A great deal of my experience copywriting for coaches has centered on developing core marketing messages for their books and programs. How to write these marketing messages is typically the focus of this blog.
However, this week I’m going to change things up and illustrate how simple it can be to write the non-fiction coaching book that’s been simmering inside you. 
But, before I dig into this week’s topic, I’d like to first ask you …
…A Couple Quick Questions
I’ve been planning my activities for 2018, and I really look forward to sharing what I’ve learned from the message development projects I’ve worked on in the last year.
But before I roll out anything new, I would enjoy getting answers from you to two simple questions. So, if you could take a moment to reply to me or leave a comment with your answers, I’d really appreciate it.
- When it comes to writing copy for your books/products, do you lean more toward doing it yourself, or having the writing done for you?
- If you had bought an online program or product last year on copywriting, what would the specific topic have been?
That’s it. Again, if can let me know the answers to these two questions, I’d really appreciate it.
Yes, You Are “Expert” Enough to Write a Book
Now, let’s get into how easy it can be to write your first …or your next …book.
One thing that holds many coaches back from writing their book is the feeling that they are not enough of an expert.
I can relate to this.
About 10 years ago I published my book, Essential Sales Writing Secrets. When I was writing it, here is what I said to an older consultant I admired named, Jim:
“To be honest, Jim …I’m not really sure if I’m ‘expert’ enough to write a book.”
Without missing a beat, Jim looked me in the eye and said …
“You don’t get it, Casey. You don’t write a book because you’re an expert …you’re an expert because you wrote a book.”
Jim was right. I published my book and soon I was …
- Seen by prospects and peers as an authority in my field
- Invited to speak at industry events and conferences
- Asked to be interviewed by bloggers and podcast hosts
Bottom line, writing a book unlocks a multitude of opportunities that can elevate you in your field. If you have clients who have paid for your services, that should be proof enough that you have valuable information to share with the world.
So just put yourself out there and go for it!
Your Book May Already Be Half Done
The late self-development icon, Wayne Dyer, used to say, “Don’t die with your music still in you.” The same could be said about writing your book. So now is the time to take action.
Plus, you may be further along in your dream of writing a book than you realize if you’ve written any of the following materials for your business.
- Blog posts
- Presentations
- Social media posts
- Marketing content
- Business/marketing plans
- Speaking points
- Video scripts
All these materials can be repurposed into content for your book. So, you may already be half way home!
Create Your Outline
After you’ve gathered your existing content, and thought about additional material you’ll need, simply organize your book into chapters and sections.
An easy way to do this is to create what I call a content map. This is easy to do. Just develop a list of chapter headings. Below each one list several subheads related to your chapter topic.
These subheads will serve as sections within each chapter of your book. If I were to write a new book about copywriting, here is what a content map for two chapters might look like.
Core Message Platforms
- What a Core Message Platform is and why it’s your must-have tool
- Choose the voice through which you’ll write your marketing messages
- Detail the human value provided by your product
- Describe your unique selling proposition
- Create messages that overcome potential objections
Website Writing
- Develop compelling headlines and subheads
- Make your copy at-a-glance friendly
- Create call-to-action and special-offer lines
- Focus your copy on one primary topic per page
- Integrate keywords and phrases into your copy
As you can see, developing a content map for a non-fiction book is relatively simple.
Be Conversational and Easy on the Eye
My book writing style is a little unique. I stay away from the old-school format of boring block paragraph writing that looks like a slog to read. Writing one chunky paragraph after the next in a stiff, formal voice has always bored me, so I don’t write that way.
Maybe you feel the same.
If you do, write your book in the same authentic, conversational voice in which you speak. And instead of writing long chunky paragraphs, write in what I call an “at-a-glance-friendly” style. This entails writing in a format that features a liberal use of …
- Headlines
- Subheads
- Short paragraphs
- Bullet points
This easy-on-the-eye form of writing makes your book quick and easy to read, which is what people are looking for these days.
Take the Pizza Slice Approach
The biggest challenge you may face when writing a book …is finding the time to do it! Here’s your solution.
Avoid looking at your book from the viewpoint that you have endless hours of writing ahead of you. You’ll immediately feel overwhelmed and paralyzed.
Instead, find a 20-minute “slice of time” once or twice a day to write. Maybe for you this means first thing in the morning, or the first 20 minutes after lunch.
Maybe it just means writing for 20 minutes before you go to bed. That’s easy enough.
During each 20-minute slice, go all out with your writing. No calls, no texting, no daydreaming. Just jam big time for 20 minutes. Heck, you may even loose track of time and go for 30 minutes. No harm in that.
In only 10 days, my pizza slice approach adds up to 200 minutes of writing. Make time for two slices a day, and in 10 days you’ve worked on your book for 400 minutes. It adds up quick!
You’ll be amazed how much writing you can do when you work in 20-minute slices. The pages will really start to pile up!
Plus, there’s no rule that says you have to write your book fast. Take the time to breathe and enjoy life. Use my pizza slice approach and give yourself permission to complete your book in six months or even a year.
Relax and have fun with the process. Just like you would if you were eating pizza. But remember, don’t die with your book still in you!
*****
Will this post help put you on a path to writing your first book …or your next book? Please leave a comment and let me know! If you need more information, just shoot me an e-mail.
If you got a knowledge boost from this post I encourage you to share it with your crowd!
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