How To Structure Self-Help Books | Use the Bestselling Self-Help Outline!

Summary

In this video, best-selling author Lisa Daily shares her expertise on crafting a self-help book. She emphasizes the importance of a creative work plan, akin to an advertising brief, to pinpoint the book's key fact, target audience, and objectives. Lisa outlines a step-by-step formula for structuring the book, including defining the problem, creating a promise, and providing an actionable plan. She also advises on troubleshooting potential reader setbacks and concludes with strategies for maintaining reader engagement post-publication.

Takeaways

• 📝 Start with a creative work plan: Use a document similar to an advertising creative brief to outline your book's focus, audience, and message.
• 🔑 Identify your key fact: Determine the most important fact that your book will impact, which should resonate with your readers' needs.
• 🤔 Define the problem: Clearly state the issue your book aims to solve and who it is intended to help.
• 🎯 Establish the book's objective: Specify what impact the book will have on the reader's life, such as financial gain or improved confidence.
• 🛠️ Develop a strategy: Outline how you will achieve the book's objective and help the reader overcome their problem.
• 👤 Know your prime reader: Understand your target audience's demographics, psychographics, and what motivates them to buy your book.
• 📈 Position your book: Determine how your book fits within its category and what unique value it offers that sets it apart from others.
• 🗣️ Make a promise: Clearly state why readers should buy your book and what benefits they will receive from it.
• 📚 Follow a best-selling outline formula: Use a structure that has proven successful for other best-selling self-help books to guide your reader effectively.
• 🔄 Troubleshoot failure: Include a section to help readers get back on track if they encounter difficulties while implementing your advice.

Q & A

What is the first step Lisa recommends for structuring a self-help book?

The first step Lisa recommends is to start with a creative work plan, similar to an advertising creative brief, which helps to drill down on what's important, who the target audience is, and what message to convey to them.

What is the key fact in Lisa's self-help book about dating advice?

The key fact in Lisa's dating advice book is that getting dumped is awful and painful, and people are highly motivated to avoid such pain.

What does Lisa suggest as the second thing to figure out in a creative brief for a self-help book?

The second thing to figure out is the problem that the book must solve, which is what the reader needs.

What is the objective of a self-help book according to Lisa?

The objective of a self-help book is to have an impact on the reader's life, such as helping them make more money, lose weight, or become more confident in their business interactions.

How does Lisa define the strategy in her self-help book outline?

The strategy in Lisa's self-help book outline is about how to achieve the book's objective and help the reader solve their problem, including the specifics of how to make that happen.

Who should be the prime reader of a self-help book, as per Lisa's advice?

The prime reader should be the person who will buy the book, talk about it to their friends, and is well-defined by psychographics, demographics, and other relevant information about the target audience.

What is the importance of positioning in a self-help book as discussed by Lisa?

Positioning is important because it determines the category and specific segment in which the book will compete and gives a reason for the book's existence among numerous other books available.

What is the promise Lisa talks about in the context of a self-help book?

The promise is the best argument for why the reader should buy the book, outlining what they will gain from reading it and how it will help them achieve their goals.

Why does Lisa include a troubleshooting failure section in her self-help book outline?

Lisa includes a troubleshooting failure section to teach readers how to get back on track if they stumble and to express solidarity, acknowledging that change is hard and that it's common to face challenges.

What is the purpose of the 'future and beyond' section at the end of a self-help book, according to Lisa?

The 'future and beyond' section is meant to end the book on a positive and uplifting note, connecting with the reader and expressing faith in their ability to achieve the goals set out in the book.

Why is it important for the reader to have the author's contact information at the end of a self-help book?

Having the author's contact information allows readers to stay connected, share their progress, and get help with any unforeseen problems, fostering a sense of ongoing support and community.