Last week, we covered the overall process of ghostwriting (at least, as I carry out the process). Now it’s time to dive a little deeper into the various facets of the process. We’ll start at the beginning with intention setting.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I talk about this topic a lot. But today, I want to take a different approach to it. In my previous blogs, I’ve taken more of a theoretical approach, with a focus on the importance of this step.
In this blog, I’d like to take a more practical approach, where we’re covering some of the steps of intention setting. Again, similar to how the process is tailored to the author and book, the intention-setting process will be truly unique to each author and book.
However, we can still get those creative juices flowing, so let’s dive in.
Your Goals for the Book
The first step in creating the foundation for your book is focusing on what your goals are. These can be multifaceted.
The primary area that authors focus on when setting goals for their book is the impact they want to make. This often relates to the type of change they want to see the book make, what they want their readers to do after reading the book, and how the book can create a broader ecosystem for them to be a change agent.
Relatedly, we’ll also talk about the goals specific to the author. This often relates to what the author wants to do with the book once it’s published. These goals may relate to things like booking more speaking gigs, landing more clients, building a bigger network, etc.
Another area that authors might focus on is their goals for the actual writing process. Writing a book, whether you’re physically doing it or working with a ghostwriter, can be a cathartic process. For some authors, their goals revolve around this process itself.
You’ll notice that I left book sales out of the list of goals. The income gain directly from book sales should not be the primary factor in an author’s desire to write a book. The return on investment from a book often comes primarily from indirect sources like lead generation, speaking gigs, etc.
Who Are You Writing To?
Next, we’ll focus on the reader. While it may seem obvious, establishing who the reader is can be an overlooked step in the process. Without knowing who the reader is, the book will often be written too generically and won’t be able to fulfill its potential impact.
When establishing a reader, it’s helpful to think of one person that you’re going to be talking to, which we’ll want to have in mind throughout the writing process. Yes, other people that don’t align with this persona will also read the book and get benefit out of it, but having this one person in mind will help keep the tone and messaging on point.
Furthermore, having this one person in mind helps to keep the book more conversational. It allows the book to be written in a way that the reader feels the author is sitting on their living room couch talking to them. Writing to a generic audience makes this more difficult to do, which can lead to preaching.
Some ways to develop a persona are to think about an idea client you’ve worked with, an ideal client you’d like to have, a friend you think you could help, your past self, etc. For developing the persona, there are many options, but it’s helpful to think of someone you know.
Your Goals for the Reader
While it’s important to think of your own goals for the book, a majority of the intention-setting process actually focuses on the reader. If the reader isn’t at the forefront of the intentions for the book, it won’t resonate with them. We don’t want the readers asking “so what?” as they read your book. We want the information to click and the stories to feel relatable. Putting this focus on the reader will ultimately help you to achieve your personal goals.
Once the persona of the reader has been established, you can start to talk about what your goals for this person are. You’ll want to start by working backward by asking what you want the reader to do after they’re finished reading. Do you want them to sign up for your services? Do you want them to make a lifestyle change? Do you want them to engage with you in some other way? Listen to/read additional resources? What you want them to do drives the tone and content of the book.
You’ll also want to think about what you want the reader to learn. This relates to the impact you want to have and is the primary driver of what the content of your book will revolve around. We want readers to learn a lot, but we don’t want the book to be unfocused. So, if there was one thing you wanted your reader to learn, what would it be?
It’s also helpful to have in mind what objections the reader might have. None of your content will resonate if you’re not addressing the objections of the reader, because without this, they’ll be skeptical for the entire book and likely won’t take the desired action. Think about counterarguments throughout the process and address them.
If you’d like to learn more about shaping your intentions for your book, I’d love to chat with you. Feel free to book a free strategy session using the link below!
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.