How To Co-author A Book: Best Tips For Success

If you want to learn how to co-author a book, chances are you want to share the process of publishing a book. Deciding to work with a co-author can be a wise decision, particularly because every writer has different strengths. 

Co-authorship allows you to work to your strengths. When you choose to combine your strengths with another author’s, you up your chances of publishing a successful book that gets noticed. 

In this article, I show you how to co-author a book, as well as examples of successfully co-authored books, so you can determine the next best step for you and your needs. Ready to get going? 

How to co-author a book: what’s covered 

• Is co-authoring a good idea?
• How to co-author a book?
• Famous examples of co-authors

Is co-authoring a good idea?

Learning how to co-author a book can be helpful if you don’t want to work through the entire publishing process on your own and can find a great co-author. 

However, for fiction authors, if you are very particular on plot structure, character development, or even how to write dialogue and don’t want another person interfering with your process, finding a co-author may not be for you.

Additionally, for nonfiction authors, if you know how to write a self-help book or another book in the nonfiction genre and want to take the lead and maintain full creative control…learning how to co-author a book may be a lesson in futility. 

That said, if you…

• See the benefit of another perspective
• Don’t want the entirety of the process to rest on you
• Know how to find a great co-author
• Are open to feedback and constructive criticism 

…finding a co-author may be your next best step! 

Do co-authors get paid?

Just as authors get paid an advance by a publisher to publish their book or earn royalties from their self-published books, co-authors get paid as well.

The key difference is that rather than earn 100% of the revenue you would have otherwise earned, you bring in a percentage. 

When learning how to work with a co-author, you will want to come to a (signed) agreement on the percentage of payment each co-author receives. This percentage should reflect the time investment of each author. 

Can two authors write a book together?

It is very possible for two authors to write a book together, as long as distinct parameters are put in place. 

When I first started writing (as a little kid!) I would call my best friend and together we would work line by line to craft the story. This made for an extremely slow drafting process and didn’t allow each of us to work to our strengths. 

For professional writers who want to learn how to co-author a book, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of what the process entails and what a successful process means to each author. 

This foundation will streamline the process and create an effective writing environment. So, how do two authors write a book together? Let’s take a look.

How to co-author a book?

How to co-write a book starts with understanding what the book you want to write entails. Here are a few tips to help you map out your process. 

1. Determine your strengths and areas for improvement 

Years ago, my writing mentor wrote a bestselling series that took the world by storm and remains on bookstore shelves today.

How did he do it? He knew his strengths and acknowledged his areas for growth. This series was research heavy. Rather than go it alone, he worked with a researcher.

Together, his co-author conducted the necessary research and he did the writing. 

Tip: Find a co-author whose strengths compensate for your weaknesses. Reach out to online writing groups, attend writing conferences, and contact editors as you look to find the perfect co-writer.

2. Set deadlines and clear check-ins

Just as authors must meet their book deadlines and therefore their daily word count goals, co-authors must meet their content expectations as well.

To effectively work with a co-author, clearly state expectations, deadlines to meet those expectations, and establish check-in points. 

For example, if you plan to write a thriller from two point-of-view characters, switching POVs every other chapter, you could write one POV and your co-author the next.

Be clear what each chapter should include and when they are due. Especially in the early stages of learning how to co-author a book, check in accordingly.

3. Forget your ego and embrace author voice

Learning how to co-author a book for the first time can be difficult, especially if you’re accustomed to working solo. 

Some time ago, I was approached with the opportunity of co-authoring a series. The series needed a distinct voice and for each writer to form their unique author voice into one similar voice. 

While this was a proactive, creative decision for this series, don’t forget to honor the power of each writer’s individual writing voice. If you each write from a different POV, maintaining your unique voice will help, not hinder, the reader. 

If you co-author a book where your voice needs to blend together, forget your ego before writing and do your best to blend your unique style with your co-author’s voice. 

Neither choice is right or wrong. Simply do what is best for your story and your readers. 

4. Take copious notes

No matter what book genre you choose when learning how to co-author a book, I can’t overestimate how important it is to take notes and share them with your co-author. 

You may want to start a shared Google doc or regularly update an Excel spreadsheet that documents each chapter and what happens in each chapter. 

Maintaining a running list of what you write when you author a book on your own is tough enough (at least for me!). Add in a co-author? Keeping these details top of mind, especially those you aren’t responsible for writing, is crucial. 

Imagine your co-author writing a scene where the protagonist loses their coat before getting lost in a snowstorm, and you write the rescue scene chapter. 

Knowing this character has no coat in frigid temps will drastically change how you write the chapter you are responsible for. Details matter!

Famous examples of co-authors 

Now that you have four steps for how to co-author a book, it’s time to look at some titles that came into existence by not just one, but two or more authors’ hard work. 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Written in 2008 by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, this book did so well it was adapted into a screenplay and became a feature film starring Lily James. 

Tip: Read the book and watch the movie to see how this novel collaboration was translated to the screen.

Tiny Pretty Things

Authored by Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton, this book made it through one season as a Netflix series. While it was cancelled due to insufficient views, it’s not every author who gets to say their book is on Netflix! 

The Unhoneymooners

This instant New York Times bestseller was written by Christina Lauren. Don’t let this single name confuse you, as Lauren still had to learn how to co-author a book. Christina Lauren is the pen name for Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings.

The Talisman

Imagine writing a novel with Stephen King. That’s exactly what Peter Straub had the pleasure of doing when he learned how to co-author a book with the King of Horror himself. This 1984 fantasy is a classic example of how two successful writers can co-author a book. 

She Said

You may know this title from the movie of the same name, but She Said started as a book co-authored by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. A massive undertaking, the work of these two co-authors won the Pulitzer Prize. 

Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete’s Dreams

Written by three co-authors, this biography/memoir tackles the story of Anthony Ianni’s diagnosis with pervasive developmental disorder, a form of autism, and how he went on to lead a successful, inspiring life. 

The Glass Ocean

This bestseller took the care of authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White to come to fruition. These New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room covered a century in this historical mystery. 

All the President’s Men

Written by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, TIME references their work as, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.” Now in its 50th anniversary edition, this Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation covers the Watergate scandal.

Punching the Air

This New York Times bestseller was authored by Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam and is written in verse form. Covering a heavy topic in verse creates a distinct read that Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam collaborated on.

How to co-author a book: take your next step today

Now that you know how to co-author a book and its many benefits, it’s time to take your next step.

This Book Outline Generator does the heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is work from the outline generated, fine-tuning it for the needs of you and your co-author.

Once you have your outline generated, you can divvy up writing tasks and plunge straight into the writing process.

Use this free resource to jump-start your author journey and reach your writing goals. We can’t wait to see what book you create!