Long ago, as a child, I used to count the white milestone posts on family car trips. One each mile with the number painted on the angled top of the post. Why does this matter for authors?
When you write your book, you are setting a lofty goal: To help your readers reach a nirvana, an ideal state that matters very much to them. Every book offers readers a nirvana. Even the manual for your car has a nirvana: a perfectly running car.
Your job is to explain the steps your readers must take or the milestones they must reach to achieve this outcome (and solve all their problems).
Let’s look at the structure of my book Overnight Authority: How to Win Respect, Command Attention and Earn More Money by Writing a book in 90 Days. There are 9 steps:
- Start with who.
- Choose your best ideas.
- Create your outline.
- Flesh out your chapters.
- Avoid three common writing mistakes.
- Accelerate your first draft.
- Review your chapters.
- Overcome self-doubt.
- Publish: edit, design, and print.
What are the milestones that your clients take on the journey from pain to nirvana?