ISTM #50 12 Steps for Starting Your Book

I ghostwrite business books for a living, but sometimes, I give one free hour to anyone considering writing a book. This free time is not entirely altruistic because it occasionally generates some business. However, the bigger benefit is that it allows me to understand the issues concerning aspiring writers.

Overwhelmingly, the most frequently asked question I’m asked is, “How do I  get started?” People often have good book ideas; they know what the major point of the book will be, and they know why they want to write it.

They also usually understand that with or without a ghostwriter, book development requires a large investment of time.  But what stops them is just how to get started.

When people tell me this, I feel their pain. I have written six books and ghostwritten three more. Getting started has always been the most challenging part.

The Right Trail.

I liken starting a book to being at the base of a very steep mountain. There are many trails up the mountain to a summit that you know, in your heart, will be majestic.

But there are many trails, all starting you uphill: Some will take you nowhere and you’ll have to go back and start over, while some are treacherous and could lead you to disaster.

There is only one that will get you to the top safely with a reasonable amount of time and effort, so you must choose your course wisely.

Writing a book is pretty much like that, so choose your course wisely.

Sometimes you can even discover that you’re trying to to climb up the wrong mountain.

My first attempt was more than 30 years ago when I wrote a novel. I drove a taxi for nearly a year to support my passion for writing. It culminated with the unanimous rejection by bout a dozen of the world’s most prestigious publishing houses.

It took me a few years to figure out that fiction was the wrong trail for me. I am trained as a journalist, and I had to learn to write about things I know, and my happy place was nonfiction.  The trail that would take me most easily to the top of the mountain was writing about world-changing technologies.

Each time I have written a book, it was agony, but each time it has become less so. Each time, however, I benefitted from what I learned previously. Without intending to do so, I started to develop and refine a process, one that I now using in my ghostwriting projects.

I’m not sure this process will work for you. In fact, I’m not sure it’s actually a process: a few points are just tips rather than actual steps, but I thought it might help people who are thinking about writing what I do with anyone else who might be thinking of writing business books.

If it helps you get to the top of the mountain, I’m glad I could you the way so many trailblazers have helped me along my way.

My 12 Tips

Here are my 12 steps:

1.     Define the Problem.  Most successful business books are called prescriptive by publishers. They define a problem and why it poses a threat to business practices. So, your book may be all about new solutions, but it is essential that you define a problem and describe the pain it is causing and how much worse it could get if no solution is found. This is your chapter 1. Your solution will fill the rest of your book.

2.    Reader Promise. Your book must promise a solution to the problem you described in Ch.1 Your book must fulfill that promise, or your book is almost certain to fail.

3.    Table of Contents (TOC). You already know what a ToC is. But remember that your chapter headings will be the first thing people look at when deciding to read/ignore your book. Make your ToC informative but engaging. Make readers want to know more.

4.    Extended Table of Contents (ETOC)
While the TOC is a public document, the ETOC is a private document to be shared with the people helping you develop your book. It will serve as your roadmap, guiding you to the summit of your metaphoric mountain.

Your ETOC starts with the same TOC chapter headings, but now, you will add 5-7 sentences that tell specifically what each chapter will cover. List stories you plan to tell and people you plan to interview.  It will concisely explain how this will help fulfill your Reader Promise. The final sentence of each ETOC chapter description will explain how it transitions into your next chapter. Research shows that awkward transitions lose readers.

While the TOC is a public document, your ETOC is private and strategic. It can take months to get it right, but once you feel you have nailed it down, the rest of your book, including the writing of it, will come to you faster and more smoothly. Once you are satisfied, you should lock it in and make changes cautiously. If you vary too often, you may lose focus on your Reader Promise.

5.    Avoid Rhetoric. It is easy and tempting for writers to get lost in their own rhetoric. If you write a business book, your reader will prefer pragmatic lessons over poetic overtures. When I write books or even blog posts, I advise my clients to memorize six words: “Keep it simple. Keep it focused.”

6.    Write, First. Edit Later. Your final product should, of course, be typo-free and perfectly edited. But when you're writing a first draft, Grammarly is good enough. Your top priority is to tell your story well. Later, you—and others – will refine it.

7.     Dig Deep, But Bury Details. I love researching topics almost as much as I love writing. I need to share some details to ensure credibility. But too many details may be a cure for insomnia. For readers who want to drill down, consider starting a website to support your details because most people will either read your book on Kindle or listen to it on Audible. You might consider starting a book website where you can list links by chapter, provide other useful data, market your book, and boost SEO success.

8.    Tell Stories. Some should be about you as the author, but most books that have achieved critical acclaim have a few memorable stories in almost every chapter. Exclusive interviews also help.

9.    Identify the Darkside. Most business books advocate something new and better.  For credibility, they also include a chapter near the end of the book that discusses what could possibly go wrong. Chances are at least one thing you mention will occur and you will be considered prophetic.

10. Big Picture. Your final chapter should use words to paint a world made better by what your book has championed. It’s a picture you want readers to walk away with a clear understanding of your book. It needs to conclude in a way that makes readers feel you have fulfilled your promise. (This may not belong in a post about Getting Started, but I felt like throwing it in any way.

11.  Build community.  I’m a big believer in crowd wisdom. I use social media to ask people to help me write better books. I post early online chapter drafts, asking for feedback. I acknowledge everyone who makes a suggestion, even if I don’t use them. I want to interact with as many people as I can, and online gives me the most reach. Despite all this transparency, I have never been plagiarized, so far as I know.

12.   Find a Critic. My wife, Paula, is my harshest critic because she has so much invested in my success. She is Hellbent on preventing me from repeating myself,  embellishing, or saying anything downright stupid. It’s challenging work, but she’s good at it.

My Exciting Conclusion

This may all sound like a lot of work because it is. Writing a book has many moving parts, and writing one can distract you from your regularly scheduled life. It seems worth it to me, but you should be aware.

Holding a first copy of a book with my name on the cover is the nearest I can get to how it must feel to have a baby, or so it seems to me.

If you are thinking of writing a business book, I still offer that free hour. Send me a note via old-fashioned email or Facebook Messenger if we are friends there.