Oh boy, I’m zero words for the day and just getting started with the words. Can I hit my quota? Can I???
Probably. LOL
Today was pretty productive all things considered.
For reading, no activities in that area today.
For data analysis and marketing, I put together the table of contents for a nonfiction book I’ll be writing soon. I studied some of the comparable books and put together a TOC based on a few things.
With nonfiction, table of contents sell books. Big time. I spend a lot more time on mine than most. Table of contents show the reader upfront what they’re going to get, demonstrate the value, and make assurances that the purchase is worth it. That is, if you title your chapters properly so that they hit the reader’s concerns and pain points, plus a few other things they may not have thought of.
When crafting a TOC (which is really an outline for nonfiction), I make sure the following items are included:
- Tablestakes. These are the topics that everyone else is covering. If you’re going to write the book, you can’t write it without covering these topics as well (if not better) than your comparable books.
- Unique Selling Propositions. These are the topics that others didn’t cover that your book will uniquely cover.
So the equation is: tablestakes + unique selling propositions + logical organization + clear benefits/pain points addressed with every chapter title.
For writing, I’m off to get some writing now, so wish me luck.
You all have tried to persuade me for years that I should include the word counts for these posts in my word count. I might do it. We’ll see.
Anyhoo, have a great night everyone.
Words Written This Year: 321,000 / 850,000 Goal
