How to Write a Business Book That Isn't Boring

Because our hashtag at Book Launchers is no Boring Books. I get asked the question all the time, how do you write a book about business that isn't boring? And if you've wondered that too, well then this video is for you. Hey there, I'm Julie the Book Broad, founder of Book Launchers, a fabulous full service self publishing company helping thought leaders and business experts write, publish and promote a book to grow a brand and a business. And guess what? Part of writing a book that is easier to promote is making it a book people want to read. Writing a book people tell other people about. So how do you write a business book that people actually want to read? Well, here are five tips to help you do that. Tip number one Write a book that is reader focused. This does require you know who your reader is and it's not a general demographic. But after your first draft is done, go back and see how many sentences, paragraphs and chapters start with I and try to change it to be reader focused. So instead of saying I walked into the room and saw, you could say imagine walking into a room and the first thing you see is or instead of I concluded this was the best approach. You could say after having that result multiple times, would you believe this is the best approach? Or the consistent results made it clear the was the best approach. Write for your reader. So bring them into your data, your expertise and your story. Meet them where they are in their career, their relationship, their health journey, and then help them through it to where they want to go. This is really important to writing a book for a reader and not writing a book for you. Tip 2 Feeding into that tip Share experiences or share stories that connect to emotions that your reader has felt in Self Publish and succeed. I share my experience of being rejected at the border for entry into the US and while the story has nothing to do with publishing, the feeling of rejection is universal and those feelings of helplessness and unfairness are universal. And in the case of my book, I tied it back to how authors can feel when they have to use Amazon and Amazon does something like remove reviews or something else that you can't control. So find experiences or emotions that will connect to your reader and and share them to build that shared experience feeling. Tip 3 this is especially important if you're used to technical writing or academic writing, but you want to write at the reader's level. Simplification is best unless your reader is highly technical or academic themselves. And even then why not make the book more enjoyable for all by writing at a simpler level? Big words and jargon make it hard to relate to you. And while there is a time and a place for them, if this is a business book that you want to sell to more than just your fellow PhDs, then let's write at a grade 8 level. Or if you can't write at a grade 8 level easily, ask your editor to help you get there. That way your reader will feel a connection to you and they don't have to work too hard to know what you're saying. Nobody feels smart when they have to use a dictionary to look up what a word means, like perfidious. I read a book the other day with that word, and by the context I figured it was a negative thing, but I had to look it up. The author could have just said, oh, the woman was disloyal or unfaithful, but instead the author chose a rather large, uncommon word which completely distracted me from what I was reading and sent me to Webster's online Dictionary to find out what the word meant. Use every chapter start and new section as an opportunity to hook that reader back in. Sometimes in nonfiction, you'll be writing something that a reader may not be interested in, so they'll scan ahead. I do this all the time to get the gist or determine what else is coming. If you have compelling subheadings or you start your chapters and sections off with things that draw the reader back in, you'll keep them reading. Of course you want great chapter titles, but it's also worth it to make your subheadings and new sections create curiosity and sell a benefit. You can use the same techniques that you should be using to start every chapter off. You can use a startling statistic. You can ask an engaging question. You can tell a story or just tease what's about to be shared and how it's going to impact the reader in in a way that matters to that reader. All of those things are a great way to keep a reader interested and keep them reading. Tip 5 Keep it concise this doesn't mean your book has to be super short, but it does mean you don't want to warm up for pages and pages to make a point. You can hit your reader right over the head well, gently with answers, quickly have an editor go through and trim the fat. This isn't fiction where you need to have pages of description to help set a scene or to develop a character. This is nonfiction, where a reader wants the outcome of an outcome. If you're a verbose writer, just ask your editor to help you trim it down so you can give the reader the essential details and nothing more. Writing a business book doesn't mean you have to write a boring book. In fact, there are plenty of opportunities to make it a great read. Take Corporate Counsel as an example. This is a book that helps you go from working in a private practice to holding a successful position as an in house lawyer. It's told in a story format so that it's fun and easy to read and the lessons are memorable. Anybody? You don't have to be a lawyer. Anybody can read and enjoy this because there's no legalese. That's pretty cool. So what's your favorite nonfiction read that was fun to read and why? Let's chat about it in the comments below. And when you comment the day a video is released, you get entered to win some sweet. Noboringbooksswag. Now, I think you're a pretty fabulous person and I would love to spend some more time with you. I perhaps you're feeling a little fear in your author journey. Well, this video will help you handle those fears. And if you're good with that and you're just excited to learn more, well, YouTube recommends you watch this video right here. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing you there.