I went inside a work of art over the weekend. I thought it was called “The Hive” but now I am not so sure. But the point is that this artwork is beautiful from every angle (pic of one angle above).
That is how the ideas in your book must be.
When rough diamonds arrive at the cutting factories from the mines, they are pretty little pebbles. Until the jewellers sort and cut them, their true brilliance and potential are unclear. Before jewellers cut a diamond, they create a ‘cutting plan’ that details the size and angle of every facet based on the size, weight and colour of the diamond.
When you structure your book, you develop your “cutting plan”. If you have read my book—Overnight Authority: How to Win Respect, Command Attention and Earn More Money by Writing a Book in 90 Days—you will have narrowed your audience and have sorted your best ideas into piles of rough diamonds.
Now, to make your ideas shine, you must answer seven questions about each idea. These questions extract all the potential and beauty of your ideas.
The best books go deep. The seven questions take you deep. The primary messages you created for each chapter and subtopic in your chapter outline are your propositions—your rough diamonds. Answering these questions for every chapter idea and for every subtopic within your chapters shows your reader your expertise.
I’d love to share the 7 questions with you. If you’d like to know what they are, just email me at [email protected] and I will send it to you.
A secret between you and me…