Write Useful Books

Your book's promise should appear in (or at least be strongly implied by) its title and/or subtitle.

Your book's promise should appear in (or at least be strongly implied by) its title and/or subtitle. Problem-solving focus: Design your nonfiction book as a problem-solver rather than a pleasure-giver. Identify a specific problem or goal that your ideal reader has, and structure your book around providing a clear solution or path to achievement. This approach makes your book more recommendable and valuable to its target audience. Clear promise: Ensure your book's title and subtitle clearly communicate its promise to the reader. This helps potential readers quickly understand if the book is relevant to their needs and increases the likelihood of them purchasing and recommending it. Consider using a format that directly states the problem your book solves or the outcome it delivers. Examples of clear, problem-solving titles: "How to Stay Alive in the Woods" by Bradford Angier "The Workshop Survival Guide" by Rob Fitzpatrick and Devin Hunt "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

Listening and teaching are part of writing. Reader conversations: Engage in two types of conversations with potential readers before writing your manuscript: Listening/understanding conversations to verify and improve your scope Teaching/helping conversations to refine your table of contents and structure Table of Contents (ToC) optimization: Create a detailed ToC with clear, descriptive language and subsections that outline the book's main takeaways. Use this ToC as a blueprint for your book's educational design and to guide your conversations with potential readers. Tips for creating an effective ToC: Use clear, descriptive titles for sections and subsections Include the primary learning outcome or takeaway in each title Add detailed subsections to provide a comprehensive overview of the content

At least every few pages, you want your reader to be thinking, "Oh wow, I can use that." Value-per-page: Focus on delivering consistent value throughout your book. Aim to provide useful insights, actionable advice, or thought-provoking ideas on every page to keep readers engaged and motivated to continue reading. Front-loading strategies: Begin with your most impactful content to hook readers immediately Rearrange your content to insert pieces of real value earlier in the book Consider starting with your book's "big reveal" or main takeaways Editing for engagement: Use your Table of Contents to visualize the reader experience by adding word counts to section titles. This allows you to identify and address: A slow start Long slogs without major insights Sections with high word count relative to their value

Beta readers are neither paid professionals nor kindhearted friends. Rather, they are actual, honest-to-god readers who want what you're creating so badly that they're willing to endure an early, awkward, broken manuscript just to get it. Beta…