What is your purpose?

We are not speaking about the purpose of your book...yet. We’ll get to that in a moment. Your life’s purpose is important to identify and embrace. Remember, this purpose can and will grow, modify and even change.

If you don’t KNOW your purpose, don’t worry. Many authors and content marketers flush out their life’s major definite purpose during the cathartic and deep dive during the creation of their book.

As the character Curly stated in the movie CitySlickers, “What’s the meaning of life? Just one thing…that’s what you gotta figure out.”

Use your private journalist during your book creation process to uncover your story and craft the message you want to bring to your audience.

If you do know your purpose, great. Be bold. Be audacious. Think big. Nobody follows (or reads a book by) a person who isn’t confident, bold, engaging or able to change the world.

Go on…don’t hold back.

Why is this important?

If your motivation is 100% internal and there is no benefit to your family, society or the planet, it may be time to rethink your purpose on this earth. Who else is impacted by your major definite purpose? How will this contribute to someone, something or some cause?

Who cares?

This is the part where we lose a few people. OK, so your story is unique. You’ve survived a great tragedy or created a new way to sell catalytic converters. Who really cares besides you? Is this a family legacy book? If so, even if you have a small family, there will be thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people who will one day hear your message and learn about your experiences, values and message.

Is this a book about your business? Will it drive new leads to you and be the foundation for your brand? If so, how you say things; how you uniquely position your story will be very important.

If you’ve been in business for more than a day, you should have a general (if not specific) idea of who your prospects and customers are. The biggest FAIL in the information and marketing industry is when authors and marketers treat their lists like lists.

Big mistake.

Your list is made of real, live people.

Who are they?

Start by giving them a name, a face and a home. With your purpose clarified and an image of WHO your book is for, you can better position a book to speak directly to that ONE PERSON. Their story, of course, may or may not be your story. If it is similar, that may make it easier to relate, but it could also bore them to tears. The bottom line is this: People are primarily interested in only ONE thing…
Themselves.

Why does someone want to read your book? What do you have to say that is possibly more important, relevant or useful that you are audaciously asking them to put down other important matters to read what YOU have to say?

Books are read by individuals, not by groups. By describing your ideal reader IN DETAIL, your book can be written for a person, not a demographic.

Describe Your Ideal Reader Avatar Below

Now that we've helped your reader, we can focus on you!

How will you measure the attainment of these goals?

Your book serves a purpose—it offers some sort of benefit to the potential reader. Perhaps it solves a problem, meets a desire, informs or entertains—but there was a purpose behind your decision to write and publish your book.

Will it be used to showcase your family name? Will you be using it as a lightning rod for new leads or expand your brand nationwide?

In order to effectively market your book to your intended audience, you will have to identify and articulate to potential readers the benefits they will be able to gain by buying and reading your book.

Begin by imagining the potential reader of your book and why they might seek out your book in the first place. For example:

"The potential reader of my book is desperate to lose weight but is frustrated by complicated diet plans that take forever to show results."

Next, isolate the features in your book that will help the reader. For example:

"My book provides easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions guaranteed to help the reader lose 30 pounds in three weeks."

Finally, describe the benefit that your reader will likely experience as a result of reading your book. For example:

"The reader will lose weight in an easy and efficient manner."

State the problems, issues and/or desires that your book was created to help readers with, along with the features in your book that meet or resolve these problems, issues and/or desires. Then provide the benefits that readers of your book will likely experience. Be specific.

The bottom line is you MUST clearly answer these three questions:

1. Why does someone want to read my book? (What problem am I solving?)
2. Who are they? (age, situation, lifestyle, problem, issue, etc.)
3. What do I want them to do? (What action will they take?)

The more detailed you can be with these three questions, the more successful your book and subsequent product and service offerings will be.

List the ACTIONS you want your readers to take. The results for you (assuming you will be publishing more than a single copy) should be clear. Most authors desire to:

• Build a large, loyal and engaged following
• Be positioned and recognized as the authority in their field (peers & public)
• Convert their outbound marketing to inbound sales
• Sell more of their existing product offerings
• ​Earn royalty or residual income
• Create a clear family legacy

What action(s) will your book create?

Before you sail for Tahiti in your yacht, remember we are positioning this assignment on a SINGLE customer.

• Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter?
• Do you want them to attend a webinar or live event?
• Are you using your book to make sale of a product?
• ​Do you want your message passed to others?
• ​Do you want the reader to donate to a charity?
• Do you want to publish only 20 copies for your family?

It may be challenging for you to accomplish all 3 of these action goals in your first book. Nevertheless, list the top 3 ACTIONS you want the reader to take and rank them by priority (1=vital 2=important 3=nice to have)

Be sure to list the measurable outcome of this action. Saying you want to create “awareness” is too fluffy and near impossible to measure. List actions that are measurable.

By clearly defining these questions you will have done what 99% percent of authors have never done.

Think.

So many authors believe they have a great story or idea for a book but fail to treat their message as a serious enterprise.

With some in-depth analysis of your competition in the marketplace and the unique and compelling positioning of your message, your book can do more than simply deliver new business to you.

It will transform your business and clarify your legacy.

But, this will only happen if you take the time to position it intelligently, craft it purposefully, and surround yourself with a team who understands your vision.

We sincerely relish working with authors at any stage of their journey.

Contact us today and see if you qualify and if we are a good fit for your mission.

Sincerely yours,

Doug Crowe

Doug Crowe, Founder & CEO

Author Your Brand
an AuthorityFusion Company

Click here to schedule a complimentary consult.