Do This Before You Write Your Book
How To Pre-Design Your Book to Bring in Clients and Sell Itself
If you’re like most business owners I talk to, you know your next step is writing a book. After all, writing a book is the best way to establish your authority as THE expert in what you do. (There’s a reason people say “she wrote the book on that” as shorthand. Nothing compares to actually writing the book on that, if your goal is to become the go-to expert in what you do.)
Better yet, if you structure your book right, it will get your readers ready to work with you.
There’s nothing like having prospective clients coming to you, already eager for a solution and ready to take action now, AND already familiar with your process and seeing you as the expert they need.
When my latest book started selling, I suddenly had people reaching out every week, wanting to work with me. It was such a flood of new business, I ended up training 10 people in my process to handle all the work.
It’s not just me or my clients, either. When Tim Grahl published his first book, he started getting speaking gigs and interviews he couldn’t land before. In his own words…
“Within months, I was fielding far more requests from people wanting to work with me than I could possibly take on.”
He was able to leverage his book to get better paying clients, because a book simply establishes you as the authority right out of the gate.
According to Karin Tobiason, an award-winning publicist who’s gotten six people on Oprah, writing a book opens doors for getting speaking gigs. Being a published author gives you credibility and helps event organizers feel confident about booking you.
Above all, you have something to say!
By publishing a book, you can multiply your impact and help thousands more people than you could one-on-one.
You know all the reasons and benefits of writing a book, yet you still haven’t done it. You may have been procrastinating for years!
What holds you back? Probably one of three common problems:
Thinking that writing a book is hard and will take a ton of work
Not knowing where to start or what to write about
Worrying that it won’t work, and you’ll put in all that time and effort for nothing
The good news is: these problems don’t have to hold you back. They all have simple solutions.
Myth: Writing a book is hard and takes a long time
This is a common myth, because it does take many people a long time and a lot of work to write their books. You may know people who have been working on books for years. You may have even tried to start writing a book yourself, and gotten stuck.
Here’s the truth: Most people spend most of their “writing” time staring out the window, trying to figure out what to say, and worrying that they’re not good enough. It feels like hard work, and it takes a long time, but it never really gets them anywhere.
It’s understandable that this happens. Nobody was born knowing how to write a book, and most of us are never taught in school. Besides, our culture encourages us to go about it in exactly the wrong way, and presents all the struggle and slowness as normal.
The reality is, you can skip all that. Writing a book doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to take a long time.
I wrote my last book in five days. I went from blank page to paperbacks in hand within two weeks.
How did I do it that fast? I laid the right groundwork before I sat down to write.
By the time I opened up a blank Word document and started typing, I already had a clear plan for what I wanted to say and how it would be structured. I was writing about a topic I know well, and I knew what I wanted to say, so writing the book was actually easy. I just pretended I was explaining each topic to a favorite client and wrote down what I would say.
That’s really all there is to it. If you feel uncomfortable with writing, you can record yourself talking into the voice memo app on your phone, then get it transcribed and edited into a manuscript. I’ve had a lot of clients do it that way.
What does it take to write a book, anyway?
Most people imagine that books have to be enormous, but they really don’t. To have a book that feels substantial in your hands, I recommend a minimum of 125 pages, but that’s not the same as 125 pages in Word. Book pages are much smaller than a sheet of office paper.
For a published book, you can estimate about 250 words per page. So, to create a 125-page book, you need 31,250 words. That’s about 60 pages in Word, or five to seven hours of raw audio.
If you write five pages at a time, you could have the whole thing finished in 12 sessions. You could do that in less than two weeks.
It can be really fast and easy, once you have a plan and know what you want to say. So, let’s talk about making the plan.
Where to start? What to write about?
Before you start writing, it’s a good investment to take a few hours to make a plan. The good news is: You already have a head start!
Since the goal of the book is to attract clients for your business, what you say in the book will be based on your work with your clients. You already know where your clients are when they hire you, their pains, their struggles, and what they want to achieve. You also know what they need and what will help them. All that becomes the foundation for your book.
You’ll start by writing down the outcome your book will help your readers get.
This could be the main outcome you help all of your clients toward, or it could be a smaller outcome along the path of the main outcome.
For example, I help my clients become bestselling authors, so I could choose that outcome as the focus of my book. But there are also smaller outcomes along the way, like writing the book or getting it published. Those smaller stepping-stone outcomes could also work as the focus of a book.
Next, you’ll think about where your clients are when they come to you.
What are they experiencing? What does that situation look like and feel like? What triggers them to take action and get support?
Once you’ve done that, you basically have the “before” and “after” for your book. Then, all you need to do is list the steps you use to help your clients move from “before” to “after.” You can also add a few bullet points under each step, listing the points you want to make sure you cover so your readers will understand what you do.
This simple process will give you a plan and an outline for your book. Congratulations, now you know what to say and where to start! Just start writing (or dictating) the first section. When you’re finished with that one, do the next.
You don’t even have to think about writing a book if you don’t want to. Just do one section at a time until you’ve done them all. That’s really all there is to it—no magic (or staring out the window) required.
Now that you know where to start, you may still have one more concern that I’ve heard a lot…
What if the book doesn’t work?
Nobody wants to spend all the time and energy to write a book, only to have it flop. To be successful, your book needs to do two things well:
Attract clients for you
Sell
After all, if nobody buys your book, then nobody will read it, and it can’t do its job of bringing in clients for your business.
Most authors leave this part to chance, but why take that risk? Instead, I recommend baking success into the book’s structure, before you write a word. That way, you know from the start that your book will be worth the effort and pay you back many times over.
How do you do that?
The first step is actually what I talked about in the previous section: planning your book around your clients’ “before” and “after,” and writing the book to guide readers through your process. This serves a few purposes:
It allows you to demonstrate that you can help readers by actually helping them. All of the insight, learning, and transformation they get from reading the book will help give them confidence that the desired outcome really could happen for them. Once they believe it, they’re much more motivated to take action toward the goal.
It helps readers visualize themselves moving from “before” to “after,” which gets them present to the pain of where they are and helps motivate them even more to get a solution.
It shows your expertise and experience with solving the problem your readers want to solve, making it obvious that you’re the only logical choice if they want support.
On top of that, by structuring your book around your process, you ensure that your readers already understand what you do and see you as the expert—before they ever talk to you.
That way, when they work with you, they’ll be far less likely to question you or try to act like backseat drivers. They already know that you know what you’re doing, and they understand where you’re taking them and how you’ll get there, so they can settle in rather than questioning or resisting the process.
The next step is positioning your book to stand out and be unique in the marketplace.
You’re probably not the only person who does what you do. I’m certainly not the only person who helps people publish their books. But if you stake out your unique take on it before you write the book, then you can make sure there’s a reason why your book is THE book to buy for your ideal clients, and no other book can even come close.
There’s really no competition. That’s the goal.
This was something I didn’t know when I wrote my second book, Getting Unstuck. There are plenty of other books on that topic—even half a dozen or so with the same title. So when it came time to sell that book, I had a really hard time making a case for why anyone should buy it over any of the others.
But I learned better. When a client asked me to ghostwrite his book on LinkedIn, I studied the other books on that topic and staked out his unique spot before I wrote his book. And that made the sales copy almost write itself.
Once you’re clear on your book’s unique positioning in the marketplace, the next step is to develop your hook.
This is the part where you capture what’s cool, notable, and unique about your book in just a few words. Do it right, and when you tell someone what the book is about, they’ll lean in and go, “ooh!” That’s how you know you already have a setup for success.
And finally, the last step is building attraction into the book’s structure.
You want all of the parts of the book—the title, introduction, table of contents, front matter, back matter, chapter structure, content, keywords, and categories—to support the goal of attracting your ideal clients as readers and enticing them to go deeper with you.
My first book is an example of how much of a difference this can make. My first book was called How to be Happy, and I wrote everything I knew—all the best stuff that had helped me so much—and I put it out there. But basically, nobody cared. I put it on Amazon, and a few people would download it occasionally, but not many. And it was free! But still, almost nobody wanted it.
But then about four years ago, I went back and overhauled the way it was presented. I didn’t change the content, just optimized the structure for attraction a little bit. And what do you know? This book started getting downloaded.
Since then, it’s consistently parked in the top ten for several categories, and it sends me leads week after week. It’s got over 1200 reviews now. And I haven’t touched it since I made those changes. It just keeps working for me year after year. Pretty cool, right?
This is really a small tweak that can make a huge difference in how well your book sells. And the more easily your book sells, the more leads and clients it can bring you.
If you do it right, instead of paying for leads, you can essentially have people paying to come to you.
Sales of the book offset the cost of ads, so you don’t have to pay for that. Plus, there’s a world of difference between an ordinary lead and someone who becomes a lead by buying your book.
Someone who has bought your book has already demonstrated that they’re committed to solving the problem you solve, and they’ve spent time and money to get the book and read it. On top of that, they already feel like they know you and you’ve helped them.
By the time you talk to them about working together, they’re already bought in.
Instead of you pursuing them, the conversation becomes more about whether you want to work with them.
If that’s something you want, I’d love to support you.
Introducing the Client Book Blueprint
I created the Client Book Blueprint to be the fastest, most efficient way to make sure your book will sell itself, bring you clients, and be easy to write—even if you’ve never written anything longer than a grocery list in your life.
I’ve boiled my showcase book process down to the 5 crucial steps required to engineer your book for success.
For each step, I’ll explain what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why it’s important.
You’ll get it all, boiled down as simple as possible, so you know exactly what to do to get ready to write a client-attracting blockbuster.
That’s what you’ll get in this blueprint. It’s a short PDF, so you can read it and know exactly what to do in an hour.
Inside, I'll walk you step by step through:
Nailing the best outcome for your book to deliver, so it will be irresistible to your ideal clients. This is the cornerstone of a book that sells easily and turns readers into clients.
Quickly verifying that there’s enough demand for your book before you invest time and energy in writing it
Staking out your book’s unique position in the marketplace and its hook
Using your work with clients to lay out the structure of your book, so your book will guide readers to be ready to work with you
Planting the seeds of irresistible attraction throughout the structure of the book, so it will call out to your ideal clients and make it obvious that they need to buy and read it immediately
Here's what you'll get when you buy now:
Lifetime access to the Client Book Blueprint, so you can pre-design your book to sell and bring in cllients BEFORE you write a word (Value: $99)
Bonus: The Publishing Roadmap, so you’ll know what to do every step of the way to publish your book (Value: $27)
Bonus: Writing Magic, so you’ll have the top 3 ways to finish your book fast… some without needing to write at all (Value: $17)
Total value: $143
*iPads not included
When I coach clients through this process, I charge $10,000.
And it’s worth it. Becoming a bestselling author is priceless. If you’re in business, even if it helps you win just one new client, it’s more than paid for itself. And that’s not counting the value of the visibility and authority that come with being a bestselling author.
If someone had handed me this system back when I was starting out, I would have paid thousands—and it would have paid for itself many times over, between the impact on my career and all the time I would have saved. And now you can get the whole system, boiled down into a 5-step blueprint.
Normally, this system would cost $97.
I can offer it at such a low price because it’s a digital product. There’s nothing to print or ship. You get the entire blueprint—plus Writing Magic and the Publishing Roadmap—instantly.
$97 is a steal compared to the impact on your career and your life. But today, I want to offer you something even better.
Today, I’m giving you the entire Bestseller Launch Blueprint, plus Writing Magic and the Publishing Roadmap, for only $27 total.
Why so cheap? Because I want to introduce myself.
You’re seeing this page because I want to grow my community, so I decided to offer you a taste and show you what I’m about.
Maybe you’ll eventually end up becoming a client. Maybe not.
Either way, I believe good books should sell.
I’m tired of watching people like you and me put everything we have into writing the best books we can, only to have them sell 15 copies—while terrible books take off just because they have great marketing.
I want to level the playing field. And giving you this information is the best way I know to do that.
If you want your next book to become a bestseller AND bring you clients and leads—and you’re ready to focus on what works and ditch what doesn’t—this blueprint is for you. Just click the button below and fill in your information to get immediate access now.
One-Year Full Results Guarantee
If you implement everything I show you in this blueprint, and you don’t end up with a clear plan and outline for a bestselling client-attracting book, I will give you 100% of your money back. I’m so confident, I’ll give you a whole year to try it.
Selected Praise for Bestseller Launch Blueprint
About the Author
Cara Stein is an idealist who has stopped trying to play it cool. She believes the only reason people don’t like business or marketing is that they don’t know how to do it well—yet. She's often praised for her no-bullshit style and her wry humor.
Cara has been helping people finish and publish their books since 2012. She’s guided over 200 books through the publishing process. She’s also the bestselling author of five books of her own, including How to be Happy (No Fairy Dust or Moonbeams Required), Getting Unstuck, and Finish and Publish: Write the Book You’ve Always Wanted to Write.
Her peeves include chipmunks, fakery, and the word “peeve.”
More Praise for the Bestseller Launch Starter Kit
Ailish Keating:
Helpful info so far
The course answers a lot of questions I had about launching, in an organized way. I'm about 4 months from launching. Good investment
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Denise Gruzensky:
I am launching the 2nd edition of my Children's Book and I'm so excited to have a mapped out plan thanks to this course!
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Alyssa Bailey:
A good help
This helped me organize some of the information I had already received and hadn't yet used, and new book launching ideas.
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Joselyn Greene:
Great overview and step-by-step guide for planning a book launch
The content was very informative. I especially liked the launch planner spreadsheet that calculates dates for each step in the launch process based on the launch date entered.
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Shannon Beets:
Helpful Information
I was looking for someone to break down the steps to a book launch in simple, actionable terms. This course did exactly what I needed. I appreciate the timelines and templates. Worth the time and money!
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Christine Husom:
Great Course
Very helpful. A lot of motivating information I plan to use.
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Thomas Wideman:
Best Training
The best training I have taken thus far. It was very informative and inexpensive.
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Joyce Crawford:
Clear, simple, realistic
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Malesia SPIRES:
GREAT! Exactly what it says!
I found this very informative. Very helpful for a beginning author like myself. Thanks Cara!
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Kathleen Paiva Alford:
Grabbed my attention!
Practical and comprehensive!
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Shanelle Dupree:
Learned something new
I love that I’m learning new tricks and information with each course I view. Thank you!
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Janet Ashmore:
Awesome Blueprint!
After retirement, we self-published my husband's first book last year and the second this year, but didn't know how to go about marketing them. Thank you for this excellent, easy to understand guide-we can't wait to put these steps into action!
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Daryl Jackson:
Very helpful info and details for any authors but especially first timers like me.
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Eyad Yehyawi:
Excellent outline for launching your book!
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Amy Burgess:
Comprehensive, step-by-step plan
I was skeptical because so many courses simply don't deliver on the promised value. This is NOT one of those courses. This is a true, actionable, step-by-step guide to accomplishing a bestselling launch for your book. I'm so excited to get started!
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Reena Pagnoni:
Very helpful for a first time author!
Great tips and information. This will really help me along my publishing journey. Thank you!
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Kathi Toro:
Great Content
I have self published one book in 2011, and I have made all the same mistakes you refer to in the Bestseller Launch Blueprint Starter Kit. My plan going forward is to use your outlined method and hopefully I will publish my next project with less aggravation and with much more ease!! Thanks!!
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Jason Moser:
The Perfect Blueprint
Great information for any level of writer. Knowing this before you publish your first book is essential and it will save you a lot of time, spare you of the frustrations of not knowing, and get you on the road to writing and publishing success right from the start.
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Michelle Gordon:
This was a very easy read with great templates provided to aid in getting presales reviews, setting up ads, and reaching more customers. I really like the downloadable/printable templates and the timeline of what to do and when.
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Roxanne Bland:
Nice--All in One Place!
Some of these tips I've gleaned through my own marketing research, but it's nice to have it all in one place!
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Beverly Jones-Durr:
Great Stuff
Course was terrific. Great information to use in the future. Thank you!
Laura Schiff:
Good Value for the Money
Thank you, Cara! Very nicely done. I found both the Blueprint and the Starter Kit helpful. I'm about half-way through the first draft of my non-fiction book, and I can start implementing some of your suggestions now. Cheers!
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Todd Hayes:
Provides the simple steps needed to prioritize your launch efforts.
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Tiffany Walton:
Book cover info. CHECK!
Very informative already. Especially if you have no idea where to begin when looking for a book cover designer.
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Ruth Morris:
The pre-calibrated lead up to launch was a real time saver. Made the process feel doable rather than overwhelming.
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Stevie Claxton:
Worth the money
I'm getting ready to launch my first novel this year and was rather nervous about how to go about things. I stumbled across this on Facebook and decided that it would be worth the money to see how others are doing it versus reinventing the wheel. So, I bought the course and just finished! It's well worth the money to have a strategy in my back pocket.
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Jeralynn Mance:
Essential Information
This course is awesome, informative, and life changing.!! There was so much that I didn't know, things I would have never considered doing in my launch. I am greatly appreciative for this course, its invaluable!!
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Barry Gallagher:
Covers are Key!
So far, so good! Lot more valuable information and tools.
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Cheryl Shumake:
From a grateful author
Thank you so much for putting together a concise, easy-to-follow, launch plan which promises results without promoting unrealistic expectations. I will employ your insights and directions and am looking forward to better outcomes than I could have achieved on my own.
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James Kelly:
Tips to Launch Your Best Seller
I have accomplished some of the items in the course, but the amount of information was outstanding. I am armed with tips and suggestions to enhance the sale of my current books, and set the stage for the next one out the door. Great job!
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Cheyenne Tagliaferro:
Awesome
Great info!! Looking forward to seeing if this info will make a difference between my second book launch and my first… Thank you
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Lex Brown:
Streamlined & Actionable! High-Quality Content!
I truly enjoyed this course and think that its worth every penny spent. The content has strong impact, with actionable, streamlined steps for accomplishing every Authorpreneur's goal: a growing audience with high conversions into buyers.
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Victor Wilkie:
Very informative
I was pleased overall and hope that this will help with my project. However, I wish that the course contained some more detailed information on getting editorial reviews, whom to contact, etc.
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Robert Cooper:
Excellent presentation!
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Robyn Michaels:
Indeed, it takes more than writing to make a book. Very good information!
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Loralee Lago:
Excellent information. I would have like a few more print outs but what was given was invaluable!!!
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Mary Kennedy:
Great Information
I've learned so much from participating in this course. Hadn't realized there is so much to know AFTER a manuscript is finished.
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Tony Martin:
This is a great little primer to get you started toward realizing your publishing dreams. It’s accessible, just detailed enough, and gives you a great foundation to begin. I recommend it.
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Lisa Washington:
Good Info to start with
There was a lot of good content to start with.
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Danielle Perlin-Good:
Great Outline
I highly recommend taking this course so you can learn what to do in order to have a bestseller launch campaign.
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LaBena Fleming:
Excellent Advice