These are exciting times for authors! There are unprecedented opportunities for a writer to self-publish for little or no money, and to promote his or her books worldwide from a home computer. However, because it’s so easy to publish a book, roughly 4,500 new books are published EVERY SINGLE DAY. With so many books flooding the market, the average nonfiction book sells less than 250 copies per year, and many sell considerably less. This is why it’s so important to take a serious and strategic approach to the conceiving and writing of your book.
The true value of a nonfiction book, especially one that aims to solve a problem, isn’t measured by its length or even by the number of copies sold, but by the positive impact it has in its readers lives. If you’re sharing content that’s truly helpful you can get away with a few quality issues – such as a lackluster cover, a few typos, or writing that could have benefited from another round or two of editing – and still sell books and mostly get good reviews. But if you want to be a truly successful author, quality does matter, especially the quality of the content. The extra effort that’s required to lift your book’s content above the crowded field of books on your subject can vary from a few simple tweaks to a major overhaul, depending upon your starting point.
People often come to me wanting to know how to sell more books. The top book marketing secret I have to offer – the most important thing you can do to sell more books – is simply to write a fabulous book. A great book is more than just information thrown together in a reasonably organized way. Every nonfiction book conveys information. But what is it that makes that information come alive? What helps that information flow logically from one point to the next? And what inspires and empowers a reader to apply and benefit from what they’ve read? Knowing and applying the answers to these questions can transform your book from ordinary to extraordinary, and it’s a lot easier than you think.
Having a great idea is not enough, you have to convey that idea in a way that captures and keeps people’s attention, while simultaneously engaging their minds and touching their hearts. You also want to give your readers a clear path to follow with clear and concrete steps to apply in their own lives. The S.H.I.N.E. Nonfiction Content Creation Formula (which can also be applied to blog posts, talks, and courses) addresses these issues and helps authors craft a compelling book that can powerfully communicate its central message, impact and transform people’s lives, and turn readers into fans who will happily recommend your book to others.
Here’s how to make your book S.H.I.N.E.
These elements are not applied separately or in order. They’re going to mix and mingle in a wild dance throughout your book. You can apply these as you write your first draft, as well as use them as a guide during the editing process.
STAND OUT: Be Bold, Passionate, Creative, and Unique!
Thousands of new books are published every day. To rise above the crowd, you not only have to publish helpful information from a unique perspective, you also have to put yourself into your book – your story, your voice, your heart. Words don’t just convey information, they contain emotion. When someone reads your book, they can feel your passion (or lack of it) for the subject, as well as your compassion (or lack of it) for what they’re going through. The more your readers can connect with you as well as your ideas through your writing, the more successful your book will be on every level.
To Stand out from the other books on your subject:
* Offer something new by being absolutely YOU!
* Create and name a solution, system, or step-by-step process that’s yours alone.
* Write and publish a quality book on every level (great title and cover; unique and helpful content; well written, thoroughly edited, and professionally formatted).
HELP: Empower Your Readers to Truly Thrive
People read advice and how-to nonfiction books to find solutions to their problems. Before you can truly help your readers solve the problem that your book addresses, you need to be able to see the problem through their eyes so that you can talk about the solution in ways and words they’ll understand. By offering practical solutions, as well as addressing readers’ potential questions and concerns, your book will not only be a satisfying read but a powerful tool of transformation in people’s lives.
To Help your readers solve their problem:
* Get to know them – their desires and fears, as well as the obstacles they may have encountered trying to solve this problem before reading your book.
* Offer practical and proven solutions and address any questions or concerns you think might arise as they apply your solution.
* Help people see the big picture – not just what to do but how, why, and what to watch out for on the journey toward their goal.
INSPIRE: Motivate Your Readers to Take the Actions Necessary to Change Their Lives
Buying a book or a program is easy, but actually taking the actions suggested is not. So, in addition to giving people the tools they need to improve their lives, it’s important to encourage and empower your readers to use those tools. To not only tell them what to do but to inspire the hope and eventually the belief that what they desire is possible. Turning a dream (or goal) into reality happens when you believe that what you want to achieve is possible and that you have what it takes to make it happen. The more you can help your readers strengthen both of those beliefs, the more likely it is they’ll take the actions you’ve suggested and have the success they long for. And when they do, it will be your success, as well, because your readers will become fans who recommend your book to others.
To Inspire your readers to take action:
* Offer encouragement in an authentic way, whether you see yourself as a cheerleader, a tough love coach, or your empowerment style lies somewhere in-between.
* Share success stories and inspiring quotes, making sure the takeaway is clear, simple, and easy to hold onto for support.
* Persuade your readers that success is not only possible, but that it’s possible for them.
NAVIGATE: Give Your Readers a Clear Path to Achieving the Solution They’re Looking For
Now that you’ve helped your readers see that their goal is within reach, that it’s possible for them to have, be, or do that thing they want, it’s time to show them how to achieve it. Clearly map out the journey you’re asking them to take: What actions are required to achieve their goal? What are the obstacles they might run into, and what will they need to do to work through them? And what are the signs along the way that will help them to know they’re going in the right direction and to recognize when they’ve truly arrived?
To Navigate your readers journey to their goal:
* Present a well-organized and easy to follow plan.
* Break down the inner and outer journey your readers will need to take into small actionable steps, and help them to track and celebrate their progress.
* Walk your readers through the process, giving them a sense of what the journey will be like and support them along the way.
ENGAGE: Help Your Readers to Deeply Connect with Themselves, Your Book, and You
Pursuing our goals takes courage, self-awareness, and persistence. It also often asks us to change in a number of ways, and change can be challenging. Your best chance to help someone take the steps needed to achieve their desired goal, and to actually make the changes that will support them taking those steps is to facilitate them being fully engaged with themselves (though self-assessment questions and journaling prompts), the material in your book (through providing exercises and action steps), and with you (by getting them on your mailing list, having them join your Facebook group, or working with them through coaching and classes).
To Engage your readers’ interest and participation:
* Appeal to different learning styles to help readers connect more deeply with the ideas in your book.
* Create a 7- or 10-day challenge to help your readers get started on the journey toward their goal and build some momentum.
* Invite readers to ask questions and share their experiences and progress on a Facebook group.
