You have overcome several problems and learned many important life lessons. You believe your experience, knowledge, and wisdom can help others survive and improve their lives.
So, you decided to share your experiences with others. Thousands of readers crave for getting your motivation, inspiration, and strategies so that they can overcome their problems.
Finally, you have decided to write a self-help book to motivate them. You have the necessary tools to write the book. But the problem is you do not know how to write a self-help book.
But you are eager to learn so that you can make a significant difference in people’s lives by teaching them the balance of experience and motivation.
The basic steps of writing a self-help book are here –
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Select the Topic Wisely
You can write about anything you wish. There are uncountable self-help topics available from which you can choose. But make sure your chosen topic is specific.
For example – you make up your mind to write about anger management. But the topic is too broad to cover. Rather name it anger management in 5 ways.
The name itself guarantees that you will find your desired audience. People, by nature, want to improve themselves. Therefore, if you can ascertain that your guide and advice will lead them to achieve their goal, they will buy your book.
Remember, throughout your content, you need to focus on one type of problem and one type of target audience.
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Understand Who Are Your Target Audience
Before writing any book, finding out who will read your book is essential. Because if you have a good handle on your reader, you can help them overcome their specific problem.
So, begin with the demographics of your target audience – find out who they are, what is their age, gender, location, etc.
Also, identify what will lead them to pick your book. For example, is it curiosity, frustration, or dispersion?
Once you understand your reader, it helps you write content that completely meets their needs and motivates them. It also helps you design your book layout perfectly.
The purpose of writing self-help books is not to deliver generic advice to everyone on earth. Instead, you need to identify the specific problem of your reader and give them solutions based on your real-life experiences.
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Conduct a lot of Research
After identifying your target audience, you need to list questions that you think your reader may have about the subject matter.
To write a self-help book, you know you require experience, whether it is personal or professional. Even if you have adequate knowledge about the subject matter, it is always better to research.
You can uncover medical data, statistics, case studies, and interesting stories through research. Then, you can use all of these to back up your life experience. This will eventually enhance your book’s credibility and engage your readers.
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Find Similar Books on Your Topic
In addition to searching for statistics and facts, it’s better to check out how other writers have covered the same topic, what concepts they have already printed on your subject matter, what brings them success, what is their area of improvement, how you could improve further, how will you make your book distinct, etc.
Search the subject matter or related keywords in Google for related books. You can also check different online marketplaces such as Amazon.
Then read the books or skim through them to enrich your mind. Also, learn about the writers’ backgrounds regarding their education, training, qualifications, and experiences. Then using those ideas, think of a way to make your message unique.
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Start with an Outline
Creating an outline is an essential part of writing any content. Because it keeps you focused on what to say in every section. Thus, outlining helps you provide a more thoughtful, helpful, and organized presentation for the readers.
The readers will also benefit as they will immediately get the solution they need.
An outline consists of the following things –
Step 1 – Give an introduction to your book, introduce yourself, discuss what drives you to write the book, etc.
Step 2 – Include at least ten chapters and outline all the specific actions here.
- Chapter 1 – Explain what the problem is. It gives you a chance to connect with your readers emotionally.
- Chapter 2 – Discuss the solution, explain why this solution is effective, and include real-life examples.
- Chapter 3 and the Subsequent Chapters – Provide step-by-step solutions.
- Last Chapter – Tie everything up and encourage the readers to take action immediately to solve their problems.
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Keep Your Tone Friendly and Conversational
A good self-help book connects its writers and readers through empathy. So, try to write the book in a friendly, positive tone, simply the way you speak.
Don’t use any technical jargon. Rather break the term down as simply as possible. Otherwise, your readers cannot understand its literal meaning.
Think that you are advising your friend or relative. If you can write that way, your writing will positively connect with the readers. Plus, a conversational tone is more fruitful in motivating readers.
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Emphasize That Your Reader Has the Power to Achieve the Goal
Try to imagine ‘self’ in ‘self-help’ because your readers are the ones who help themselves.
They have problems, doubts, and questions. Also, they want a specific way to overcome the problem. So think from your reader’s perspective.
Imagine your situation when you went through the same problem. Ask yourself what your questions were, and what did you expect as a solution then.
Try to give your readers clear and concise tricks and tips. Break down your solutions into achievable steps. Also, use encouraging and positive language to empower them.
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Back Your Claims with Credible Sources
Along with personal anecdotes and real-life examples, support your suggestion with verifiable facts because people prefer advice that they feel is trustworthy and authoritative. It will also increase the credibility of your statement.
Moreover, citing the sources clearly and giving them credit for their contribution to your research is important to acknowledge. Never claim that these ideas are your own because that becomes intellectual property theft.
To secure your self-help book, you need to how to copyright a book before you sell or publish it.
To Wrap Up
Through a self-help book, a writer wants to pass his life lessons on to others that he gained from personal experiences.
When you find others struggling with the same problem you have suffered, you will feel motivated to write a self-help book.
Undoubtedly, your writing will benefit people who share the same problem.
