How to write the best self-help book

Self-help books, or in other words personal development books, are getting extremely popular nowadays. In the modern world where technologies progress at a rapid speed, people want to improve themselves, to think and grow becoming better every day.

First of all, let us have a good look at the very definition of the self-help book.  Self-help genre books are written with the aim to help other people with their troubles. The self-help book is often based on the author’s own experience. For many people, the writer becomes an example and a real inspiration to move forward and reach goals. Such a book helps you to find the right path and create the life of your dream. The main task that lies behind the book is to help the reader follow the road of both self-development and self-improvement.

If you take the following advice concerning writing book into consideration, you may stand a chance to write one of the best self-help books ever.

Think long and hard about the topic

Think of the topic for your self-help book thoroughly. There is a big list of things to write a book about.  People face different situations and challenges every day, which leaves a mark on their lives. Similar problems and difficulties make them look for support and help. No matter which topic you’ll choose, you will always find your readers.
People want to know stories of successful people. The audience wants to become better by following their steps in life and business. If you guide spiritual enlightenment and influence people’s lives, they’ll take an interest in your book and will definitely buy it.

One more thing to remember when picking a topic is to be as specific as possible. Thus, you will be able to bring up the question and tell your story fully. For example, do not pick something like “best ways to make good money.” Instead, you may pick “best ways to make good money if you’re a college student.”  Moreover, make sure your advice will be effective and can work for any person.

Who are your target readers?

Every self-help author should understand for whom they write and why. It is necessary to know your audience and the problems they deal with. Only then you will be able to help them ride out the storm. Before writing a new book, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is your target reader?
• Which age group they belong to?
• Is your book for a female or male audience?
• Why should the pick exactly your book?

Answers to those questions will help you to get the idea of the book and meet your reader’s needs. Reading the book should evoke the feeling of communication with the author, whose advice can transform and heal your life. That is why it is of vital importance for the writer to know who is his/her listener.

Get an insight into self-help book examples

While you pit wits with the topic and the audience of the book, take a look at already existing samples of development books. If it is your first book, the examples might help you to understand how to arrange the content in your book; which book covers are good; how the writer’s used techniques to tell the stories of their purpose has driven life. In addition, you may compare them and decide what the author could do to make the book better. You can make a list of similarities and differences, what you like and dislike.  Also, when you’re writing, do not forget, that you have to create something unique, which has no precedents and will take the reader immediately.

Here is a list of help literature written by people, who became successful and grow rich.

1. David D. Burns ”Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy”

The average reader gets acquainted with the theory, that has stayed within academia for a long time. Book uses special help methods for people to get over depression and to get rid of destructive thoughts. Everything is under the control of a professional psychotherapist. Theories advanced by Burn have put Psychology as a science to a new level. The book is among ones, which influence you awakening your lives.

2. Malcolm Gladwell “Outliers: The Story of Success”

Another popular self-help book contains a range of factors, that influence your success. His own experience gained during the time when he worked as a journalist and Psychology helped him to explain theories residing in society. Real life examples of ordinary people are becoming successful that is what Gladwell dwells upon. He breaks down each success into steps and shows that you have everything to reach success.

3. Carol Dweck “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

The book is a collection of findings received during research carried out by a professor at Stanford University. Her theory states that our line of thinking is closely connected with skills and demeanor when it comes to attaining aims. Carol divided a line of thinking into fixed and growth ones. A person with a fixed line of thinking is sure that traits are taken by inheritance, and there is no chance to improve them. A person with a growing line of thinking, on the contrary, believes that everything is possible, you just need to try to do your best and make an effort to achieve a goal. It teaches to power your subconscious and changes your mindset from a fixed into a growth one.

4. Rick Warren “The Purpose-Driven Life”

The book became a bestseller and is published in almost all languages. The topic of the book lies in the belief to follow the plan of God and fulfill your life. The writer broke down the book into 40 chapters, meaning that the reader should read a chapter a day. The book is a spiritual enlightenment guide, filled with biblicism to remind the reader of the perfect life of Christians.

5. Kahlil Gibran “The Prophet”

This one definitely deserves to be read by everyone who wants to charge life and gain power positive thinking. The center of the story revolves around a prophet who communicates with citizens and waits for a ship to board. The writer brings up the subject of marriage, love, good, evil, religion and so on. The book has served as a life guide for more than 50 years and seems to go ahead for at least the same time.

Self-help book needs to be structured.

Like any writing, self-help book has its peculiarities when it comes to its structure. However, if you take into consideration our advice, you’ll face no difficulties.

Choose an outline

Writing outlines is crucial in self-help books. It will help you to make yourself clear in your thoughts and statements. The text will be arranged in a way so that it is readable, and contain more information required by the reader.
First of all,  introduce yourself. What did push you to start writing such a book? Tell about the very moment when you have determined yourself to write.

Secondly, choose a variety of chapters and outline them.  Now, that you have chapters, you begin with the first one, where you give an explanation why something hurts you. It’s your time to find a connection with a reader.

The following chapter includes the resolution of the problem. Tell readers how did you reach the understanding of the problem and manage to cope with it. Here you give your advice and tell about the lessons life has given to you. You may dwell upon the efficacy of your advice.

The third chapter and the following ones turn into bit-by-bit instruction, where you explain and describe everything in details.

In the last chapter, a reader expects you to sum everything up, maintaining a positive tone of the story. You are supposed to encourage the reader to act and carry into effect all the things mentioned before. You may give some simple task, to begin with, so that the reader can consolidate the theory.

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