5 Ways To Generate Ideas For Your Business Book

It's one thing to know you want a business book, but where do you actually start? The first thing you need to do is decide on a relevant and interesting topic to write about. That in itself could take months, so here are my top tips for getting started on a business book your target audience will want to read:

1. Answer the question you get asked the most by your prospects/clients

Solving a problem for the people you want to work with is ideal. Your book will instantly be useful to them and will make them feel understood and connected with. Once they've learnt something from you, they'll understand who you are and what you do. It'll be a no-brainer for them to get in touch to continue the conversation.

2. Use existing content

No-one's expecting you to reinvent the wheel with your book. If you have a lot of content already in the form of presentation notes, blog posts and other publications, use it! Identify a central theme or point and develop it in your book. As a general rule, if you can talk on a topic for 90 minutes - 2 hours, you've got enough content to write a book.

3. Focus on creating value for the reader

While it might be tempting to use the book as a platform to promote your business services and processes, this shouldn't be the central point. Books are intelligent and educational, and that is what your reader will be expecting when they start reading. Not a 300 page sales pitch! Focus on giving away some of your best information, share questions and comments you'd usually reserve for a paid consultation and include a practical section in your book that your readers can interact with. Demonstrating how you can help is far more powerful than just telling someone.

4. Keep it simple

It's tempting to see a book as some sort of epic labour of love that takes months or years to create, but that can lead to over-complicating the whole process. Once you've identified central theme or question your book will address and you've pulled together all your existing content and research on the topic, pick out 5-10 main points, and use those as chapters. This automatically gives your book structure and you a plan to keep you on track. Order your chapters so that your book has a beginning, middle and end. It just needs to flow.

5. Let your ideal client lead the way

When used right, your book is a very powerful marketing tool. But that's just it; the key to having a successful book is on how you use it, rather than how long it takes you or how well it's written (although that certainly helps!) Ask yourself what the purpose of your book is and why it's important. Not just for you, but for the reader. If the aim of your book is to get more clients, imagine your best possible client and write for them. If the point is to elevate your thought leader status and get more speaking gigs, imagine yourself giving the talk of a lifetime and write for the people in that audience.

For more information on book writing and book marketing, visit our website at www.writebusinessresults.com. To speak with an expert on how they can take this off your plate altogether and do it for you, email Georgia at info@writebusinessresults.com