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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)

1,282 ratings

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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?"

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black irish Entertainment LLC (April 25, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 189 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1936891492
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1936891498
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.48 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #35,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #71 in Creativity (Books)

Customer Reviews:
1,282 ratings

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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."

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1,282 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides direction and insight into writing, with one noting it taught them more than their English class. Moreover, the book is easy to read and focuses on the art of writing, making it entertaining and humorous. Additionally, customers appreciate its honesty, with one review highlighting the author's honest portrayal of writing trials, while another notes its no-nonsense style.

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Insight Readability Writing advice Entertainment value Honesty Style Pacing Fluffect

56 customers mention "Insight"52 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's direction and insight, finding it valuable and to the point, with one customer noting it serves as a great reminder to think critically.

"...His thoughts on theme and just what your story is about are especially helpful, especially in this day of "structure is everything" where..." Read more

"...He cuts away all the fat and leaves you with lean, mean, relevant content...on theme...on point...and on time." Read more

"...Each has numerous very short “chapters” on very good topics, but when I want to review for particular topics, endless flipping pages is necessary...." Read more

"...process is entirely alien to me, but I found this book very helpful in my work as I endeavor to faithfully interpret what is written for the eye..." Read more

49 customers mention "Readability"46 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and appreciate how it summarizes the essentials of good writing. One customer mentions it taught them more about writing than their English class.

"...I should note here that the book is for anyone dabbling in novels, screenplays, and even non-fiction...." Read more

"...I was wrong. This book is a writing masterclass. Moreover, he breaks down with both poignant HOW and WHY...." Read more

"...I am beyond thankful these books exist. Both books are a must read. Ever thankful for authors such as Steven Pressfield...." Read more

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

30 customers mention "Writing advice"30 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing advice in the book, which focuses on the art of writing and features favorite authors, with one customer noting its applicability to any form of writing.

"Although this book is aimed towards writers, the author captivates you into a world of books, movies, and narrative brilliance...." Read more

"Steven Pressfield so walks his talk in this book, he is so clear, direct, honest and “for the reader” that by his closing chapter, of the white wail..." Read more

"...an immense deal of details in regards to story building, character composition, etc...." Read more

"...Pressfield drives home the point that these ideas can be applied to any form of writing - even a TED talk...." Read more

10 customers mention "Entertainment value"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and hilarious.

"...Thank you, Steven for your entertaining and enlightening story about how to write. I do hear your voice." Read more

"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...." Read more

"...These two together have made writing a profoundly fun and exciting process for me." Read more

"...I read most of it. The reality is that it is an interesting book, but most of the author's advice is focused on people who are writing a novel or a..." Read more

8 customers mention "Honesty"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's honesty, with one customer noting how the author shares their personal trials, while others find it insightful.

"...They are heavily, but with relevance, autobiographical. I assume other reviews have confirmed this opinion...." Read more

"...Pressfield so walks his talk in this book, he is so clear, direct, honest and “for the reader” that by his closing chapter, of the white wail, I was..." Read more

"This was a great book about writing for writers. The author was so honest about the trials he went through to become a paid writer...." Read more

"...I love Steven Pressfield’s raw and honest truth. The wisdom in this book was bought for a high price...." Read more

5 customers mention "Style"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style, with one mentioning its no-nonsense approach, while others praise its layout and ideas.

"...away all the fat and leaves you with lean, mean, relevant content...on theme...on point...and on time." Read more

"...Here's why I love this book: - no nonsense style -not full of fluff - many wise nuggets of advice -..." Read more

"I am a huge Pressfield fan. This book does not disappoint. I loved the layout and pace of this book. I really enjoyed learning about story telling." Read more

"Loved War of Art but this book had very little useful information. A lot of it you’ve heard before. Nothing new...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book.

"...you with lean, mean, relevant content...on theme...on point...and on time." Read more

"This book imparts so much knowledge in a very fast, no bs manner. There is so much to be leaned from this man's lifetime of experience...." Read more

"Great structure, great examples, fast paced page turner...." Read more

"...This book does not disappoint. I loved the layout and pace of this book. I really enjoyed learning about story telling." Read more

3 customers mention "Fluffect"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate that the book is not full of fluff and is pithy.

"...Here's why I love this book: - no nonsense style -not full of fluff - many wise nuggets of advice -..." Read more

"Pithy, blunt, ego-busting guide to writing in any genre." Read more

"Pithy, fun and insightful, not just for a novelist, but for anyone who has to persuade and attract readers!" Read more

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greatlakesguy
Great for new writers and veterans
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2017
Verified Purchase

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.

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159 people found this helpful

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Kenneth Williams
Another Masterclass In Print
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
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.

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8 people found this helpful

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loyal customer Bill
Are black ink and white paper more expensive?
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
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.

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13 people found this helpful

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Jeni W
Wow - A must read
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2025
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended along with The War of Art. I am beyond thankful these books exist. Both books are a must read. Ever thankful for authors such as Steven Pressfield.

Time to make my muse happy.

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Curt Simmons
I approach this material from what many may consider an ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
I approach this material from what many may consider an unusual angle. I’m sure that authors who have achieved significant success will likely not find much new in Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t. It is not an all-inclusive and defining work and I don’t think it’s intended to be. But those struggling to be published, or follow up that first successful novel, and especially self-publishers will find gold nuggets and inspiration in Steven Pressfield’s work.

I am not an author, but I narrate audiobooks. So my job is to translate the written word into the spoken word and tell a story that is hopefully enthralling to the listener. That means more than simply reading sentences and paragraphs into a microphone. Not that the writing process is entirely alien to me, but I found this book very helpful in my work as I endeavor to faithfully interpret what is written for the eye into a pleasing and entertaining experience for the ear. In fact, before accepting an offer to narrate, my first question for any unfamiliar author whose book I’ve not yet read will be, “What’s the concept of your novel and what is the theme.” Moving forward depends upon the answer.

Thank you, Steven for your entertaining and enlightening story about how to write. I do hear your voice.

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35 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer
Unexpected and unable to put it down
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
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.

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2 people found this helpful

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Orit Nevo
The best book on writing I read so far
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
Steven Pressfield so walks his talk in this book, he is so clear, direct, honest and “for the reader” that by his closing chapter, of the white wail, I was crying from inspiration.
Thank you! One of those books that once you start reading is very hard to put down and when it ends you wish it didn’t.

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3 people found this helpful

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Lucy Mitchell
Fantastic!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2016
Verified Purchase

I devoured this book in a day. I am a huge fan of Steven Pressfield. He is mentioned in my blog post (BlondeWriteMore.com) tomorrow (Sunday 17 July 16) as his books have changed my writing life. This book is amazing - my favourite chapter is 82. I love the way the author tells you straight about writing. He doesn't dress it up in sparkly woo woo stuff. Writing is hard. It is a craft which needs to be learnt and this will take years. Love the way he uses film structure applied to writing novels. Briil!

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ChrisA
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!

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alfredo alquicira
Actionable advice
Reviewed in Mexico on August 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
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
Essentials of Storytelling in Story Format - brilliant
Reviewed in Germany on May 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
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!

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Kindle Customer
Best writing book I've ever come across
Reviewed in India on April 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
If you liked the War of Art and Turning Pro, this one is a must read. The last chapter alone is worth the price.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great for new writers and veterans

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Masterclass In Print

4.0 out of 5 stars Are black ink and white paper more expensive?

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow - A must read

5.0 out of 5 stars I approach this material from what many may consider an ...

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected and unable to put it down

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on writing I read so far

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on writing I have read

5.0 out of 5 stars Actionable advice

5.0 out of 5 stars Essentials of Storytelling in Story Format - brilliant

5.0 out of 5 stars Best writing book I've ever come across

Great for new writers and veterans

Another Masterclass In Print

Are black ink and white paper more expensive?

Wow - A must read

I approach this material from what many may consider an ...

Unexpected and unable to put it down

The best book on writing I read so far

Fantastic!

One of the best books on writing I have read

Actionable advice

Essentials of Storytelling in Story Format - brilliant

Best writing book I've ever come across