Jerry was an interesting case. He didn’t want full-on coaching, just the answer to a simple problem. Jerry had started writing his book three times. Each time, he got partway into it, and things quit working. He wanted to know why.
Jerry had tried writing from a detailed outline. When that didn’t work, he decided to just start writing and see where the book took him. When that didn’t work, he reworked the outline and tried again, with no luck.
Jerry was an extreme case, but a good example of the problems new authors can have planning their books. Here are three tips to help you create a better book plan.
Write the Marketing Copy First
Your book planning needs to answer four questions. Who will buy this book, read it, learn from it, and tell all their friends how great it was? How will their life be different when they finish your book? How will this book stand out from all the other books? Why are you the perfect person to write the book?
After you spend some time answering those questions, turn the answers into the book’s marketing copy. Write a short paragraph, like the one that will appear on Amazon or on the back of the book, that tells people why they should buy it.
The marketing copy will incorporate the answers to all the critical planning questions. Keep the marketing copy where you can see it when you write.
Start With the Stories You Want To Tell
Don’t start with an outline. Readers love books that share stories they can remember and learn from. Start your planning with the stories.
List all the stories you want to tell in the book. Take some time to do this, at least a couple of days, maybe a week or two. Keep adding to the list and modifying it until it has everything you want to say.
Put the stories in order. The essential stories can be the basis for your chapters, and other stories can be examples within the chapters. You should be able to illustrate a key point in the book with the story and supplement the story with research and data.
Now, it’s time for your outline. Use the stories as the basis for your outline. There’s one more thing you should do to make your outline better.
Pay Attention to the Transitions
Remember Jerry? He had an outline, but when he got partway into the book, the outline suddenly didn’t work anymore. If you include transitions in your outline, you can make that less likely to happen.
Write out the transition from one key point to another. Sometimes, things will go smoothly. Other times, you’ll find that the transition just doesn’t work. Rework the order of things in your outline. You might need to add new things. Repeat the process until the transitions between all your significant points demonstrate a smooth transition from one key thought to another.
Do just enough planning to be clear about the book you will write. Write the marketing copy before you write the book so you have a clear idea of why people should want to read it. Start with the stories you want to tell instead of the points you want to make to create a book readers will love reading. Pay attention to the transitions when you create your outline so you know the chapters will flow smoothly.
