of the paperback, he gives a 2-page summation of how series creator Vince Gilligan told us what Breaking Bad was about in a small speech main character Walter White gives to class. (It's about transformation, if you need to know.)

I should note here that the book is for anyone dabbling in novels, screenplays, and even non-fiction. His thoughts on theme and just what your story is about are especially helpful, especially in this day of "structure is everything" where these issues are given short shrift. It is helpful that he illustrates how he came across these revelations for himself over the course of a career that spans advertising, novels, and screenplays (including a brief anecdote about an important lesson learned while rewriting a porn flick)

While The War of Art was a motivational treatise on what separates the pros from the wannabes in terms of attitude and personal approach, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh"t is more about what separates the pros from the wannabes when it comes to the rules of writing we already know. I guarantee you'll find something -- maybe not a lot, but something -- important that will justify the cost.

By the way, Pressfield gives due credit to his buddy Shawn Coyne (The Story Grid). Mr. Coyne's work is highly recommended as well.

I say this as one who has made a career of writing, including stints as a newspaper reporter, PR guy, and freelancer. I also have a produced play and a non-fiction book to my credit, and am now working on a novel. It isn't much, but it's a living (barely at times). I'm not Stephen King, but at least I can say I'm a veteran published writer. So take my word for what it's worth when I say that after 35 years on the job, I'm still learning, and Mr. Pressfield is helping.
153 people found this helpful
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Paul Milakeve
5.0 out of 5 stars Required for all content creators
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2023
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I read this while writing my first book and it drastically changed my entire approach, not only to how I was thinking about writing my book but how I create my YouTube videos and structure my podcasts. Although he used book.writing as his main study case the author successfully argued that anyone who is creating content, even the self-help genre, need to follow the same hero format as successful movies. What was most helpful was how the author dissected how this storytelling method applied to popular movies and novels. This is highly recommended to anyone who has an interest in creating content, whether it is to build their personal brand, sell a product or become a writer.
5 people found this helpful
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Marwan Elnakeeb
5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterclass in Writing
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021
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This is the ultimate masterclass in writing that anyone who wants to be an author or writer of any sort should read and study. It's very short, very on point and it observes the application of the very lessons in the book to its very own material. Steven Pressfield is well known for the War of Art, that I have not read just yet, and it's being discussed through a behind the scenes look at how it came to be and how it was put together. I believe anyone who wants to learn to write well, should read everything Pressfield has ever written on the tools of his craft.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected and unable to put it down
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
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Although this book is aimed towards writers, the author captivates you into a world of books, movies, and narrative brilliance.

My understanding and appreciation of books and movies grew, and started to watch old acclaimed films thanx to this book.

I believe anyone in the creative industry should read this.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

HA
5.0 out of 5 stars Poor print quality
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2022
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Great book but poor print-on-demand quality from Amazon. What a shame! I have Pressfield's 'The War of Art' (also Amazon print-on-demand) and the text there is MUCH darker and sharper. C'mon Amazon!
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ChrisA
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on writing I have read
Reviewed in Canada on September 18, 2019
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I have a collection of how-to-write books, and among them Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ of which I feel is one of the greats. Pressfield however, has managed to guide me through several stages of the writing struggle in such a complete and elegant fashion, from the War of Art to this amazing book, Nobody wants to Read Your Sh*t... Though I may not be qualified to recommend this in the strictest terms I feel that this book cuts through the crap and tells you what you really need to know about writing. No fluff, no ambiguity, just a straight gut punch that will leave you breathless and inspired. Thank you from my heart, Steven, keep up the great work!
One person found this helpful
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alfredo alquicira
5.0 out of 5 stars Actionable advice
Reviewed in Mexico on August 12, 2019
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It goes straight to the point. Useful, honest advice from someone who has done many different types of writing. Useful.
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Thomas Bärtl
5.0 out of 5 stars Essentials of Storytelling in Story Format - brilliant
Reviewed in Germany on May 17, 2020
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Steven Pressfield does not only illustrate the essentials of a story and how it works, he delivers it in a story format itself. Very destilled and enriched with plausible examples. Amazing!
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Best writing book I've ever come across
Reviewed in India on April 6, 2020
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If you liked the War of Art and Turning Pro, this one is a must read. The last chapter alone is worth the price.
One person found this helpful
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