The Process of Writing a Health Book

“A health book is never just a book.
It’s a prescription for thought, a spark for hope,
a lifeline that extends far beyond its pages.”

Writing a health book can be challenging!

That’s because you’re not just rattling off a bunch of facts or running through case histories.

Instead, you’re introducing readers to ideas—ideas that may change how they live, how they think about their bodies, and, in some cases, how long and how well they thrive. That’s a tall order.

Fortunately, there is a process for doing this. Follow it, and you’ll move from “I have something important to say” to a finished manuscript that’s clear, credible, and compelling. Your book will connect with your readers in a lasting way.

Let’s walk through the process, step by step.

1) Define Your Core Purpose

You define your purpose by answering three questions.

The first is simple: Why are you writing this book?

Some authors want to educate. Others want to inspire or empower. Still others want to share a breakthrough program or establish authority in their field. Some want to make a lot of money.

Your “why” is the anchor for everything else you’ll do. Without it, your book will drift. It will likely be vague and unfocused. Worse, it may be entirely forgettable—which is the worst fate of all.

The second question is equally important: Who are you writing for? Your patients? Fellow practitioners? A general audience curious about health?

Be specific when imagining your audience. Writing a book for “everyone” almost guarantees you’ll connect with no one. Sharpen your sense of audience until you can imagine a single person picking up your book and finding themselves in your words—as if you wrote the book just for them.

The third question is this: What is your desired outcome? When readers finish your book, what should they know, feel, or do differently?

This clarity—about your goal, your audience, and what you want your book to accomplish—will keep you on track throughout the writing journey.

The Arthritis Cure, which I coauthored, was a New York Times #1 bestseller. We wrote the book to introduce a new treatment for arthritis, aiming it at both individuals who suffer from osteoarthritis and those who treat them. Our goal was to inform both groups that there is a way forward.

The Arthritis Cure, a bestselling health book by ghostwriter Barry Fox

2) Choose Your Focus & Positioning

Health is a very crowded publishing field. There are already dozens of books for every disease, condition, diet, or wellness philosophy you can think of. But that’s not a reason to give up—it’s a reason to get more focused.

Ask yourself: What’s my unique contribution? Maybe it’s a groundbreaking protocol. Perhaps it’s your experience as a practitioner or patient. Maybe it’s your ability to make complex science accessible through vivid analogies.

Narrow your focus. Broad, all-encompassing “health bibles” often drown in generalities. Books that succeed tend to have a clear, specific promise. Instead of “everything you need to know about heart health,” it might be “a 12-week program to reverse early-stage heart disease.” Instead of “a guide to nutrition,” it could be “the overlooked connection between gut health and mental health.”

Positioning matters, too. Study your competition. What do other books in your area promise? Where do they fall short? How can you differentiate in a way that’s true to your message?

For example, there were plenty of guides to positive thinking back in the 1990s, when I coauthored Wake Up! You’re Alive. So my coauthor, a medical doctor, and I positioned the book as “An M.D.’s prescription for healthier living through positive thinking.” That became our subtitle—and it definitely stood out!

3) Structure Your Health Book

A health book is not just a “box of information”—it’s a guided experience for the reader. They should want to keep turning the pages, not skip to the end for your final recommendation.

I’ve laid out several tried-and-true structures in my article “Are There Different Types of Health Books?” Here’s a short version of a few strong ones:

Chronological: Walking readers through history, discovery, or a patient journey.

- The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee traces cancer research and treatment over decades.
- Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor unfolds through the author’s personal journey into breathing science.

Problem/Solution: Present the issue, then show your approach to solving it.

- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. explains the problem of cardiovascular illness and provides a plant-based solution.

Program-Based: Step-by-step guides with phases, weeks, or modules.

- The DASH Diet Action Plan by Marla Heller presents a proven dietary program for lowering blood pressure.
- The Whole30 by Melissa Hartwig outlines a 30-day nutritional reset in clear stages.

Narrative Case Studies: Weaving stories around each principle or strategy.

- The Story of a Heart by Dr. Rachel Clarke explores the emotional and medical journey of a heart transplant.
- Sick Girl by Amy Silverstein, a memoir of surviving a heart transplant, illuminates larger medical themes through personal narrative.

One especially effective framework is: Symptoms → Causes → Solutions → Transformation. It mirrors how many readers think about health: “Something’s wrong, why is it happening, what can I do, and how will my life change if I succeed?”

Whichever structure you choose, consistency is key. Each chapter should feel like a natural step forward, not a detour. That’s what keeps readers’ eyes glued to the pages.

For What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines, which I coauthored with Alexander Mauskop, M.D., we used the Problem/Solution format.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines, ghostwriting process

4) Blend Storytelling with Science

Science may convince the mind, but it’s stories that move the heart. And in health writing, you need both.

Case studies, patient anecdotes, or personal experiences make your book readable and relatable. They humanize the data and help readers see themselves in the material. Metaphors and analogies—like comparing mitochondria to batteries or inflammation to a slow-burning fire—make complex biology not only understandable but memorable.

In Telltale Hearts by Dr. Dean-David Schillinger, statistics on public health are brought to life through patient stories—a man whose medications failed not because of biology but because he couldn’t swallow pills; a woman whose declining blood sugar control was linked to domestic abuse. These stories expose the human struggles behind the data.
In The Story of a Heart by Dr. Rachel Clarke, transplantation science is woven through the emotional journey of two children—Keira, who became a donor after a tragic accident, and Max, who received her heart. Instead of abstract facts, we feel the grief of one family and the fragile hope of another.
In Super Agers by Dr. Eric Topol, longevity research is paired with portraits of extraordinary older adults, like a 98-year-old woman still painting and socially active. Lifestyle leaps off the page as the factor that shapes outcomes.
In Heart Attack: Truth, Tragedy, Triumph by William A. Cooper, survivor accounts and family experiences transform survival rates into narratives of resilience and healing.

Tone matters here. Strive for a balance of empathy and authority. You want readers to feel cared for, not lectured at. When you strike that balance, your book will be equally weighty and warm.

In Cancer Talk, which I coauthored with Selma Schimmel, we blended the voices of physicians and therapists with the stories and questions of cancer survivors.

5) Find Your Voice

Many writers mix up “voice” and “style.” They’re related, but not interchangeable.

Voice is you. It’s the person behind the book, the worldview and professional lens you bring to the subject. It’s the way your experiences, convictions, and personality seep into every sentence. Readers should be able to sense you in the pages, even if they’ve never met you.

Style is how you build the sentences. It’s the toolbox—the choice of words, the rhythm of the prose, the length and shape of your sentences. Style can range from spare and stripped-down, like Hemingway, to lush and elaborate, like Shakespeare. It’s flexible. You may write in one style for physicians, another for patients, and yet another for policymakers. In fact, you can switch styles inside the same book. When I co-authored DLPA to End Chronic Pain and Depression, the main chapters were written in a friendly, accessible style for lay readers. But the appendices, intended for doctors and researchers, took on a denser, more technical tone.

The key distinction is this: style can shift with your audience or your purpose, but your voice never should. Your voice is the constant—the signature that tells the reader, “This is me. This is my take. This is my truth.”

For more on voice, see “How to Find Your Unique Voice in Health Book Writing.”

6) Create a Writing Routine & Process

Writing a health book isn’t a weekend project. It requires months of consistent effort. The process you set up can make the difference between stalling out and reaching the finish line.

Some authors outline everything in detail before writing a word. Others “write to discover” and shape the material later. Both approaches work—the key is knowing which keeps you moving.

Set milestones: word count goals, chapter deadlines, or weekly writing blocks. Treat them like professional appointments, not casual intentions.

And remember: drafting and editing are different mindsets. Drafting requires freedom; editing requires precision. Don’t try to polish every sentence as you go, or you’ll strangle your momentum. First get it down—then get it right.

For Arthritis For Dummies, my coauthor and I established a writing schedule that outlined how much time would be allocated for the first draft of each chapter, then for the second, and so on. By sticking to this schedule, we finished ahead of time!

For more, see “10 Habits of Successful Book Writers.”

arthritis-for-dummies---400x325----white-margins-4px

7) Edit & Refine

The real writing often happens in revision. Your first draft is for you; your second (and third, and fourth) are for the reader.

There are several levels of editing:

Developmental editing: Does the book’s structure work? Are the arguments clear?
Line editing: Do the sentences flow smoothly? Is the language engaging?
Copyediting: Are grammar and punctuation correct?
Proofreading: Are there typos, formatting errors, or missed citations?

Consider enlisting beta readers—ideally, both health professionals and general readers. Professionals can spot gaps in accuracy; lay readers can tell you where they felt lost or overwhelmed.

Above all, ensure accuracy. Double-check every statistic, every citation, every claim. In health writing, trust is everything—and it can be lost with a single careless error.

For more on editing, see “Book-Writing Helpers.”

the process of writing a health book, editing

8) Next Steps Beyond the Manuscript

Many authors think the process ends when the manuscript is done. In truth, that’s when another process begins.

Your book can be the cornerstone of a larger platform: blog posts, podcast interviews, online courses, or speaking engagements. Each chapter can seed multiple smaller pieces of content, extending your reach far beyond the printed page.

If you’re pursuing standard publishing, now is the time to prepare a strong book proposal. Agents and editors will want to see not only your manuscript but also your author platform—your ability to reach and engage readers.

If you’re self-publishing, your focus will shift to design, marketing, and distribution. Either way, the writing process should connect seamlessly to your larger goals as an author and thought leader.

Whether you’re pursuing standard or self-publishing, it’s best to get started building your author platform before you finish your manuscript.

For more on publishing, see “How to Write and Publish a Health Book.”

process of writing a health book, what comes after the manuscript is completed

You Can Do It!

Writing a health book is no small task. It demands clarity of purpose, depth of research, and a blend of science and storytelling that both informs and inspires. But with the right process and strategy, the challenge becomes achievable.

Remember: define your “why,” choose your angle, anchor your claims in evidence, and guide your reader through a journey of discovery and transformation. Edit ruthlessly, and always keep your audience at the center.

If you approach your book with that strategy, you won’t just create a manuscript—you’ll craft a message with the power to change lives.

If You’d Like Help Writing Your Book…

Barry Fox explains how to begin a business memoir or autobiography

Contact us!

We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, professional ghostwriters and authors with a long list of satisfied clients and editors at major publishing houses.

You can learn about our ghostwriting work and credentials on our Home Page.

For more information, call us at 818-917-5362 or use our contact form to send us a message. We’d love to talk to you about your exciting idea for writing a book!