Monica Le Baron is a bilingual (EN/ES) sleep coach who specializes in helping women get a good night’s rest. She collaborated with Mackenzie from ZieBee Media to self-publish her first book, Sleep Simplified. 

All my life, I’ve thought about writing a book. I’m a bookworm, love books, and having my name on the cover sounded exciting.  But honestly, I never believed that I could do it and never actually put in the effort to write, learn the skills, or prioritize it. 

Until 2021, when I purchased a program that I couldn’t afford nor had the time to implement the lessons because I was already working on twelve different projects. However, I was determined to put in the effort to create my first book, so I made the necessary arrangements and freed up my calendar. 

I wrote, pushed forward, and made it to the end of the writer’s workshop where I read a few pages of my future book to the group. Then I researched publishing options and even looked into ways to secure a loan, but I never ended up publishing anything.  

Two years later, I met Mackenzie Bakewell, owner of ZieBee Media, at the Impacting Millions Publicity Program.  I loved her energy and creative work and invited her to publish an article for my blog. 

We became good friends and started being each other’s media accountability partners. Six months later, I asked her to “just take a look at my Sleep Simplified Program’s workbook and tell me what you think,” I was astonished when she replied a few days later:

“You definitely have a book here. You can print it just as it is if you would like. It’s beautiful and has a lot of valuable content.”  

When she told me that, I knew I couldn’t delay the process anymore. My clients were already getting extraordinary results from my Sleep Simplified Coaching Program, and I knew I wanted an accessible offer for those women who didn’t have the time or money to work privately with me. So, I boldly decided to publish my first book for my 40th birthday, which was just six months later.

This was the most terrifying decision I had taken in my career (moving to China in my 20s was no big deal compared to this one), but I knew I had to do it. 

The journey was bumpy and scary, and I had never felt so anxious. Yet, it was all incredibly worth it. 

Read on for the top lessons I learned from writing my first book, Sleep Simplified: Simple Tools to Reduce Anxiety, Finish the Stress Cycle, and Sleep Like a Queen.

5 Lessons I Learned from Writing My First Bestselling Book

(and How to Use Them to Your Advantage)

Photograph of the author, Monica Le Baron, taking her signature “yoga nidra nap.”

ONE: Set a Goal and Get Started

Start where you are. Make a plan, even if it takes a decade to complete, and keep moving towards it. For example, Mackenzie recommended I create a Word document called “The Manuscript” and simply start writing regularly. Then, once I had a first draft of my Manuscript, I knew I would order a physical printed proof of my book for editing and reviewing. I highly recommend doing this, because having a physical copy just makes your book so real. 

In addition to knowing the initial action steps to create my book, I had three goals for self-publishing Sleep Simplified:

1) Positively impact millions by making my work affordable and accessible to people all around the world. 

2) Make my investment back in three months after publishing. 

3) Become a bestselling author. 

I accomplished all three of my ambitious goals. 

Sleep Simplified was the  #1 bestselling book in the sleep disorders category on Amazon the week I released it. The month after I published the book, readers were getting outstanding results. Women I had never met before were telling me how much they liked the book, could relate to my sleep issues, got outstanding sleep results, and loved me keeping it real. And by the end of 2023, I’d earned enough royalties to cover my initial book publishing investment.

You can also get these results or something better. Start by setting your goal and then take a step forward every day until you reach it.

TWO: Progress Over Perfection 

Create your bookmaking mantra. My mantra during the self-publishing process was “progress over perfection.” Embracing this intention helped me get over my expensive vision to make it a beautiful colored hardcover book and focused on the value of serving millions with a paperback.

By printing it in black and white instead of color, I realized that the paper was perfect for journaling, and I decided to change the format into a more hands-on book and journal combination, with space to take notes, mark the lessons as completed, etc. 

And it turned out to be so beautiful, and even more useful. 

Additionally, since I started with a PDF that I already used with my Sleep Simplified Coaching Program, I chose to keep this workbook format for my paperback. This way, the book reads as if I’m there with the reader, guiding you through the modules and lessons, just like I do with my private clients.

This choice cut down on the editing costs and it helped me stick to my vision of helping readers get outstanding results. To really bring the book to life, I also added clients’ results and beautiful mantras throughout the book.  

As you work on your book, remember that perfection won’t make it better. Perfection just makes you feel tired and stuck. If you aim to publish a book, it’s because it is in your heart to create it. 

Simply follow your instincts and begin, then keep moving forward.

THREE: Ask for Support

Get help where you need it most. You must make so many decisions in the publishing process that I recommend you both hire help and ask friends for support. Two weeks before my book’s launch date, I was exhausted and didn’t want to make one more book-related decision.   

Fortunately, Mackenzie was there for me. She was very supportive during the entire process, but in the end, she carried that load that I couldn’t carry anymore and made executive decisions that needed to be made. I will always be grateful to her for this.  

I also had over 40 friends and colleagues (including my talented editor, Jenna Carson) who read the book before I shared it with the world. All of these people reviewed it, proofread it, and helped me promote it. 

At home, my mom was feeding me, and I had support for the household activities. Help is help. Get all that you can get, especially if you have kids. 

By asking for help, you also invite your community to co-create your vision. Making a book takes a lot of different skills, so enjoy asking others to be a part of your project. To help you figure out who to ask for help, start by creating a list of possible buyers, past clients, high school friends, mentors, and your current support circle. I know that part of the reason I got my bestselling book was thanks to my 10+ years of networking and community building. 

When I reached out to all these people, I was clear about my request for support and gave them all two signed copies of my book once it was published.

FOUR: Sleep and Self-Care

Making a book can cause stress. I found that my anxiety levels went way up, to levels where they’d never been before. But I also had never created this level of goal for myself. I was breaking my upper limit and getting way out of my comfort zone. 

So, I ensured I got sunshine and nature walks daily to finish the stress cycle and get a decent sleep. 

Sometimes, my relaxation routines didn’t calm my mind, and I would only watch TV for hours. So, I let myself relax that way. I would watch a couple TV episodes, then work on my book for 5 to 15 minutes, followed by more TV.  Remember my mantra? Progress over perfection. On days like this, I knew that one thing off my to-do list was progress.  

In addition to cultivating your favorite relaxation routines, I highly recommend boosting your immune system. And this includes scheduling breaks and time off, particularly after the book is published. You definitely want to use the momentum after publishing to keep going and promote your book, so why not celebrate at a tropical beach and promote your book from there? Time off and promotion, all in one. 

I’m definitely going to take this advice on my next launch. 

FIVE: Celebrate Yourself

Celebrate every success during the publishing process. And last but not least, celebrate and celebrate BIG! In my research, I learned that 80% of people want to publish a book, but only 3% of us make it happen. The moment you decide to publish your book is the perfect time to set a celebratory reward.

Celebrating or rewarding yourself will be the anchor to move forward when things get complicated.  You put in the work. So, celebrate each little success along the way too. And when you finally approve your finished manuscript for publishing is the perfect time to celebrate BIG in the best way that suits you.

When your book published, enjoy taking time to reset and celebrate your accomplishment. 

I am incredibly grateful that I chose to self-publish my book, and I hope these lessons I learned can help you on your own bookmaking adventures. 

Avocado Hugs,

~Monica Le Baron

About the Author

Monica Le Baron, MBA, C-AIYT, is an award-winning and bestselling author and certified yoga therapist helping women with sleep disorders get a good night’s rest. Using her signature program, Sleep Simplified, she has helped hundreds of clients overcome insomnia, reduce anxiety, and finish the stress cycle. Monica’s expertise has been featured in media outlets and apps, including Insight Timer, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Healthy Woman, Telemundo 48, and Spirituality & Health.