24 Questions You’ll Need To Answer Before Writing That Book

Before I take on a new project with someone who wants to write a client-attracting book, I ask him or her a series of clarifying questions. Often, I’ll ask the same question in different ways, not unlike a psychological test, allowing me to get to the heart of the matter. I do this for a couple of reasons.

First, writing a book takes time, money, and commitment, so I want to know what this person expects from having a book in the world, the ROI he or she is looking for. I’m a huge fan of meeting expectations.

Second, I use these questions as a filter if I’m not sure the person is clear enough on whom he helps—his target market—and the specific problem he helps them solve. Haziness makes the whole book-writing process that much more difficult for both of us. And a hazy writer tends to vacillate incessantly then give up, which is pretty frustrating for all involved. I’m not a big fan of wasting people’s money or time, so I’ll turn down the project if I spot a high level of business-foundation vaguery.

If you’re flirting with the idea of writing a client-attracting book, you’ll want to answer these questions for yourself before you plop down and type the first word. Knowing the answers will, among other things, allow you to choose the right stories to illustrate your teaching points, get into your reader’s head, and paint their pain points in such a way that they’ll know you get where they’re coming from. That you have the solution to their very specific, urgent problem.

If you can’t answer these questions yet, no worries. Likely, you’re young in your business and you’d be better served focusing on the fundamentals first. (You’re welcome.)

1. What do you want this book to do for you? For your business?
2. Who is your ideal client? Who do you serve?
3. What kind of people are you currently serving? How would you describe them? What kind of positions do they hold?
4. Where are your ideal clients in the process of solving the problem you mean to address? What have they tried before that didn’t work?
5. What is the outcome they’re looking for, specifically?
6. What’s currently getting in their way?
7. What do they mistakenly believe is the solution to their problem? What mistakes are they making? How are they getting it all wrong?
8. What solutions are they looking for? What would trigger them to buy your book?
9. What specific needs does your audience have?
10. Who is your economic buyer, if different than your target audience? Who is buying your book? Or who is hiring you? i.e. You help children overcome procrastination but a parent buys the book and hires you.Who else is involved in hiring you—a spouse, parent, another professional?
11. When a client engages with you in the real world, what is the presenting problem they call you in on? (You may know what their problem is even if they don’t. What are they calling the problem, in other words.)
12. What does it feel like for your readers (potential clients) when things go wrong; when they have that problem you mean to address? What does it feel like financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually?
13. What will it feel like for your readers (potential clients) when the problem is solved? How will their life improve financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually? What will it look like?
14. What tool (or concept) can you give them, your readers, that will make their job, the task, 100% easier? What one idea will shift the whole game up?
15. How would you describe your system for fixing the problem, step-by-step? How many steps are there?
16. What privacy issues should we be aware of? Who are you worried about when telling stories, sharing details? Why?
17. What is the scope of this book, the scope of the problem you mean to address? Do you want to solve the whole thing, or do you want to go after the lynchpin stuff?
18. How aware is your audience of their problem, the way you’d describe their problem?
19. How could you further reduce the problem, break it apart into its components?
20. What does pain island look like for your people, your target audience?
21. If they don’t solve this problem, what do they stand to lose? How is the situation going to get worse?
22. What are the top three things that you immediately pick up on, that your potential clients are doing, that if they stop doing these things, they’ll solve most of their problems? Think of these as the components of the larger problem. These are the big blocks that you’re fixing. Can you give me an example of a client who depicts this stuff?
23. What kind of book would appeal to your audience? What feel? What tone? What genre?
24. What kind of chapter components do you think would appeal to them—stories, lessons, fun breakouts, boxed off elements, quotes, questions, workbook assignments?

If you’re curious to know what it would be like to work with me, what that would look like, you can read about it here. Or we can set up a call. You can do that by reaching out to me.