About one gazillion business books are published every year. A lot of them are awful. Some of them are okay. A few are good. Very, very few are great. If you want to write a great business book, one that makes a difference, here’s how to get the job done.
A Great Business Book Helps Readers Do Better
People don’t read business books for entertainment. They’re not after great literature.
If you write a business book, people will read it to learn something they can apply that will make a difference in their lives. If you want to write a great business book, help your readers do something different and better.
A Great Business Book Delivers Value From Start To Finish
Today’s readers are pressed for time. They won’t give you the time to ”tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em.” Don’t engage in business book foreplay. Deliver value from the jump. Then continue delivering value until you’re done.
A Great Business Book Is as Long as Necessary and No Longer
This is “lean” applied to business books. Figure out what it is you want to help people do. Write a compelling book that helps them do it. But don’t add any fluff.
In days of old, there was a lot of fluff in business books because they had to be a certain length. Publishers said so. Tradition said so.
That was then. There’s no reason to write a book that is any longer than it needs to be to help readers get the result you promise.
A Great Business Book Uses Stories
Human beings have used stories to convey information since we crawled out of caves. Stories can pack a lot of learning in a small space. Tell your own personal stories that no one else can tell. Use apt stories from business that no one else is telling.
A Great Business Book Is More Than Stories
Stories are great, and they’re the primary way that human beings learn, but if your book is just stories, it won’t be great. Be specific about important points. Support your points with research. Use sparkling quotes, sidebars, and tips to boost your book’s interest.
Excellence Is No Accident and It’s Not Easy
You don’t just sit down and write a great business book. You do the research, the ruminations, and the revisions. You get help from editors, coaches, beta readers, and maybe a ghostwriter.
Writing a great book takes discipline to make sure everything works. It takes the discipline to rewrite until you make your points without fluff and the manuscript reads smoothly. It takes checking your research examples and citing properly. This isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
Great business books aren’t just a little better than average business books. They’re in a different class altogether. A great business book can enhance your reputation, boost your income, and turbocharge your impact.
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If you want to write a great business book but you’re not exactly sure how or what to do first, I can help you, as I’ve helped dozens of clients. Contact me and let’s talk about it.