When you write and publish a business book, you’re sharing your heart and soul with your audience.
If this is your first book (or even if it’s not!) you might be wondering how to make sure that it’s a knockout that encourages your ideal clients to beat a path to your door and work with you.
In this blog I’m going to share the five key points you want to consider based on my years of expertise supporting aspiring authors to share their message with the world.
Before we do that, remember that if you seek perfection it’s highly likely your book will be confined to your hard drive forever and never see the light of day. The points I share below are specifically designed to support you to complete a final edit immediately before publication; you will already have discussed the content with your editor in depth, and this is your opportunity to give your book the ultimate polish before it goes to proofread.
The 5 points you need to consider to make sure your book is good to go
- Content: consider the quality and depth of the content, are you happy with at least 80 per cent of it? Are there any loose ends? Is there consistency with regard to the level of detail it provides? Does the content represent your knowledge, your humour, your heart and soul?
This is your opportunity to share more of you with your readers, build a strong connection, and bring them closer to working with you.
- Structure: as you review this draft (just before it heads off to design), read it for the enjoyment of reading it. Imagine that someone else is the author and you are picking it up for the first time. Does it flow or do you feel like you are stopping and starting?
Are the points being made in each chapter clear, or do you find yourself wading into a topic that’s off point? If the reader is signposted to another chapter for more information on a specific point, check that that point is covered within that section. Does anything feel clunky or awkward? Is your book a smooth read?
- Visual: how does the inside of your book look at first glance? Are the paragraphs and fonts easy to read? Is there a useful peppering of subheadings? Are the chapter lengths well balanced?
This is a useful time to send your book (as a document) to other people and ask for their input. Remember that when your book is in draft, it’s an A4 document. Once it has been formatted into book form it will be much smaller; a long paragraph on an A4 document might consume an entire page in a smaller book. You want your work to be nicely laid out so that it’s visually appealing, otherwise readers will tire of the effort it takes to enjoy your work.
Where appropriate use graphics – such as charts, diagrams, illustrations – or insert case studies or quotes in a different format throughout the book; it helps break up the text for the reader and is easier on the eye. Think about the visual components you could use to bring your message to life for your ideal audience.
- Language: sometimes when I read an edited book I can see that the content is technically spot on, but perhaps it’d benefit from another layer to embellish the existing language. Consider whether it needs more warmth or colour, or if the sentences have rhythm (say no to monotone!). Also, remember that you want to maintain readability and keep your work digestible (think 10-year-old). You don’t need lots of five syllable words; you want to keep the reader engaged so that they gain the most value from your work.
- Anchoring: is your message clear? Does it feel grounded? Are the points you raise anchored in meaning? Can your ideal reader pick up your book, dip into it at any chapter and understand the point you are driving home? Will the reader have to flick back several pages to create context for what you are saying?
Whenever you state a point or share advice, anchor in what that means to the reader; you want to answer the “so what” or “why should that matter to me” question because that’s what gives your book impact (and hopefully creates multiple recommendations!).
I hope you’ve found this checklist helpful; these are the five key perspectives (content, structure, language, visuals, anchoring) to consider when your editor returns your book to you for review.
If you can answer the questions above in a favourable manner you’re well on your way to getting your valuable message out into the world and helping create a positive impact on the lives and businesses of your readers.
If you’d like support to build your personal brand through content creation why not click here and get in touch for your complimentary consultation? At Write Business Results we have a team of experts ready to work with you to bring your message to life.