author Archives | Jane Tabachnick & Co

Why You Need Stories In Your NonFiction Book

Our brains are wired for stories. They can create an emotional connection and are easier to remember than text or facts.

Your nonfiction book will be much richer if you include stories in it. You may have a compelling methodology, philosophy or message; the reader will benefit more and remember it longer if you include stories. A rich, textured, multisensory experience with a beginning, middle and an end, is much more enjoyable and memorable than straight theory.

I don’t remember a lot of what I learned in history class, but the stories my teacher shared with us about a historical figure, have stuck with me long beyond any textbook learning. The same will be true for stories you include in your book.

It’s important to carefully select the story or stories you include in your book; choose a story that your ideal reader will identify with, as well as one that showcases your best client work and results.

[clickToTweet tweet=”She Who Tells Stories Rules The World – Why You Need Stories in Your Nonfiction Book” quote=”She Who Tells Stories Rules the World – Native American Proverb”]

Here is how a story can enhance your book:

Demonstrates how the rubber meets the road; your book outlines a message, concept or theory that you are telling the reader about it. Showing is more compelling than telling! Your story shows the reader your concept in a real-life situation, making it easier for them to relate to it.

Allows readers to see themselves in your story; a well-chosen story is relatable to the reader as it helps them walk in the shoes of your client/hero and see themselves working with you.

Provides social proof. Your story shows how you helped a client go from problem to solution easily and quickly, providing proof that serves as a testimonial. It shows that you have done it successfully for the client in your story, and your reader will now know you’re capable of doing it for them.

Demonstrates to the reader you can help them go from where they are, to where they want to be, as evidenced by your well-selected case study. A well-written story will be so real that the reader can taste the result. They will see you as the one who can help them get the same result for themselves.

A well-chosen story is relatable. It confirms for the reader that you understand them and their problem. It shows that you know the solution, and have helped others working with you, overcome their challenges and obstacles.

Remember, as the native American proverb says, ‘She who tells the best stories rules the world.’

This first appeared on She Owns It

How to Profit From Your Book – The $7,000 Message

Ever get a $7000 message? My client did, and this is just one example of how to profit from your book.

I was at a training with my client Mai. The same workshop where I ate fire! Mai, called me over and was clearly so excited she couldn’t contain herself.

I couldn’t wait to see what the excitement was about.

“Look at this message I just got from a prospect. It’s all because of the book. Oh my gosh! Thank you” Jane.

Note: Mai worked with me to write and publish her book The Divorced Mom’s Guide to Dating. We got the book written and published [to bestseller status] in about 90 days.

The message, which you can see in the image to the left, was from a reader, who was so excited and ready to sign up for coaching with Mai after reading her book that she emailed her and then sent her this message on Facebook to make sure Mai saw it as soon as possible.

**How Mai’s book created a ready to buy $7000 coaching client**

People buy from those that they know, like and trust. People can get a sense of you and your work from your book, if it’s written and set up correctly. What we did in Mai’s case was:

Tell her story, so readers connected with her instantly
Share client stories – so readers could relate to ‘people just like them’, who were in ‘situations just like them’ and who got ‘the outcomes they are seeking’
Give people a taste of her methodology/coaching program in the book
Include worksheets so that readers could start to do the work/ begin to experience results from Mai’s work
Included a beautiful invite to Mai’s bi-annual live event.

Have you ever tried to learn something from a book or program on your own?

What was the outcome?

As is often the case, people find that they are only able to get so far via a book or self-paced coaching or learning program, and then realize they need additional, more personalize support to reach their goals. That was the case with Mai’s reader. She’d gone as far as she could on her own, and she already saw Mai as the answer to a problem she was desperate to solve. So she signed up for a $7000 coaching program with Mai.

Imagine getting a text like this! If you are like me, and selling is not something you like to do….having clients lined up excited to sign up with you is pretty attractive. As a salesperson friend of mine joked, when I showed them the message Mai received, the only thing left to ask is ‘Visa or Mastercard?’

Ready to package your expertise and method into a book, and attract ready to buy readers? Let’s talk.

5 Ways You Should Be Using Your Nonfiction Book to Make Money

How a Business Coach Landed Clients With His Book

4 Ways Writing a Book Can Grow Your Business

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How to Become an Author When You Hate to Write – Part 2

Staring down the blank page with the thought of having to start writing your book is enough to keep most people from simply getting started. Even published, successful writers will speak about the challenge of writing. Continuing on from part 1 of how to become an author when you hate to write, I wanted to speak more about our favorite way of creating books; via an interview.

How to Become an Author When You Hate to Write – Speak Your Book!

The fact is that many people are more comfortable speaking than they are writing. So speaking about their business is easier and less intimidating. It’s something they have probably done hundreds of times, compared to writing about their business.

[clickToTweet tweet=”“You can fix anything but a blank page.” – Nora Roberts. How to ‘write’ a book easily” quote=”“You can fix anything but a blank page.” – Nora Roberts”]

The key to creating a good book from an interview, like any other book, is to have a strategy and a plan.With an interview book you also need to design your questions. The easiest way to think about what would make for a good question, is to start with the end in mind. What story are you trying to tell? And then ask a question, whose answer will help tell that story.

You may have heard me speak about using interviews to create books, and all types of content. The simplicity of speaking into a tape recorder, dictation software, or your phone and recording the conversation doesn’t require a learning curve. You can then have the audio transcribed into text. Now you have the raw content for your book. Easy peasy!

We have the content edited to remove ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. In the editing and review process, you can also add any content that may have left out in the initial interview. Next we create an intro and a summary for the book; this can be outsourced so as to really keep the process 100% writing free on your part. Now your content is ready to be published.

Our authors tell us that they enjoy the process. In addition to being more comfortable than writing, speaking is an activity most people really enjoy – especially if it involves talking about themselves.

I sometimes interview myself to create content or chapters for my own books. If the thought of doing that sounds downright silly, you are not alone. You can enlist the help of someone else to fill the role of interviewer for your book. Due to the ease of recording over a phone or conference line, your interviewer doesn’t have to live near you, they can be anywhere in the world.

As an example, the One Problem One Solution [OPOS] book is a great strategy for an interview style nonfiction book. The OPOS is a book that focuses on your clients’ biggest problem, and how you provide the solution. I don’t mean in marketing speak or a salesy way, but by designing your interview questions to tell your reader about your solution in a story format. Think of it like turning your business’s frequently asked questions [F.A.Q] into an interview and conversation with examples and case studies.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Key to creating a book from an interview is to have a strategy and a plan. #author ” quote=”The key to creating a good book from an interview, like any other book, is to have a strategy and a plan.”]

You could certainly take the interview format and have an editor turn it into straight text, if you prefer.

If being a published author is still on your bucket list, or you are ready to be an author again and create your next book, but you hate to write, consider using the interview process to get your content created. Speaking your book leaves you much more free to do it, rather than over-thinking your book the way that many of us do when are staring at a blank page. You will probably have fun and enjoy the process. And, you’ll get your book done much more quickly. Not only is that a feeling of accomplishment, you can also check it off your to do list!

To find out about working with us to create your book go here

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How to Become an Author When You Hate to Write

It would seem to be an oxymoron that you can become an author if you hate to write, however it is in fact possible. You can do so in the 4 ways I outline below without requiring a ghostwriter to create your content.

Maybe a book is on your bucket list, and is one of the things that just seems to be getting put off and off… Maybe the thought of writing a book is overwhelming… and maybe you aren’t even sure how to get started.

Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, but your path to being an author doesn’t have to start with a blank page!

[clickToTweet tweet=”The road to publishing a book doesn’t have to start with a blank page” quote=”The road to publishing a book doesn’t have to start with a blank page”]

This simple idea about book creation may put your mind at ease, and make it easier to get into action and get your book started, and completed before the end of the year. There are ways to ‘write’ a book that you may not have considered, and may be less overwhelming or intimidating than starting with a blank page to write your business book.

Here are the top four types of books that will allow you to become an author even if you hate to write

1. Compilation of blog posts or articles can be bundled together to create a book. By turning your content into a book, and publishing it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and other online retailers, you are able to extend your reach and get in front of new audiences.

2. Radio or podcast interviews can create great content for your book. The audio file can be transcribed into text to form the basis for your book. Once published, the radio/podcast hosts will be helpful in promoting the book as they are mentioned i
n it.

3. Speeches or presentations you have given can be turned into books. A speech is often developed on paper first, so already have your text draft you can use to create your book. If you have a recording of your presentation you can also have it transcribed and turned into text.

This J.K. Rowling Book is the transcript of a speech she gave at Harvard University in 2008. It is 81 pages long.

4. Curate other people’s content around a theme. The content can be articles or blog posts that other people have written. It’s easier to go with content that’s already written, than to invite people to write new content and then hope that they comply with your deadlines. This book is not only easy to put together, but has a built in marketing team as the contributors will gladly promote a book they are featured in.

Once you have collected your content, you will need to have it edited for typos and grammatical errors. You can leave an interview in its Q and A style. You just need to add an introduction and a summary to the content and you now have a book!

For eBooks, you don’t need to be too concerned about the length. Amazon has categories for shorter books, as does Barnes and Noble and Kobo. For print books, there are length requirements but they are a lot shorter than you would think at 24 pages [that is 24 individual sides or 12 leafs]

With our short attention spans today, a concise book that is easy to read, and on point with no fluff is often more appealing than a big fat book. It can also help you become a published author more easily, so you can begin to reap the benefits this year, next year and beyond!

The beauty of getting your book done this year is that you will end this year on a high note, and be poised to start 2017 off with a
bang, as you’ll be a published author and be able to leverage that status and receive all the credibility and benefits that are possible along with it.

Read Part 2- How to become an author when you hate to write