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1 | Book Writing Checklist š For New Nonfiction Authors š | ||
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5 | HOW TO USE: 1. Click "File" 2. Click "Make a copy..." 3. Edit for your own book! | ||
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7 | PLANNING | Resources to Help More | |
8 | Who are you writing for? - Consider demographics such as: age, gender, education level, stage in business, etc. - Consider psychographics such as: Interests and hobbies, lifestyle, personality, values, beliefs, and attitudes. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content and messaging. | Check out P1: Plan in my free Bestselling Author training | |
9 | What will you get out of the book? - What are your goals for your self, your brand, and/or your business? - Writing a book takes time and effort, so what's the pay off for you? - How can a book move someone from "Everyone" to "Visitor" to "Lead" to "Opportunity" to "Client" and to "Brand Evangelist"? - How else will you leverage your 'Author Expert' status? Knowing the 'selfish why' will help you push through the obstacles that may arise. | ||
10 | What will the reader get out of the book? 1. What transformation will they get as a result of reading your book and implementing what you share? 2. What can you teach them that they know they want to know? 3. What can you teach them that they don't know they want to know but really need to know? 4. What stories of triumph after struggle can you share to encourage them and make them see that it is possible for them too? 5. What bonus resources can you share (for free) so that they can better implement what you teach? Knowing the 'selfless why' will help you push through the obstacles that may arise too! | ||
11 | What is your greater vision/purpose aside from or in addition to the book? - What is your 'core why'? - What are your long-term business goals & legacy desires? - What do you want to be known for & who do you want to impact? (be specific) Posting this on your wall can help you during the writing process and beyond. | ||
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13 | OUTLINING: NO IDEA TO AWESOME OUTLINE: The P.S.T. Method | Resources to Help More | |
14 | ā¢ Block out time in the morning (ideally) to brainstorm/mindmap/write/think. Put it in your calendar and keep it a priority. | I use Google calendars | |
15 | ā¢ (P): Post-It Notes! - Idea dump everything onto paper or post-it notes - Move ideas around, group them, regroup them, see new connections | post it notes | |
16 | ā¢ (S) Spiderweb Mindmap! - Pick 1 idea (or 1 combo of related ideas) and put into the center of a mindmap (paper or digital) How to pick?? Well...which will best help you: (1) sell more of your products or services (2) get more media attention which then helps you sell more of your products & services? - Idea dump again, this time just around the 1 idea (or 1 combo). This will look like a spider web with your core idea in the middle. | mindmeister.com | |
17 | ā¢ (T) Timeline - Take all the subtopics around your core idea and organize them into a logical list in the order people *should* learn them step by step...in chronological order. - This is your final book outline! Congrats! It's awesome. | ||
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19 | WRITING YOUR BOOK: OVERVIEW | Resources to Help More | |
20 | ā¢ Block out time in the AM to write (if it's not on your calendar and a priority, other things will always push it to 'later.') | How Long Will It Take to Write My Book? | |
21 | ā¢ I recommend using Scrivener to write your book instead of Word (I hate it) or Google Docs (the export for file types for Kindle don't work well, sadly). It's $45, one-time, and they have a free trial. More robust for Mac than PC though. So, if you have a PC and like Word, don't switch! | Scrivener for Mac | |
22 | Scrivener for PC | ||
23 | ā¢ Think about the order you will write things. My recommendation? It's like a veggie burger! Two buns and a patty. Start writing with the 'veggie patty' and do the intro and outro (or buns) last. - Part 1: all the intro parts of the book (top bun) - Part 2: the awesome outline you came up with above (the veggie patty) - Part 3: all the outro parts of the book (bottom bun) | ||
24 | ā¢ Repurposing time savers? Look back at content you already have to see what you can repurpose into your chapters! Ideas for what to repurpose: - blogs - podcasts (transcribe them) - videos (transcribe them) - long social media posts - email marketing send outs - emails responses to client questions (FAQ answers) | ||
25 | ā¢ Remember to put in 'compelling copy' as you write that: - 1: shows the reader you are an expert, but not a braggy show-off š¤Ŗ - 2: tells the reader how to get more info and work with you further - 3: proves to the reader you can help them too (featuring clients is a great way for this!) | ||
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27 | WRITE YOUR BOOK: PART 2 - THE VEGGIE PATTY | Resources to Help More | |
28 | ā¢ Put your Awesome Outline into Scrivener (or Word) and pick a chapter to write! - You do NOT have to write in order...start where there is the least resistence to get momentum - There is no 'right' number of chapters. Add or subtract from below based on your book's content. | ||
29 | ā¢ Chapter 1 | ||
30 | ā¢ Chapter 2 | ||
31 | ā¢ Chapter 3 | ||
32 | ā¢ Chapter 4 | ||
33 | ā¢ Chapter 5 | ||
34 | ā¢ Chapter 6 | ||
35 | ā¢ Chapter 7 | ||
36 | ā¢ Chapter 8 | ||
37 | ā¢ Chapter 9+ | ||
38 | ā¢ Decide on a Title (Keep keywords in mind that your audience may be searching, but this part is often short and catchy) | ||
39 | ā¢ Decide on a Subtitle (Keep keywords in mind that your audience may be searching and give extra clarity to the reader who the book is for and what they will get from reading it) | ||
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41 | WRITE YOUR BOOK: Part 1 & 3 - THE BUNS | Resources to Help More | |
42 | ā¢ Write Part 1 | ||
43 | - Title Page | ||
44 | - Copyrights Page | ||
45 | - Table of Contents (if you use Scrivener, there are ways to generate it!) | ||
46 | - Dedication (optional) | ||
47 | - Foreword (from 'big name' in your field - optional) | ||
48 | - Introduction / What Will the Reader Get From This Book | ||
49 | - Reader Only Bonuses (recommended...to grow your email list) | ||
50 | ā¢ Write Part 3 | ||
51 | - Conclusion / Recap / Summary | ||
52 | - What's Next? (share how to connect with you further, your reader only bonuses, CTAs) | Note: You are not allowed to link out with affiliate links or to paid programs from your book per Amazon's terms and conditions. | |
53 | - About the Author (add links, contact info, social media handles, etc. so people can connect) | ||
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55 | CONGRATULATIONS! | FREE Resources to Help More | |
56 | Your book is now written! Par-tay!!! | š | |
57 | What should I do next? | š | |
58 | ā¢ Full Book Training, Step-by-Step (free) | How to Write and Self-Publish a #1 Bestselling Book on Amazon | |
59 | ā¢ Join Our Free Facebook Community | Become a Bestselling Author - Group | |
60 | ā¢ Get More Help | Tell Us More About Your Book Goals | |
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