For experts, business owners and professionals, this social distancing and social isolation is really difficult. We make our own way in the world and right now our means of doing so has become rather limited. However, in every problem lies infinite possibilities for those who are willing to look. When the world forces us to take time out, maybe it’s time to get to the things you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. Now is the perfect time to start your book.
If you want to write a nonfiction book about your expertise, the story of your business or the problem that you solve in the world, I’m going to share a way for you to approach the project in a systematic way that makes it easy for you to organize your thoughts and information while providing you with a framework to which you can attach your unique and creative work. While the way I approach writing a book with a client is formulaic, the structure allows us to stay on track and on purpose. No two books ever turn out the same but the approach allows us to confidently move forward, knowing that we are creating exactly what we want.
The first thing I recommend is that you download our Right Book Template and Storytelling Template. These are the templates that we work through with our clients when we are writing their books. You’ll find them at www.expertauthorpress.com/templates. They will give you the complete overview of how to approach your book project.
Now I’m going to tell you the most important part about writing a good book. A good book that teaches the reader a good lesson and moves them to action does so by entertaining and inspiring them through stories. People just don’t like being educated. Unfortunately many business owners love trying to educate their customers and because people are being polite, they pretend to care. However, with a book, no one feels like they are offending you when they put it down because it’s too boring.
Don’t start writing all about your systems and processes. Start by taking an inventory of all your successes. Look for all the cases where you have helped people completely transform their lives or their businesses. When I start working with a client, I have them come up with a list of at least ten successes. First, it helps us to get clear on who their ideal client is. Second, it helps us to define the transformation that they are providing.
One of our clients, Kimberley Hopwood, is a relationship counsellor who can save marriages that are on the brink of divorce. When she explained one of her tools called “speaker-listener technique”, where one person holds the floor until they pass it to the other, it sounded reasonable. When she told us about Frank and Jessica having an embarrassing blow out in a restaurant where Frank stormed out, she grabbed our attention. Frank came back to the table, handed Jessica the menu and told her that she had the floor. They used the technique to diffuse one of their typical blocks and move past it. As a result of speaker-listener technique, not only did they end up having a nice meal, they saved their marriage.
Now this is just a snippet of the story found in her forthcoming book, “Can I Save My Marriage--Neuroscience Based Tools that Can Save Any Relationship. Guaranteed”, but the stories she tells get us so inspired that we keep referring her to anyone who mentions that they are having relationship problems.
The best way to start working on your book is to take your ten success stories and flesh out the back story. Tell us who the person in the story is, where they come from and what they struggle with. Describe how their struggles affect their day to day life. Tell us about their hopes and dreams. Then show us how you stepped in and helped them to make their dreams a reality. Do this with story and teach us about your system by inspiring and entertaining us.
If you do this, you will be well on your way to writing a great book that inspires people to investigate your business as a solution to their biggest problems. You will also gain immense clarity on your product and service from the point of view of the customer. This will give you invaluable insight into your processes and result in highly qualified clients who are committed to your business.
If you have any questions about how to get started on your book, please reach out to me at paul@drpaulnewton.com.