Writing & Publishing My First Book

50 Real Lessons From My First Novel Journey, So You Can Beat Self-Doubt, Smash Writer's Block, and Finish Your Draft Without Making My Mistakes

The tough-love eBook that's helped fiction writers move from "is this even worth writing" to "I'm actually finishing this book" — written by a first-time author {now editor!} who has lived every single lesson firsthand.

Writing & Publishing My First Book

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Hey! I just wanted to say I came across your ebook 50 Lessons and I loved it so much. I’m about to publish my first book this September, and honestly I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed and nervous wondering how readers will receive it and what they’ll think. Reading your lessons really calmed me down and made me feel understood. It helped me a lot, so thank you for sharing it! 💛

Thank you for reminding me that even an experienced author is just a writer-in-the-making, and that the fundamental truths of our craft are what truly matter. This isn’t just a book of lessons; it’s a therapeutic guide for any writer, new or seasoned, who needs to reconnect with their purpose.

There were so many days where I thought I lost myself but then I saw you and something shifted inside me. Your motto of never giving up actually motivated me and now I’m also going to learn and improve my skill under your lessons so thank you thank you soo much for showing in my life when I needed someone like you the most.🥹

Dear Srishti,

I’m writing to you with a heart full of gratitude for your “50 Lessons” eBook. As someone who has worked on numerous anthologies, published my own book, and contributed to magazines, I thought I had a handle on the writing process. But honestly, your book felt like a deep, personal conversation—a reflection of the silent struggles I still face, even with years of experience under my belt.

I’ve long been plagued by the ghost of perfectionism. Your lessons, especially about not trying to write a “perfect novel” and giving myself permission to write “bad stories,” felt like a direct response to my overthinking. I’ve been stuck on single scenes for weeks, caught in an endless loop of rewriting and judging every word before it even hits the page. You gave me the permission to just write the messy first draft, a reminder that a story must exist before it can ever be good.

Your book also forced me to confront my motivations. I’ve often felt the pressure to write what the “publishing market” wants and to build a massive “audience” to justify my work. Your lessons on letting go of those external pressures and focusing on my intrinsic purpose were profoundly freeing. They took me back to my “why”—the simple, pure joy of writing a story I want to see in the world, like one that celebrates the beauty of found family. It was a beautiful reminder that the creative journey is a personal one, regardless of a book’s reception or the number of people who follow you.

What’s waiting for YOU inside this eBook

What’s waiting for YOU inside this eBook
  • 50 real, tough-love lessons across 5 sections

    Mindset, Writing, Editing, Publishing, and Upskilling/Marketing, so you gain from my experience of every single stage of my writing journey.

  • The mindset shifts that ended my worst writer's block

    Including the exact question I ask myself when I'm stuck judging every idea instead of writing it

  • The exact editing order to get you from first draft to publish-ready

    The step-by-step editing process I recommend to my author clients and the trade of working with industry professionals.

  • The self-publishing mistakes that cost me money and sleep

    So you don't have to learn the hard way like I did {I’m talking vanity presses, messed up book covers and vanishing reviews… among everything else that went wrong})

  • Craft techniques I wish I'd known

    Like the art of reverse writing, using effective placeholders, and building different ways of suspense {just as they do in the blockbuster movies!}

  • Real talk on protecting your story from bad advice

    Including how to spot when a publishing manager's "compliment" is actually a red flag or when an agent is wasting your time.

This book is for you if...

  • 01

    You’re a fiction writer working on your first novel and curious about the whole experience of writing, revising and publishing a book.

  • 02

    You’re staring at your first draft wondering if this story is even worth finishing… or you’re staring at yourself thinking “who am I to be an author?!”

  • 03

    You finished your draft, but don't know what to do next… and “editing" feels overwhelming.

  • 04

    You're scared of getting scammed or taken advantage of as a first-time author {because it happens more than anyone tells you}

  • 05

    You want honest lessons from someone who's actually lived them, not another generic "just believe in yourself" guide

Hey I'm Srishti

Hey I'm Srishti

I’m a fiction editor, story coach, and the founder of Kathansh, where I help women writers craft meaningful stories they’re genuinely proud to put their name on.

I wrote this book because five years ago, I was exactly where you are… staring at that damn first draft, dreaming of seeing my name in print and finally being an author. But I made every mistake there was to make: rushed my publishing timeline, trusted the wrong people, and nearly killed my own writer’s block spiral trying to make one paragraph “perfect.”

I wish someone had handed me this book back then. So I’m handing it to you now.

With an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of San Francisco and 80+ authors {170+ projects} behind me, I’ve spent the last five years turning my hardest lessons into the guidance I never had but wished oh-so-dearly I did.

So, grab this 55+ pages eBook offering 50 lessons straight from my own writing journey to yours!

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Hey I'm Srishti