Speak Your BookWrite a book by speaking
How to write a book by speaking
Published by Big Impact BooksLast updated: November 2026
You can write a book by speaking: talk through one chapter at a time, either into dictation software or in guided interviews, then turn the words into edited prose.
Speak Your Book, published by Big Impact Books, explains both routes. Dictation is fast at capturing words, but you still organize and edit everything yourself. Guided interviews, the route Big Impact Books uses, add planned questions and a team that turns your answers into chapters, with about one hour a week of your time.
Back to the main guide: book writing interview service explained.
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Can you write a book by speaking?
Yes. Speech recognition is accurate enough to capture a book's worth of words: Wirecutter reports that dedicated dictation software recognizes 97% of words, on average, with no training required (Wirecutter, The Best Dictation Software). The hard part is not recognition. It is structure. A spoken transcript wanders, repeats itself, and skips steps a reader needs.
Definition
Writing a book by speaking
Writing a book by speaking means producing the raw material of a manuscript with your voice instead of a keyboard, then shaping it into edited chapters. Big Impact Books does this through guided interviews: an interviewer's planned questions keep each session focused on one chapter, and the team turns the recordings into prose in the author's own voice.
Three ways to write a book by speaking
Each route captures your voice. They differ in who supplies the questions and who does the shaping.
- Solo dictation. You speak into Word, Google Docs, or dedicated dictation software, then organize, rewrite, and edit the transcript yourself. It costs the least money and the most time.
- Dictation plus a hired editor. You dictate rough chapters and pay an editor to clean them up. You still need a clear outline and the discipline to dictate every week without prompting.
- Guided interviews. An interviewer brings questions for each chapter, you answer out loud, and a team assembles the manuscript. Big Impact Books uses this route inside a process that also covers publishing and promotion, asking about one hour a week of the author.
How do I dictate to Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
Both tools have built-in dictation. Here is how to start in each:
- Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365):on the Home tab, select Dictate, allow microphone access, and start speaking. Say punctuation aloud, such as “comma,” “period,” or “new line.”
- Windows voice typing: press the Windows key plus H in almost any text field.
- Google Docs: in the Chrome browser, open Tools, choose Voice typing, and click the microphone.
- Mac: turn on Dictation in System Settings under Keyboard, then use the dictation shortcut in any app.
Any of these produces a raw transcript. It will not ask you follow-up questions, notice a missing step, or reorder your ideas, which is the gap a guided interview fills.
How to write a book by speaking, step by step
This method works whether you dictate alone or work with an interviewer.
Step 1: Pick your reader
Decide who the book is for and the one problem it helps them solve.
Step 2: Outline the chapters
List the chapters that walk that reader from their problem to a solution.
Step 3: Write the questions
For each chapter, list the questions a client would ask you. In a guided interview, the interviewer brings these.
Step 4: Speak one chapter per session
Answer the questions out loud and tell real stories: client wins, mistakes, and turning points.
Step 5: Shape the transcript
Reorder, cut repetition, and fill gaps until the spoken material reads as a chapter.
Step 6: Review, publish, promote
Check every chapter for accuracy and voice, then publish and start promoting, ideally with marketing that began before launch.
Dictation or guided interviews: a side-by-side comparison
| Method | Capturing words | Structure comes from | Editing done by | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo dictation | Dedicated software: 97% of words on average (Wirecutter) | You | You | Disciplined writers on a tight budget |
| Dictation plus editor | Dedicated software: 97% of words on average (Wirecutter) | You | A hired editor | People who already have a firm outline |
| Big Impact Books guided interviews | Recorded conversations | The interviewer’s planned questions | The Big Impact Books team, with your input | Busy professionals who want a published, promoted book |
For the wider market, including ghostwriters and self-publishing, see the book publishing services comparison.
Common mistakes when you write by speaking
- Talking without an outline. Without chapters mapped first, sessions drift and the transcript becomes hard to shape.
- Trying to dictate finished prose. Speak naturally; polishing comes later.
- Leaving out stories. Client examples are what make a business book memorable, and they come out easily in conversation.
- Waiting until launch to market. Big Impact Books advises starting book marketing as early as possible, ideally before the book is published. Read more about book marketing services.
How we compared these methods
This page is published by Big Impact Books, which offers the guided-interview route described here, and Big Impact Books wrote it. Each method is judged on the same four points: how words are captured, where structure comes from, who edits, and who it suits. Accuracy figures are credited to Wirecutter. See the full methodology.
Common questions
Can you write a book by speaking?
Yes. You can write a book by speaking, either by dictating into speech recognition software or by being interviewed while a team turns the conversation into prose. Wirecutter reports that dedicated dictation software recognizes 97% of words, on average, with no training required. Guided interviews add the questions, structure, and editing that dictation alone does not provide.
How do you write a book by speaking?
Start with a chapter outline, then talk through one chapter at a time. On your own, that means dictating into software and editing the transcript yourself. With a guided interview, someone asks you questions for each chapter and a team drafts from the recordings. Big Impact Books authors give about one hour a week to that process.
How do I dictate to Microsoft Word?
In Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365, select Dictate on the Home tab, allow microphone access, and start speaking; say punctuation such as "comma" or "new line" aloud. On Windows you can also press the Windows key plus H to use voice typing in most text fields. Dictation gives you a raw transcript you still need to organize and edit.
What software do most authors use to write books?
Many authors draft in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and long-form writers often use dedicated tools such as Scrivener. Authors who prefer speaking add dictation software; Wirecutter reports dedicated dictation software recognizes 97% of words on average with no training required. Software captures words, but it does not ask questions, structure chapters, or edit for you.
Is a guided interview better than dictation software?
For busy professionals who want a finished, published book, usually yes; for a disciplined writer on a tight budget, dictation can be enough. Dictation captures words accurately, with Wirecutter reporting 97% recognition on average, but you still organize, rewrite, and edit. A guided interview adds planned questions, structure, and a team that turns talk into chapters.
How to write a book example?
Here is a simple example of writing a book by speaking. First, pick the one problem your ideal client most needs solved. Second, list the chapters that walk them through it. Third, talk through one chapter per session, telling real client stories. Fourth, have the transcript shaped into prose and edited. Fifth, review, publish, and promote the book.
What if I am not a good writer?
Writing skill is not required to write a book by speaking. The interview format draws on how you already explain your expertise to clients and teams, and the team turns spoken answers into written chapters. Manisha P. Patel wrote that she never thought she would have the time to sit down and write; because talking came easily, the weekly interviews made it manageable.
Would you rather be interviewed than dictate alone?
Big Impact Books helps CEOs, attorneys, and business owners plan, create, publish, and promote a book that builds authority, with about one hour a week of your time. Not ready for a conversation? Start with the free book-planning checklist.