Easy Steps to Write a Book: Questions and Answers
Did you ever feel just a little bit jealous of the experts who get interviewed on prestigious TV talk shows or news magazines? Perhaps you've noticed that one thing in particular sets these guests apart from others in their field: They are all authors of books. Now you will discover an easy way for YOU to see your own name on the cover of your very own book.
People innately trust authors and esteem them more highly than non-authors. So if you are an expert in your niche, or if you are a small business owner (which still makes you an expert) without a book, it's time to write one. In fact, becoming an author is mission critical for any business owner.
But maybe you don't have any idea how to write a book or think that it will be hard. Like anything else, writing a book is easy when you have a system. While there are many ways to write your book, I am going to share one of the easiest ways, and I am going to walk you through putting together your own book so that you can be an Instant VIP author.
Steps to Write a Question and Answer Book
Since you already "know your stuff" thoroughly, no doubt you already have a good handle on the biggest or most common questions people have. You can probably rattle off a dozen of them without scratching your head. So why not write a Q&A book?
I am about to show you how to write a Q&A book step by step, but I know you have a burning question on your mind. So let me answer it first.
Question: "How many questions with answers do I need to make a book?"
Answer: It's entirely up to you. There is no standard length for what makes "a book." For the most part, you want your book to be under 200 pages, and preferably much less than that. People want "the easy button" these days, to whatever length you choose, make your book as easy to read and follow as possible.
How to Write a Question & Answer Book
There are two easy ways you may choose to approach writing your Q&A book.
Approach #1: Write a list of the frequently asked questions you get in your business. These will become the chapter titles for your book.
Approach #2: Poll your customers/prospects to find out what's the biggest question they have is and use their questions in your book.
I've prepared a video showing you how a bestselling author used this exact strategy. Watch it at http://screenr.com/uxR
Example: If you are writing a book about care and grooming of Maltese dogs, you will write all the typical questions you get from people about this. You may even ask a new dog owner to ask you everything they want to know! You can also put up a simple webpage to collect questions from people. And if you have a store, you can put index cards next to a submission box to collect them. Choose the best for your book.
Now for the "how to":
Phase 1: Gett the questions down on paper.
1. Give yourself a half hour to an hour of uninterrupted time. 2. Write down all the common questions you typically get from customers and prospects. You can either write each question on an index card, write them all on paper or write them into your word processing program. I recommend using index cards because you only have one small piece of information later, and you can so easily organize the cards into themes. 3. Once time is up, leave the info where you can easily add to it later. 4. The next day, give yourself a half hour. Read over your list and add to it as needed..
Phase 2: Organize the questions. Put the simpler "get started" ones first.
1. Put all your questions in front of you and ask yourself, "How can I organize these in the simplest possible way?" 2. Put the questions into a sensible order. 3. Look for "chunks" of related questions. Perhaps your book will have Part 1, 2, and 3 with related questions in each section.
Phase 3: Write your book
You will find it easy to write now that you know exactly what direction your book needs to take. After all, you have those questions to guide you. It might be a good idea to decide on a target page range for your chapters. Say you have 25 questions and you want your book to be about 110 pages. If each chapter is about four pages, you will hit your target. (There are a few pages of front and back matter besides the actual chapters).
Remember - Write in a friendly style as if you are talking to a good friend over a coffee.. - Give enough information to answer the question but not too much. - Never try to edit while you write. Those are two completely different processes in the brain.
Congratulations! You now know how to write a question and answer book that sets you apart as the go-to expert in your field, niche or community.
About the Author
Ronda Del Boccio is a transformational storyteller, author, mentor, and speaker serving authors, entrepreneurs and small business owners. She creates simple yet powerful systems so that anyone can become an Instant VIP author of your own book. Accept her free multimedia mini-course showing you how to write a book at http://ProfitableStorytelling.com/writeabook.htm
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