Have you ever poured your heart into a book idea, only to wonder if anyone will actually want to read it? What if there was a way to know—before you write a single chapter—that your message will resonate with readers?

In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory reveal the approach that separates successful authors from those whose books gather dust: writing your book before you write your book.

For writers who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of investing months (or years) into a manuscript without knowing if it will connect, this conversation offers a liberating path forward. Instead of hiding your ideas until they're "perfect," Kathi and Cheri share eight practical ways to test, refine, and develop your message while simultaneously building the audience who's waiting for it.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

Key Takeaways for Writers

Start serving now. Publishers, agents, and your future readers don't want you waiting for a book deal to share your message. The book becomes a synthesis of what you've already been teaching—not the starting point.

Use different platforms to access different parts of your brain. Speaking and writing engage different cognitive processes. What emerges in conversation may never appear when you're sitting alone trying to craft perfect sentences.

Fall in love with your people. The process of testing your message transforms you from someone who has something to say into someone who desperately wants to serve. That shift shows up in every word you write.

Whether you're just beginning to dream about your first book or you're refining ideas for your next project, this episode offers a roadmap for developing content that truly connects—long before you type "Chapter One."