How to Write a Powerful Self-Help Book

A self-help book, as the name suggests, is something you create so that people can help themselves by taking your guidance. If your book is highly motivational and inspirational, you are doing a good job but also the job is only half-done because while motivation and inspiration are good-to-have things, their life span is very short. You could be highly motivated today but tomorrow when you no one to pep you up, your motivation meter would go down.

While there are many books that provide you stories for motivation but motivation only is not enough for you to create a difference in life. So, what should we include in a self-help book? Before I answer that, think of a problem that you are suffering from and have been struggling with it for a long. Is there a problem that has frustrated you and you have not been able to find a solution yet? We face challenges every day but most of them are solvable quickly by taking help, making a purchase, consuming a service, or simply creating your own plan for resolution.

However, there are some problems in life that are not easily solvable. And these are also the problems that, not just you, but others are also dealing with without a solution in sight. These problems are not just pestering but they are big enough to create major disturbances in your life. In some or other way, you are unable to live a happy life because of this problem and you are actively looking for a solution. The self-help books that are loved by readers are the ones that bring solutions to such nerving problems.

Let us take an example. "Feeling Good", by David D. Burns, is a self-help book for people dealing with the problem of depression. In its first statement of the introduction chapter, the author says, "Depression has been called the world's number one public health problem". In this statement, not just the author is specifying the problem the book is dealing with but also confirming that it is not just your problem but a problem that many face.

But is just knowing what problem a book is helping you deal with enough for you to take up that book and read? Of course not! You need to know more than just the problem addressed.

• You need to be assured that the problem you are dealing with is solvable even if it is very complicated.
• You need to know what method or solution has been offered to solve the problem and if it is effective enough.
• You need to know if this book is just another gimmick on a shelf or something that offers a new and real solution.
• You need to know if the solution offered were used by others and have been effective in the application or not.
• You also need a confirmation on what kind of solution is offered and if it is scientific or based on the experiences of the author.
• And you definitely want to know which problems you will exactly be solving and the results you will be getting after you apply the method.
• And lastly, what assumptions or foundations is this book build on and if they can build the foundation you can believe is relevant and believable.

These are just a few things that you will have in mind while making a decision to use self-help for solving a real problem in life. Every great self-help book author has made sure that all these questions are answered in the first chapter itself because people do not have the patience to read more unless they are given enough motivation.

Motivation, for sure, is the start but after it is given, you will have to give the hardcore, tangible, practical, and applicable lessons to your readers in the subsequent chapters. But in this article, I cannot cover it all, so I will be talking only about the first step in which you are laying the foundation for the reader in the introduction chapter for him to find enough reasons to read on.

Let us see how David Burns has addressed the concerns that readers have in their minds in his book.

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Solvable: “You can overcome it by learning some simple methods for mood elevation”

Method: “The name of this revolutionary treatment is ‘Cognitive Therapy’”

New: “This book is the first to describe these methods to the general public”

Used: “The outcome of the study was quite unexpected and encouraging. The cognitive therapy was at least as effective as, if not more, the antidepressant drug therapy”

Scientific: “This systematic application and scientific evaluation of this approach in treating clinical depression trace its origin…”

Problems: “These will include realistic problems, such as divorce, death, or failure as well as those vague, chronic problems that seem to have no obvious external cause, such as low-confidence, frustration, guilt, and apathy”

Assumptions:

 “The first principle…is that all your moods are created by your cognitions”

“The second principle …when you are depressed, your thoughts are dominated by a pervasive negativity”

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So, if you are planning to write a self-help book, first have clarity on these areas and then, prepare a concept and collect evidence to ensure that you will be able to address all concerns of your readers before you ask them for a buy-in.

In this small space, I cannot really give you many examples of how self-help books are shaped and would not be able to answer your questions if you have any. So, I suggest, you join my session on “How to write a self-help book” in GWA Mega Learning Drive which is starting from 1st August 2021. I took a session last year in the mega drive and it helped new authors write books and some have even published them this year.

If you register for this event, you will not just learn how to write a self-help book but much more because I have gathered 45 power speakers from the industry to bring you lessons on 55+ trending topics that can help you acquire new skills and when you will use them in your life, your life will change for good for sure. So, what are you waiting for? Register for the event now: https://bit.ly/358OjyW

If you have any questions related to the discussions in this article, please feel free to drop them in the comments.