Content is king.
As a business owner, you know that. You also know why a book is the ultimate piece of content—one that will position you as an expert, make you stand out from the competition and reach more potential clients. You’ve even had a go at writing a book yourself.
But how do you know which of your ideas is the one you should write about? Where do you even start?
I regularly work with authors who know they want to write a book but don’t know what it should be about. And every time I tell them this:
Write about your reader’s problem.
If you know who your ideal client is—the person you most want to work with—you’ll know a lot about their problem already. So the next question for your book is: how can you describe that problem to them in a way they’ve never been able to articulate?
Resonating with your reader is the first thing your book should do. If they know you understand, they’re more likely to trust you to help them solve it.
So think deeply about your reader’s problem. Where does it come from? What’s stopping them from solving it? How does it affect their daily life?
If you’re struggling to see what your reader’s problem is, think about it like this: What does your reader search for or share in their area of interest? What question or scenario do they have that you could be a part of?
For example, if you run a vegan street food company, you may think your reader doesn’t have a problem at all. They eat because they’re hungry; they choose your food because it’s delicious. But a little bit of research might uncover that your reader struggles to think of everyday vegan recipes they can make at home. So a vegan street food cookbook might be the solution they’re looking for.
Think about the lifestyle your reader has and the things they aspire to.
On the other hand, your reader’s problem might be all too obvious. In this case, your next job is to narrow it down. Spreading the subject of your book too wide will make it difficult to write and leave you struggling for market share. Focus on one aspect of the problem you can solve in your book.
So here’s a recap—some of the things to think about when deciding what subject to write about:
• Who is your reader?
• What is their problem?
• What are they searching for and sharing online?
• What inspires them?
• What related industries or subjects are they interested in?
• How can you narrow down your subject to appeal to a specific need?
If you want to write a book but don’t know what to write about, the Business Book Kickstarter is a great way to get going. It kicks off on the 1st of every month.
Or if you’d prefer to work with me one to one to plan your book, check out my in-person Book Planning Day.