Do you have the desire to create and share your ideas but not the know-how of writing a book?  Take a peek over my shoulder as I step through the process of choosing a type (or model) of book to write.Starting outThere are already millions of books published and available on Amazon, so here is a question: what is the one thing that none of them already have?Answer:  Your experience and your writer’s voice.Types of Books: Choosing the Best ModelBreaking down complex and dry topics, a good writer draws out the ideas for their reader to digest. This is best done with a particular model.Tips BookTips books can be good if prefaced with a note on why you need these tips and how to use the content. Power Marketing was in this style, with 60+ tips on marketing a small…

It’s book writing season – well, the impending Christmas holidays seems to jiggle us along – and it’s time to put our creative hats on.Inevitably, some amateur writers will attempt to help their book creation along with some ‘extra pieces’ from others, thus unknowingly break the law. So here we cover the basics of “how to not get sued while writing a book”. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and all of this is not admissible in court!).Last week I won a book called “Cover Your Arse Online” by Jeanette Jifkins, a very practical online lawyer. There are a lot of areas where one can walk the tightrope and possibly get sued, but here I will focus on those pertaining to writing a book. (DO NOT COPY IMAGES either).Firstly, just because something is publicly viewable – or a story you…

If you’re writing a non-fiction book, like self-help, how to, spiritual, etc, you may find that you come to a point where this writing stuff is making the hair on your head fall out. Rather than see all that hair on the floor while you re-write your first two chapters, you might want the support of a non-fiction writing coach. What writing coaches do is support your main book writing goal, help you at the start with an outlining technique (see our mini-course), and regularly point out some literary tools. This helps the book to flow better. A one-to-one writing coach like Jennifer can help keep the amateur writer on track to a self-imposed deadline. One way is by using a simple table to type out a six-month plan. Jennifer Lancaster normally coaches writers via fortnightly Zoom calls and spends a few…

What are some of the keys to writing a self-help memoir book? First, what is this mongrel book genre?What is a memoir? It is a snapshot taken from your life that’s compelling and has a strong message.What is self-help? Also called personal development, the self-help genre is diverse. It’s founded on the principle of the reader taking control of their lives, solving problems by learning new principles, tips and techniques. It often uses the direct voice (you, I, we).If your book’s topic is just stories (not your own), it may or may not be self-help. See The Success Principles. It is a bunch of inspiring stories but couched in the topic of being successful, so it is self-development. Some Things to Avoid when Writing Self-Help with Your Stories in ItStay away from using platitudes and quotes that everyone’s heard a…