3 questions that will tell you if you’ve written a good book

The moment when you’ve just finished writing your book is a big one.

You close your laptop with a satisfied sigh, you dance a little jig of delight, and you treat yourself to something celebratory,

And then you think, ‘Hmmm, but is this book a good one? I think it’s pretty great, but what will my readers make of it?’

This is where you need some outside input.

I’ve expanded on the benefits of having beta readers to give you feedback before, but just recently I read a brilliant gem of a book: Creativity: a short and cheerful guide by the comedian John Cleese.

It’s worth reading for all sorts of reasons, but one of the best comes towards the end, when Cleese gives three insightful questions for you to ask when you show people your work. (Actually he gives four, but the final one isn’t that relevant to non-fiction).

I found myself inspired by these questions.

And as I specialise in ghostwriting business books and self-help guides, I’m giving you my thoughts on how these questions can help you to make sure you’ve written the best book you possibly can.

Question 1: Where were you bored?

I love the fact that this question comes first.

So often, business books and self-help guides are written like instruction manuals. If people aren’t engaged with a book, they’ll give up after Chapter 1.

Just as importantly, they’re unlikely to follow the advice within the book. They don’t sense that their needs are being catered for so they think you don’t understand them, and then they switch off from the content.

Being a little bit boring shows a lack of respect for your readers, who’ve paid money and – more importantly – are giving up several hours of their time to read your words.

There are all sorts of ways you can turn your book into a good read. The most obvious ones are to include stories, fun facts, and analogies that make your ideas real and concrete.

You can also liven up your language by using varied vocabulary and using the active voice. This gives your readers the impression that you’re sitting in front of them, speaking directly to their needs.

Question 2: Where could you not understand what was going on?

There’s a marketing saying that I love: ‘A confused customer isn’t buying.’ Just as you walk away from a supermarket shelf crammed with products that don’t make their unique selling points clear, so will your readers put your book to one side if they struggle to work out what you’re saying.

Clarity is essential if you’re to persuade your readers over to your point of view. This is, after all, the main purpose of a business book or self-help guide.

Consider the difference between a text that takes you from one logical place to another, leading you by the hand so that you know where you’re going, and one that jumps around so that you’re confused.

You’ll soon give up on the second one (and here’s how to put it right).

Also, part of being clear is starting in the right place for your readers. Are you beginning each chapter where you know them to be, or where you think they should be?

It’s easy to let your expertise in your subject send you off track.

Question 3: Where did you not find things credible?

If your readers don’t find you trustworthy, they won’t take action on your advice.

The orator Aristotle called this concept ‘ethos’, or the moral expertise and knowledge that guides your audience to believe you.

If your book doesn’t display ‘ethos’, your readers will question your authority all the way through. Given that one of your reasons for writing your book in the first place might be to enhance your credibility, this could be a killer blow.

You can make your book credible in various ways. Including real-life examples or stories to back up your claims helps, as does including relevant facts and information.

You can also use footnotes to reference your sources, and to expand upon what you’ve written in the main body of the text.

But one of the key techniques is to address the possible counter-arguments to your claims.

For instance, if you’re advocating eating less sugar to lose weight, consider the cynics among your readers. What might they think? Could they assume that fat is the main enemy of weight loss, rather than sugar? If so, debunk that myth rather than glossing over it.

To do this, you need to have a deep understanding of your readers. What do they already think? What do they care about? And how can you present your thinking so that it makes sense to them?

 

John Cleese’s three questions are a brilliant place to start when it comes to evaluating your book. And of course, you can have a go at answering them yourself – that will take you a long way.

But it’s showing your book to others, and asking them the questions, that ensures you have a publication that wins top reviews and strikes gold for your business.

The added bonus is that, after you’ve actioned the feedback, you’ll feel much more confident about your book. Which makes a huge difference when you comes to shouting about it from the rooftops while you’re marketing it.