Thinking about writing a business book?
I have been writing and ghostwriting business books and courses for about twenty years now, and I have developed strategies and techniques to help my clients write books that actually work for them. Over the years, I’ve also learned what questions to ask during the time we work together that will help my clients stay the course and finish their books.
But the first three questions I ask my writing clients are the most important. They set the tone, intention, and angle for the book.
First Question: What do you want this book to do for you and your business?
Writing a book is a lot of work and if you don’t know why you’re writing the book, if you don’t have a concrete goal in mind, there’s a very good chance that you won’t finish. It’s more than just having a “why” because some people’s why is just to have written a book. Not a bad thing, but when you’re writing a business book, you need to have more specific goals in mind.
Let’s look at the obvious: I haven’t had a single business client who didn’t want their book to bring in more and better business. But we need to go a bit deeper than that in order to create a book that works best for you.
For some of my clients, it’s about establishing themselves as an authority. Others want a book to act as a lead magnet for them—to use as a marketing tool to attract and qualify clients. Many of my speaker clients mention that authoring a book is now the minimum barrier to entry: More and more event promoters are looking for speakers who have written a book.
Some people are a bit timid about expressing what they want the book to do for them. It’s as if they’re not allowed to have an “ulterior motive.” Spoiler Alert: Some of the best-loved “classic” books were written by authors who wanted to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. You may have a few noble reasons for writing the book (covered in question two) but you’re also allowed to have your own reasons for doing so.
Second Question: What do you want this book to do for your reader?
This helps us narrow down the scope of the book. I have many clients who write on leadership, but they write on various aspects of leadership. All want to help people (their readers) become better leaders. But some want to help those who are new to management, some want to work with C-suite executives. Leadership is called upon during times of company transition and changing markets in a constantly changing world. Those are all different books with different angles and perspectives for different readers.
This second question begins the vital work of finding who your target market is, for both the book and your business. If you want to teach a process to the reader, you have to first ask if your readers are brand new to the field, if the process is a new way of doing things, if what you’re teaching is an advanced technique for those at higher levels. Your target market in some ways dictates the depth of your content, and in some cases, may lead to second and third books as your market moves up in knowledge and experience. That’s a situation every author loves.
This question also allows you to list out all those noble reasons for writing your book. Many of us write books because we truly want to give as many people as possible the information they need to solve a problem. Some authors write fundamental books to bring the reader to a level where they can work with the author as a qualified client. Motivational and inspirational books are designed to offer encouragement in a world that is often difficult and harsh. You want your business book to help the reader move forward in some way.
Third Question: What action do you want your reader to take after reading your business book?
I have a friend who writes books on jewelry making. He wants his readers to go to his website for more how-tos and resources. On his site, he has video tutorials, as well as lists of supplies needed for each project. Some of those supplies are affiliate links and he makes a small commission on each sale. His videos are monetized on YouTube—the more views, the more ad revenue. He also sells courses on more advanced aspects of jewelry-making. His books are for serious hobbyists, but he also has introductory books for beginners, to bring them into his world of jewelry making. He has built up a following that buys his books, follows him on his blog and YouTube, and buys supplies through his links, affiliate or not.
You might want your readers to sign up for a free or low-cost course. Maybe you want your readers to hire you as a speaker or trainer. Perhaps you want them to contact you for a free initial consult or discovery call. You need to have that next action clear in your mind while you are writing your book
Knowing what action you want your readers to take tells you what information to give them as well as where to lead them. Your goal is to get them to the point where that next step—that step that you want them to take—is their most logical next move. Along the way, you can seed these actions, having them take smaller steps, like downloading a worksheet for a chapter or sending them to watch one of your videos. If you don’t have this in mind while you’re writing your book, asking people to take that next step can seem jarring or pushy. People like to buy; they don’t like to be pushed.
Business Books are Written for a Reason
These three questions help mold the book’s structure and content. The answers to these questions will keep the author on track. I recommend that people put a stickie note with the answers to these three questions where they can see it while they work. It’s best if it lists off their answers in the simplest, most basic terms possible. A quick glance at the answers can help them re-focus their writing when they get stuck.
A business book is written to bring in business, pure and simple. That business might be in the form of recognition, royalties, opportunities, and yes, clients. Not every reader will become your client and not everyone who wants to be your client will be a good fit for you. But your book can help you find your people and will also help those who may not be a perfect fit. The answers to these three questions will ensure your book hits the mark for both you and your readers.
