It’s Nice to Meet You: Understanding Your Ideal Reader Avatar
Have you met your ideal reader avatar? Before you write or type the first word of your manuscript, you need to know who will ultimately hold your book in their hands. If you’re a speaker, coach, consultant, or trainer with content you’re ready to transform into a book, your reader may differ from the person you normally stand in front of. And to be clear, you are identifying one person, not a group of people. Read the next paragraph, and then close your eyes. Picture the person who buys your book. They sit on their couch while they read. Who is that person? What do they look like? Describe the room you see. Is it loud because kids are running about or playing video games or is it quiet because your reader lives alone? Now, give your reader a name. Demographics: The Facts About Your Reader The foundation of creating an ideal reader avatar starts with knowing basic facts about them. Data such as their gender, age, race/ethnicity, where they live, if they own or rent, their occupation, and their annual household income help you write a more targeted message. Is your reader married, single, or divorced? Do they have children? If so, how old are they? Does your reader have any pets? Do they even like animals? Are they a business owner or do they hold down a 9-to-5? My ideal reader avatar is Publishing Penny. She is age 45 or older and either owns her own business or is a female executive. She is ready to work less and make more money by writing a book about her zone of genius. Penny has children who are either in college or out on their own, and she owns her home in a mid- to large-size city. Penny is single with a close group of female friends she sees regularly. Do you see how understanding basic facts about Publishing Penny helps me begin understanding who she is? To really get to know her, though, I need to dive deeper into the qualities that make Penny who she is. Psychographics: The Meaning in Your Reader’s Life Demographics allow you to answer questions about your reader you could learn at a networking event. To develop messaging that truly resonates with your reader, you need insight into what gives meaning to their life. What motivates them? What values and beliefs do they hold dear? What fear keeps them up at night? Who brings the biggest smile to their face? If your ideal reader avatar is an entrepreneur, for example, related psychographics could include how they value financial independence, they believe pursuing personal growth is continuous, and they are driven to create a legacy. You want to connect on an emotional level with your reader so your message resonates on a deeper level with them. Knowing the behaviors of your ideal reader is another critical aspect for crafting a message that speaks to them. Are they avid readers, podcast enthusiasts, or more inclined toward video content? Do they engage with online communities, attend seminars, or prefer one-on-one interaction? Finally, understanding the buying habits of your ideal reader is essential for authors starting from scratch and for those of you with content that can be converted into a book. How do they make purchasing decisions? Are they price-sensitive or willing to invest in premium products and services? Do they conduct careful research or do they given into an enticing point-of-sale? Publishing Penny wants to live a life of abundance in every way; she works smarter not harder so she has the time and the money to travel and live with greater ease. She is an avid reader and loves music. Penny is an active member in several online communities but values in-person interactions above others. She tends toward research when making large purchases and impulse buying for stuff she doesn’t really need. Penny invests in her business and in herself with personal and professional development. She’s also focused on a secure future so she engages a financial planner for her retirement. While you may never directly address their psychographics in your writing, knowing your ideal reader avatar on a deeper level makes it so much easier to write for them. Crossover Appeal: The Power of Traction I’ve talked to a handful of writers who tell me during our initial conversation that their book is for everybody. And, while their book could have massive crossover appeal, authors need to first write for the person with the most interest in and who will benefit the most from the topic. For example, if you write a book about your experience with entrepreneurship for middle-aged professional women, you may later find traction among a younger audience or retirees looking for a second career. Crossover appeal usually only happens after your book has a loyal following within its intended audience. Identifying your ideal reader avatar is a fundamental step on the journey to success no matter if you’re an author starting from scratch or you’re a speaker, coach, consultant, or trainer looking to convert your content into a book. Understanding your reader’s demographics and psychographics will give you the insight you need to write a message that resonates with them and makes them happy they invested in your book. If you’re ready to start your publishing journey, I’d love to talk with you. Schedule a call today.
How to Find the Time to Write A(nother) Book Before the Holidays
You have years of experience in your field and industry and a list of dozens of talks, webinars, and presentations on your resume. As a result, you already have plenty of content and know-how. And you know you should write a(nother) book to further cement your subject matter expertise and reach more people, but like most busy professionals, you struggle to find the time. Your existing content has already proven it converts, so you have everything you need to create a(nother) book. Your speech, webinar, presentation, or training module serves as the foundation for your manuscript, saving you significant time and effort in the writing process. With a solid structure in place, a strategic approach, and the right professional partner, your content can be turned into a manuscript without the heavy lifting of starting from scratch. Publishing your expertise and stories in book form allows you to potentially: If you’re a woman business owner or executive who’s given a number of speeches, made presentations, or conducted training sessions, writing a(nother) book should be on your radar. You can elevate your authority, increase your income, and live the life of time freedom you deserve and dream about. Don’t let the concern of not having enough time hold you back; instead, consider working with an editor as an investment that can transform your business and your life. The good news is you don’t need large blocks of time to write a book. With a strategic approach and the right professional partner, your content can be transformed into a manuscript in just about 30 days. Are you ready to talk about your book? Schedule a call.
Nonfiction Is Built on the Pillars of Consistency & Congruency
When you sit down to write your book — no matter if you start from scratch or use content you already have — you need the pillars of consistency and congruency as your foundation to take readers on a journey with a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Creating this solid structure for your story is imperative to deliver the transformation you promise your readers. Consistency is key An author’s job is to keep readers immersed from the first page to the last, and to do that, you need to be consistent. Think of consistency as the mechanics of your story — tone and style, word choice and phrasing, and sentence structure — that play a part in reader engagement and comprehension. When your voice is steady, you take readers through a cohesive journey without being disrupted by abrupt shifts or contradictions. Tone and Style Your tone sets the mood for your book and lets the reader know immediately if they can relate to you or not. Do you take a more authoritative stance, or are you more conversational? Perhaps you’re more introspective. Either way, you need to choose your approach and stick to it throughout your book. Style, on the other hand, is more about how you express yourself. Maybe you include (bad) dad jokes or incorporate slang. This is how you create a sense of familiarity, enhance readability, and deepen the connection with your content. Phrasing and Word Choice Your phrasing and word choice play a pivotal role in maintaining consistency. Readers should never feel jolted out of the narrative because you shifted from vocabulary and language most people use in everyday conversation to a stuffy, academic tone and applicable jargon. When you use words similar in tone and style, you create a more cohesive experience for readers to more easily absorb the information. This also leads to greater trust, making it much more likely for readers to follow the advice you give them and to share your book with others. Sentence Variety Consistency is one thing; monotony is quite another. Imagine a book filled only with short sentences or one with sentences that comprise three or more lines of text. Both would cause you to lose interest quickly. Mixing and matching your use of short, long, and complex sentences increases reader engagement and holds their interest. Congruency locks in your story If consistency is the key to reader engagement, think of congruency as how you lock readers into your story. Establishing a firm sense of time and place, including well-drawn characters, and ensuring each point has a definitive conclusion provides the clarity readers need to connect to your story on a deeper level. Establishing Time and Place A clear sense of time and place is critical for grounding readers in your story. How detailed you get will depend, of course, on whether or not the story you’re telling requires a precise date, time, and address or if a more general description will do. Either way, the goal is to bring readers along for the ride, and they need to know where and when they are in the world of your story to do that. Importance of Characterization The phrase, “self-made millionaire” is a misnomer if ever there was one. You didn’t succeed without the help of key individuals along the way, and some folks undoubtedly gave you some trouble as well. Readers need to know about both. Anyone who played a part in your story needs to be as unique on the page as they are in real life. Speech patterns, personality traits, and notable physical characteristics all help define the people in your story and pull readers in more firmly. You want readers nodding their heads and identifying personalities they recognize in their own personal and professional lives. Eliminating Loose Ends At the beginning of your book you promised readers a transformative journey, which means you need to be sure every point you make has its own beginning, middle, and end. Every thread introduced at the beginning of your book should have a resolution. By answering all questions and resolving each issue you mention, you leave readers with a sense of closure and satisfaction. You reinforce the transformational arc you promised and leave a lasting, positive impression on your readers. Final thoughts For an immersive experience, your readers need the smoothest flow of information possible, and consistency plus congruency is how you get them there. I cannot overstate the need for both in your nonfiction book. Consistency is the key through the use of a specific tone and style, phrasing and word choice, and varied sentence structure. Congruency incorporates a firm sense of time and place, thoughtful characterization, and full resolution to create the lock. If you’re ready to talk about how to write or create your nonfiction book, please schedule a call.
The Power of Three: The Elements of Every Great Story
Every great story shares a not-so-magic formula that deeply connects with its audience. A definitive sense of time and place, character development, and a conflict with resolution are three powerful and critical components of bestselling novels, riveting films, and unforgettable keynote speeches. Let’s talk about the elements of every great story: Establishing Time and Place Setting is the foundation of your story. It immerses readers in your world, providing a backdrop against which your story unfolds. A definitive time and place not only grounds your narrative but also sets the tone and mood. Consider your experiences: Did you overcome challenges in the corporate world of the 90s, or did you transition to remote coaching because of the COVID pandemic? Perhaps you navigated the shifting terrains of global markets. Your readers need these details for appropriate context about the environment in which you gained your insights to make your own journey that much more relatable. Character Development The heart of every story revolves around its characters. For nonfiction authors, the cast of characters includes anyone who participated in or influenced your journey. In addition to their presence, think about how you represent them. Remember to retain the qualities that make them unique, such as their personal style and their speech patterns. Readers appreciate you staying true to the essence of each character, including yourself. Dig into your experiences: Who were your mentors, and how did they shape your path? When you provide a genuine portrayal of your journey, with all its ups and downs, you build trust and rapport with your readers. For consultants and coaches, character development also means highlighting how your expertise has evolved. How you’ve grown and adapted over time further establishes your authority in your field. Conflict and Resolution Conflict is the engine that drives a story forward. It’s the challenge(s) you conquered, the question you answered, or the journey you completed. Your story is almost certainly rife with conflicts – times when you faced obstacles that felt insurmountable or you had to pivot your approach. Conflict alone isn’t enough, though. Of course readers need to know the mistakes you made, but they also need to understand what you learned from them. Resolution is the payoff, and this is where your experiences as a speaker or trainer shine. By guiding readers through the solutions you found and the strategies you adopted, you provide them value, inspiration, and a way forward. Final thoughts As a speaker, coach, consultant, or trainer, you already understand how to take your audience on a journey through your signature speech, webinar, presentation, or training module. You’re really providing an opportunity for transformation, using storytelling and the combination of a firm sense of time and place, well-defined characters, and a conflict with a resolution.
The Benefits of Writing a Book About Your Area of Expertise
We live in a highly competitive and knowledge-driven era, and simply knowing your field and/or your industry better than others won’t be enough to truly set you apart. Writing a book about your zone of genius, though, can be a game changer. Writing a book about your area of expertise is not just for academics or celebrities; as a professional or an entrepreneur or a thought leader — and this applies across industries — you absolutely should get your knowledge out of your head and into the hands of readers. Here’s why: Your Book Establishes You as a Thought Leader In your field, you might be well-known for your expertise, but how many others outside your immediate circle know you and could benefit from working with you? A book cements your knowledge and experience among your peers and puts you in front of new audiences. Your book also showcases how you think, identify and approach problems, and provide solutions. Building your book on a defined trajectory where you present insights, personal experiences, and clearly connected dots supports your position as a thought leader. Enhancing your credibility in this way opens the door for additional speaking engagements at higher price points, participating in panel discussions at prestigious industry events, and securing media features for increased social proof. In short, you’re amplifying your reach. Your Book Enhances Your Personal Brand and Reputation In addition to really knowing your field, your market niche, and your industry, you must also consider yourself as a brand and define the promise you (as a brand) deliver. Writing a book gives you a distinctive edge that helps define your professional identity and control the narrative of your expertise. Your book demonstrates your active participation in your field and your industry. You also highlight your contribution and willingness to articulate your expertise, your experiences, and the wisdom you’ve gained along the way. Your Book Creates New Opportunities to Grow Your Business Writing a book instantly stamps you as an expert, so think of your book as the most effective business card you could ever create. Conversations about your book can lead to a new connection such as attracting new clients or sparking a new partnership, strengthen a current connection, or impress potential investors. Your book is also an additional stream of revenue. Readers are more likely to seek your services, buy your products, or engage with you or your business on a deeper level through courses, webinars, workshops, and merchandise. Your Book Fosters Your Personal and Professional Development While your book may focus on the more professional side of your life, the writing process will almost certainly include a good measure of personal growth. As you reflect on your journey and write about it in a way that connects with your ideal reader, you’ll clarify your experiences, theories, and belief systems. You gain deeper understanding of your knowledge and identify opportunities to explore new ideas. Final thoughts As you move toward placing the final period at the end of your last sentence, you’ll feel the headiness of excitement and anticipation mixed with a touch of anxiety. You started AND finished the book that’s lived in your head for 10 years. Be sure you celebrate. Take time to revel in your accomplishment. You earned it. Of course, now you need to market and sell your book, but that’s a blog for another day.