Easy ways to wow your readers with your business book outline

When we read a business book we’re taken on a journey, and one of the lovely things about being a reader is that we don’t see the work the author has put into mapping out that trip. But when we’ve got an idea for our own book, suddenly that process can seem like a huge barrier standing between us and starting to write it. We’ve got the central idea for our book, but how do we create the outline for it? What stepping stones do we lay out for our reader so they end up where we want them to be by the end?

Call it what you like – a structure, a roadmap or an outline – it’s all the same thing. It’s the skeleton of our book.

My son was asked in a school test, ‘What’s the purpose of a skeleton?’ His answer was, ‘It supports your body so you’re not just a heap of skin and organs in the floor’. I had to laugh, but he was right! Without that skeleton our words will flop about aimlessly, veering hither and thither, leaving our readers a little confused and – most importantly – not so likely to get out of our book what they need.

How to decide on your book outline

The book outline you choose is connected to the ultimate purpose of your book. What do you want your reader to do, think and feel by the end of it? If you want them to do something, then your book structure could be a step by step guide. If you’re want them to feel something, then it would be a great idea to base it on stories. This is big picture stuff, but you can see how different outlines will produce different results. Decide which outcome is most important for you, and that will make your decision about the structure easier.

Examples of outlines you could use

• Your system. If you’re a coach with a signature system, for instance, structuring your book around it is a brilliant way not only to guide your readers to the outcome you want, but to showcase your methods and expertise. You could start out with an introduction, then base each chapter on a step in your system, rounding off with a conclusion which motivates them to take action and gives them further resources.
• Masterclasses or interviews. If you want to get across a disparate amount of information (but with a common theme), you could base each chapter on a scenario, a lesson or an expert interview. You’ll need an introduction to explain how to use the book, and your reader can dip in and out, reading individual chapters as they like. This has the advantage of providing lots of variety and flexibility for your reader, but you do need to keep control of the content so that it doesn’t range too widely.
• A personal story which your readers can learn from. If you’ve got a story to tell that you know will inspire others, then you’ve already got a narrative thread to work with. You might decide to start ‘at the end’, and show how you got to where you are now. Or you could start at the crisis point – your lowest ebb – and detail what got you out of it. Plot out your personal journey, picking out the lows, the highs, and the turning points, and use that for your chapter structure. And remember to include learning points for your readers so that it makes the story relevant to them.

How to break down your chapters

Once you’ve got the top level outline of chapters and their broad content, it’s a good idea to decide how you’re going to structure each chapter within itself. For instance, will you start it with a story, explain the relevance of the story, and then show your readers how to apply it in their own lives? This is the structure used in Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Robert B. Cialdini; if you read this book you’ll see that the author is very consistent in how he applies the same roadmap to each individual chapter so that his readers feel sure of the results they’re going to get.

But there are lots of other ways of structuring your content within each chapter.  You could start with an introduction of what’s going to be covered, then the theory, then an example, and then a summary. Or your chapters could each start with a motivational point, followed by a lesson in how to apply it, and then a story about someone else who’s achieved it.

It comes down to what main outcome you want your book to have for your readers – what’s the wow factor for them? Why will they buy your book in the first place?

Getting down and dirty

Now’s the time to get your outline down on paper (or screen)! How you do it depends on the way your brain works. If you’ve got loads of ideas fizzing away and you need to get them out quickly and simply, then post-it notes are good – one for each structure thought. Or you could use a mind map to chart the flow of your book, taking your reader from one step to another. Maybe a spreadsheet is best if you’ve got a ‘well ordered’ mind to start off with.

All that matters is that you record what you’re going to do, and then stick to it as much as possible.

You’re all set!

Once you’ve planned your book out, nothing can stop you. That hurdle called ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’ is finally overcome and your writing will flow so much more easily. Not only that, your book will make brilliant sense to your readers, who will be wowed by your insights and expertise.