Updated on June 22, 2023
As an acclaimed author with 20 titles attributed to him, including audiobooks, and a two-time champion of the World Poker Tour (WPT), Jonathan Little is currently one of the most prolific writers in the poker realm. Out of his works, 9 were featured in our initial compilation of 129, with 3 making it to the ultimate selection of 86. Jonathan Little Discover the finest poker literature categorized by genre: poker books Our curiosity piqued regarding the art of writing poker books, and who better to turn to for answers than an expert?
Q: Can you walk me through your experience while writing your debut book, Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker?
- Texas Hold'em Strategy Books
- Online Poker Strategy Books
- Poker Tournament Strategy Book
- Poker Psychology Books
- Mindset Poker Books
- Heads Up Poker Books
- Cash Game Poker Books
- Famous Poker Players Books
- Fictional Poker Tales
- Sit and Go Books
Writing that First Book
A: My initial book, Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker, came together relatively effortlessly. This was largely due to the fact that prior to being approached by D&B Publishing, I had already penned numerous articles covering various concepts aimed at helping my students enhance their game in specific areas that needed improvement. D&B reached out to me because they appreciated my video content and envisioned that a book encapsulating my perspectives on poker would be revolutionary. I began by drafting a comprehensive outline encompassing all the pivotal elements related to tournaments, strategies at different stages, and what it takes to thrive as a professional player. After I filled in the outline with insights on each subject, I ended up with a manuscript that spanned 600 pages, which the publishers deemed too lengthy, prompting us to break it into two parts.
A: Before venturing into authorship, I had already produced a number of well-received poker training videos for my platform, FloatTheTurn.com, alongside coaching numerous students who later achieved great success in the game. This journey taught me how to convey complex poker concepts in a clear, comprehensible manner. My writing style mirrors my speaking style.
Q: What challenges did you face during the writing process? Tournament Poker A: While I was examining my poker strategies, I identified specific areas where my skills were lacking. For instance, I realized my understanding of certain aspects of the game was insufficient, particularly with respect to handling pots. The process of writing Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker compelled me to thoroughly analyze every facet of my playing strategy, ultimately leading to marked improvement in my game. poker training Q: What constitutes an ideal poker book? poker literature .
A: To me, a quintessential poker book must thoroughly explain all the essential concepts needed to excel in the specific form of poker it addresses. It is crucial that the author is a true expert in the game they are discussing. Lately, several authors who have not been consistently winning at today's poker tables have released books, and those should be approached with caution. Insights from games a decade ago are unlikely to serve you well today. preflop play , flop play , turn play, river play, short-handed play, heads-up play From Concept to Printed Book mental game , tells Q: Do you prefer self-publishing or collaborating with an established publisher, and what are the reasons for your choice?
Q: What came naturally to you?
A: I've engaged in both self-publishing and working with traditional publishers, and each method has its advantages. A traditional publisher can help position your book in physical bookstores and usually invests considerable effort in promoting the title. They handle aspects beyond merely writing the manuscript, such as editing, cover design, and image placement. Conversely, when you choose to self-publish, you have to take on these responsibilities yourself. The most significant benefit of self-publishing is the freedom it affords you—this allows me to release books more frequently (traditional publishers typically aim for one book a year or fewer) and to write works of varying lengths (physical books often must be at least 150 pages to allow for spine labeling in stores).
Q: Your productivity is remarkable. Can you take me through how you develop an idea into a final product?
A: Initially, I focus on identifying a topic that needs Exploration. For example, I recognized a shortage of literature on how to approach certain cash games, prompting me to write Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker Cash Games. I dedicated ample time to playing $1/$2 cash games at Borgata to gain the necessary experience relevant to that distinct game. As I played, I made note of common mistakes players were making. I transformed those observations into detailed points covering adjustments to various player types, particularly exploitable scenarios, and strategic considerations. Once my outline was ready, I essentially isolated myself in my room, dedicating 10 hours a day to drafting for an entire week until completing the rough version. Following this, I edited the material through several readings and sought feedback from some of my students for additional revisions. While I awaited their input, I curated a cover design, created complimentary training videos, and prepared it for Amazon publication. defending the big blind Once I received feedback from my students, I recorded the audiobook version, which highlighted a few more areas needing refinement. Subsequently, I formatted the manuscript for physical publication. Once both the audio and print versions were approved, I uploaded the book to Kindle. After its release on Amazon, I crafted several blog posts on JonthanLittlePoker.com that discussed various elements of the book, shared updates on Twitter and Facebook, and informed my students through email. preflop 4-bet and 5-bet Many of my followers often express their desire for more content catering to small stakes. Therefore, I’ve decided to offer one of my best-selling poker e-books for FREE for them to study. With diligent practice, they’ll soon find themselves excelling in small stakes games. poker player .
In summary, I pinpointed a relevant idea, structured an outline, wrote a draft, made revisions, sought additional editorial input, produced different formats of the book, launched it for sale, and then promoted it vigorously.
Q: Which book presented the most significant writing challenges, and what were the reasons behind it?
A: The most complex book for me to write was Jonathan Little on Live No-Limit Cash Games, Volume 1. My intention was to dissect my strategy for each typical cash game scenario. While preflop and flop strategies were manageable, I discovered the overwhelming number of unique situations that can occur on the turn and river. For instance, I tackled the question of how to handle a missed premium draw on the turn in a three-bet pot when the initial raiser bets on the flop and then checks during the turn. Notably, adjusting one component might drastically alter the entire scenario. I ended up with about 1,000 pages of material and only reached the midway point of the turn section. Ultimately, I decided to discard that content and adopt a different approach to ensure the book was more accessible. I’m pleased with how it turned out and consider it one of my best works.
A: Generally, my writing endeavors have been fairly straightforward since they primarily draw on my extensive experiences as a professional poker player over 13 years, requiring limited external research. My self-published works focused on small stakes games have proven to be among the easiest, primarily due to their conciseness; one spans 80 pages while the other is 120 pages, succinctly addressing crucial mistakes that many small stakes players frequently make.
Q: Managing numerous egos in a collaborative book can be tough. How did you navigate that to complete the project?
A: Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em comprises 500 pages and features contributions from 18 top-tier professional poker players and mindset coaches. I granted each author the freedom to write about their specific expertise. For instance, Olivier Busquet contributed insights on Heads-up No-Limit Hold'em, while Ed Miller focused on how to progress through different stakes effectively. After finalizing the key topics, I coordinated with each contributor to minimize redundancy between chapters.
Once all contributions were completed, I arranged them in what I felt was the most logical order, effectively creating the rough draft of the manuscript. This draft underwent multiple editing phases; I recorded the audiobook, after which D&B Publishing took charge of designing the cover, ensuring the book reached all major retailers, and promoting it.
Despite the potential for ego clashes, every contributor was a delight to work with. I allowed them to delve into subjects that ignited their passion, resulting in exceptional contributions. Additionally, all authors committed to conducting two webinars over the following 18 months. Thus far, Ed Miller has successfully completed his webinar, and I'm eager for the others to follow suit. Free webinar registrations can be found at HoldemBook.com.
Q: Some individuals I've approached to assist with my poker book project admitted they had never read a poker book, yet they achieved remarkable success. Could you discuss different learning modalities and where books fit into that continuum for you? win at small stakes cash games There are a multitude of ways to learn poker. You can immerse yourself in text-based literature, listen to audiobooks, engage with training videos, discuss strategies with peers, and gain experience at the poker table. Personally, I engage with all these methods. In my early days of learning poker, I devoured every book available; even now, I regularly read new poker literature.
Excelling at No-Limit Hold'em essentially invites some of the most esteemed players and mindset authorities to share their insights casually, making it feel more like a relaxed dialogue rather than a formal textbook. bankroll management , into an outline.
Q: Is there a particular poker concept that you find challenging to articulate?
Q: Is there a book you have in you that remains unwritten, and what holds you back? read A: My upcoming self-published book will focus on how to enhance one’s aggression to elevate their poker skills. Many players were taught by obsolete resources that advocated for an overly tight-aggressive style, and I aim to address that.
Are you considering writing a book on poker? 888poker recently had a conversation with the renowned poker author, Jonathan Little, who shared insights into the intricacies of the poker book writing journey.
Jonathan Little Discusses the Process of Crafting Poker Literature #Poker #Gift #Study https://t.co/R8UTtqSNLY pic.twitter.com/wV3g7dIgmR
— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) October 13, 2019
Jonathan Little Talks About Writing Poker Books
Hardest versus Easiest
With an impressive collection of 20 titles to his name, including both written works and audiobooks, and as a two-time champion of the World Poker Tour (WPT),
he stands out as one of the most prolific authors in the poker community today. Out of the titles he authored, 9 were part of our initial 129-title list, with 3 making it onto the definitive list of 86. Discover the top poker books categorized for your convenience:
Curious about the steps involved in writing a poker book, we sought the expertise of the best in the field.
Q: Can you walk me through your experience writing your debut book, Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker?
Q: The easiest?
A: My first book, Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker, was relatively easy to put together because, prior to being approached by D&B Publishing, I had already documented numerous articles on various poker concepts aimed at helping my students enhance specific weaknesses in their gameplay. D&B Publishing recognized my engaging videos and believed that compiling my insights into a book would become something truly innovative. I meticulously crafted an extensive outline, detailing critical aspects of tournament dynamics, adapting strategies throughout different stages of competitions, and what it takes to succeed professionally. As I fleshed out my knowledge on each outline point, the manuscript grew to 600 pages, a length that the publishers deemed excessive, resulting in its division into two separate volumes.
A: Before embarking on my writing journey, I had produced many popular poker training videos for my platform, FloatTheTurn.com, while also coaching numerous students who went on to achieve remarkable success. This extensive experience helped me learn how to articulate complex poker concepts clearly and understandably. I tend to write in a conversational style similar to how I speak.
From Poker Egos to Poker Biographies?
Q: Talk about Excelling at No-Limit Holdem Q: What aspects of writing were most challenging for you?
A: As I reflected on my poker strategies while writing, I unearthed several gaps in my gameplay skills. For instance, I discovered that I wasn't handling particular situations adequately, such as managing pot sizes effectively. The process of writing Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker compelled me to thoroughly examine every facet of my game, leading to improvements in my overall skills.
Q: What core elements define an excellent poker book?
A: An exemplary poker book should comprehensively cover all essential concepts needed for mastery in the specific variant of poker it addresses. Moreover, it is crucial that the author is a recognizable expert about the game. Recently, there have been several books authored by individuals who aren't currently winning at the tables, and those books should be avoided. Learning outdated strategies from a decade ago is unlikely to benefit you in today's competitive environment. Jared Tendler From Idea to Published Work
Q: What do you think about self-publishing compared to working with an established publisher, and why?
A: I have experience with both self-publishing and traditional publishing, and each has its own benefits. A conventional publisher can help place your book in physical stores and typically invests a considerable effort into promoting it. They handle most tasks beyond writing the manuscript, such as editing, cover design, and image incorporation.
However, with self-publishing, you take on all those responsibilities yourself. The major advantage of self-publishing is the freedom it offers. I can release books at a much quicker pace without the constraints of traditional publishers, who might limit authors to one book a year or even less. I can also produce books of varying lengths; traditional formats often require a minimum of 150 pages to enable spine text for display on bookstore shelves.
Q: Your output is remarkable. Could you outline your journey from concept to final book?
A: There hasn’t been, yet!
A: Initially, I identify a subject needing exploration. For instance, I realized there were few resources available on how to approach small stakes cash games, so I decided to write Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker Cash Games. I dedicated significant time to playing $1/$2 cash games at Borgata to gather the necessary insights. Throughout my playing experience, I noted various common mistakes made by players. I translated these observations into key points, including how to adapt to different types of opponents and strategies for particular scenarios.
With a detailed outline in place, I dedicated myself fully to writing, often spending up to 10 hours a day for an entire week until I produced a rough draft. Afterward, I meticulously reviewed and revised multiple times. Once satisfied, I shared the draft with a few of my students for feedback and additional refinement. While waiting for their input, I worked on the book cover, created bonus training videos, and prepared everything for publication on Amazon.
After incorporating all the feedback, I recorded the audiobook version, which helped me identify even more areas needing adjustment. Next, I formatted the work for both digital and print editions. Once all versions were approved, I published the book on Kindle.
When the book launched on Amazon, I amplified my promotion efforts by writing blog entries on JonathanLittlePoker.com about various elements of the book, sharing updates on my social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and keeping my students informed through newsletters.
Originally Published on January 1, 2017