Content Creation Tips for Non-Fiction Authors
You've probably noticed it on your own bookshelf—those half-read non-fiction books with bookmarks stuck somewhere around chapter three. They seemed promising when you started, but somewhere along the way, you lost the thread. The content felt more like a data dump than a journey, and you quietly moved on to something else. As a non-fiction author, the last thing you want is for your book to become another abandoned read gathering dust on someone's nightstand. The difference between books that get finished and books that get forgotten comes down to one critical element: organizing your content around your reader's transformation, not your own expertise.
Start With Your Reader's Transformation
One of the biggest mistakes non-fiction authors make is organizing their book around what they know instead of what their reader needs to learn. They create a table of contents that makes logical sense to them as the expert, but leaves readers confused about how to actually apply the information.
Here's a better approach: Before you write a single chapter, map out your reader's transformation journey from Point A (their current struggle) to Point B (their desired outcome). Then build your content around the specific steps, mindset shifts, and tools they need to make that journey successfully.
Try this exercise:
Write down these three statements:
1. "My reader is currently struggling with..."
2. "After reading my book, they will be able to..."
3. "The biggest obstacle preventing their transformation is..."
Once you have clarity on these three elements, your content practically organizes itself. Each chapter becomes a milestone on their transformation journey, rather than just another topic to cover. This approach ensures every piece of content you create serves a specific purpose in moving your reader forward.
Remember: Your readers don't care about everything you know. They care about the specific knowledge that will change their situation. When you organize your content around their transformation instead of your expertise, you create a book they can't put down—and more importantly, one they'll actually implement.
The result? A book that doesn't just inform, but truly transforms. And transformed readers become your most powerful advocates.
You may be saying, but I’m not very organized, do you have a template that can assist me in starting my book?
Why, Yes, I do!
