If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, you’re probably eager to get started and excited about the prospect of becoming an author. After all, the benefits of writing a book are numerous, from building your personal brand to transforming your business and expanding your visibility online.
But the reality is, most people don’t know how to go about writing a business book. It’s not as simple as sitting down at your computer, opening a word processor, and composing a manuscript. You need to have an outline in place, you need to know how to research and write with authority, and you need to have a solid understanding of the different components that make up a book.
If you’re ready to take your book marketing efforts to the next level, then keep reading. We’ve got five actionable tips that’ll help you write your business book faster.
Conduct market research
One of the most important steps you can take when writing a business book is to conduct market research. Not only will this give you a better understanding of your audience, but it will also allow you to tailor your marketing efforts to fit the right readers.
There are a number of ways to go about this, but one of the easiest methods is to conduct surveys. You can use tools online like SurveyMonkey or Typeform, to conduct online surveys and get valuable market insights.
Another important part of your market research is learning about your competitors. What do their books cover? What are their audiences’ expectations? What are their selling points?
Getting to know your competitors will come in handy later on when marketing your own book, as it’ll allow you to better connect with your audience.
Outline your book before you start writing
You’ve probably heard this advice before, but it’s true nonetheless. Before you start writing your book, outline every chapter.
Outlining your book will help you stay focused, avoid writer’s block, and prevent you from getting side-tracked by tangents. This is especially important if you’re writing a non-fiction book, as a novel can easily grow without logical reasons.
By outlining your book, you’re also ensuring that each chapter flows naturally from the next. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a book that’s full of gaps and rambling sentences. Outlines will help you stay organized, avoid this, and keep your book concise and to-the-point.
Assign keywords to every chapter of your book outline
It’s important to have keywords assigned to every chapter in your book. In fact, you could even create a special book structure document that contains these keywords. These keywords are some key ideas that must be covered for that chapter to be sure each chapter is in alignment and doesn’t drift off topic.
Heading into keywords can be daunting for some authors, but it doesn’t have to be. You can assign keywords to each chapter when you complete your full book outline.
Write a synopsis of your book
Writing a book synopsis is optional, but it’s a great way to get everything organized in your mind.
A synopsis is essentially a brief summary of your book that lets readers know what the book is about and what they can expect. Summaries are especially helpful when beta readers are reading your work, as they’ll allow you to focus on the parts of your book that are most important.
You can use these book summaries to both help you structure your book and as an outline for what’s inside.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback
Getting honest, constructive feedback is something that all authors should receive. But when you’re just starting out, you might be afraid to ask for it.
Remember, you have every right to share your work and ask for feedback. When you’re comfortable doing so, you can start asking colleagues, peers, and authors you respect for their thoughts on your writing.
The more you receive feedback, the easier it will be for you to identify and correct any issues with your writing.
Ready to write faster?
Writing a business book isn’t a simple task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either. With a little effort and perseverance, you can produce a quality book that your audience will value.
The tips and hacks we’ve outlined in this post will help you write your book faster and help you create a better final product. So, are you ready to start writing?
