A Book is an Experience
Information and expertise are table stakes.
I love all things business and so am always looking to expand my knowledge. About 10 years ago, I noticed I was having trouble reading almost all of the nonfiction business books the Internet (media, influencers, etc.) were recommending.
I’d plunk down my $24.95 on the amz and wait for the book to arrive. I’d crack it open in anticipation only to notice that by page 25 I was reading the same line over and over. Then, I would skim to the end of the page not remembering anything I read. Eventually I’d give up and add the book—which the media had informed me was important—to my book shelf, telling myself I’d tackle it…later.
I started to think there must be something wrong with me.
Then, I read Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, which I inhaled. All 304 pages of it. In three days. It was the first book in forever that I wished had not ended.
Big Magic made me realize my inability to stick with the other books wasn’t my fault. That it is the author’s responsibility to craft a journey that not only keeps me engaged but also over-compensates me for my travel time. (Big Magic did both of those things exquisitely well.)
I’ve always been a writer, but I actually didn’t set out to become a book editor. I became one because I knew-in-my-bones I could guide authors to create books that would deliver this kind of reader experience.
Books that people will gladly read cover-to-cover and be left genuinely wanting more and thus look for ways to continue the relationship.
Here’s the thing. A business book (properly deployed) has the potential of being your most effective 24/7 business development representative. The thing to keep in mind is that the experience that book creates is the reader’s first exposure to you and what it would be like to work with you.
Is the book well-organized or a stream of consciousness?
Is it written in plain English or loaded with industry jargon?
Does it reflect a repeatable process or require a leap of faith when it comes to how you might solve their problem?
Your goal: Create a book that not only delivers valuable information but also creates an experience so good that our reader will recommend it to others, if not make themselves known to us as a potential client.
Anyway, the net net is this:
If you are struggling to get through a nonfiction book, chances are it is not you, it’s the book.
If you write a book, it has to create an experience so good that it that will compel the reader to take some action, even if it’s just a recommendation.
If you are thinking about writing a business book to use as a business development tool, I invite you to buy an hour of my time so that I can share things more specific to your business that may increase your odds of success.
“Helena doesn’t just inspire; she elevates.” —Judd Labarthe, Founder and Managing Partner, Planner at Large LLP, and author of Swimming Downstream: How to Stop Struggling and Start Winning with Marketing that Actually Works.
