Podcast

October 9th, 2025

The Apple Cart: S4, E6: How to Write a Book and Change the World

In this episode of the Apple Cart, I’m joined by Vicky Quinn Fraser to talk about how to write a book and change the world.

A book is MAGIC. A book can take someone from “who the fck are you” to “TAKE MY MONEY” in the space of a few hours. A book is one of the most powerful tools in the world, especially if you run a business.

And you could write one. Yes, YOU. Don’t be shy!

Even if you’re “not a writer” (sure you are) or “have nothing to say” (tosh) or “don’t have a unique idea” (but you have a unique perspective) or are neurodivergent or dyslexic or “don’t have time”…

You can do this. Vicky Quinn Fraser of Moxie Books is a nonfiction book coach who can help you get started AND finish.

Listen to the Interview

Why People Write Books

I wanted to know what kinds of people write books – are they entrepreneurs or people who have something they need to share with the world? Vicky says about 20% are in the latter group, who write a memoir or other non-fiction book.

“And then 80% of my clients are business owners who write a book to support the other work that they do. A lot of people find that they have an idea that they just need to get out, but then they realise it’s core to what their business does and how they help people. And it can also help them focus on what matters most to them.

“I always tell people that the book itself won’t make them a living. It’s very rare and you’d be really lucky if you have a bestseller. But once they have the book, they create courses and other assets that they can use to grow their businesses.”

How People’s Ideas Evolve Over Time

A ‘microbook’ is usually fewer than 100 pages, and is a way for the author to distil one specific idea or approach they take to working with their clients. As entrepreneurs tend to have lots of facets to their business, there’s clearly scope to create a series of books.

Vicky agrees: “Some people come to me with so many ideas they don’t know which one to choose, so I help them to narrow it down. And I remind them that they don’t have to write them all now – they can start with one piece and come back to the others.

“I had someone on the Micro Book Magic course who was trying to write two books in one and she did a lot of work on it. But she realised later that she needed to narrow down, so the other book will probably happen in future. I want to show people that they can write a big book if they want, but they could separate their ideas into bite-sized content.”

write a book

What if You Don’t Know What Your Book’s About?

What if you know you want to write a book but you’re not sure what your topic should be? Vicky says people come to her for help with that all the time. “One of the things I suggest people do is get a notebook to get everything out of their heads and onto the page.

“Think about the context of their business, the wider industry that they want to write about. And I just get them to rage onto the page. What gets you either really angry, excited or really joyful? That all comes out on the page, and it can be as hideous or unhinged as they like. Nobody’s ever going to see it.

“It’s such a useful exercise, because you figure out what’s actually important to you. We often forget what matters to us. There’s no point in writing something you don’t care about because you’ll be bored writing it and people will be bored reading it. Instead, write what fires you up. Feel things fully.”

When AI Isn’t Helpful

Business owners are increasingly turning to AI to help them with creating content. Says Vicky: “It breaks my heart is when I hear people say, I’m going to get generative AI to outline my book. Doing that is going to destroy your ability to think about how you want to structure your book.

“And it’s not going to be your book. It’s going to be an amalgamation of the blandest portions of everybody else’s book, because that is what generative AI does. It blandifies everything and takes it down to the average. It’s frustrating when people say that, because the world is filling up with AI slop.

“The stuff that’s going to get noticed is the stuff that’s real and comes from you. Those of us who aren’t willing to use AI will rise above it. And in some ways, there’s a real opportunity for people to stand out. Because if you’re creating something that isn’t obviously AI, then you are going to get noticed.”

How to be More Creative

“Everybody is creative; we all solve problems. I think we misunderstand the term creative. We think a creative is an artist, a poet, a singer. But engineers and scientists are creative. If they weren’t, nothing would ever get invented or discovered.

“So for a start, you need to understand what creativity actually is. It’s simply putting ideas together that might not have been put together before. It’s not coming up with something brand new because that almost never happens. It is putting things together and observing and trying stuff, playing and messing around, and that is something everyone can do.

“From a practical point of view, take your earphones out. Experience silence for a while; experience your own thoughts. People are never in silence, but sitting quietly to think and self-reflect is so powerful. Find ways to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.”

Timestamps

  • 05:32 – 09:54: How Vicky became a microbook magician
  • 11:15 – 12:05: Why people write books
  • 12:42 – 15:24: What a book can do for your business
  • 15:52 – 16:51: How ideas evolve over time
  • 17:32 – 21:22: What if you don’t know what your book will be about?
  • 21:56 – 23:39: Why Vicky picked the name Moxie Books
  • 25:44 – 29:02: Favourite projects
  • 30:03 – 35:24: Why Vicky has so many hobbies
  • 37:53 – 42:18: When AI isn’t helpful
  • 42:54 – 45:56: How to be more creative

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