When you have an idea for a book, where do you start?
One of the most common questions I am asked is how to write a business book. You can outline and write, but don’t think for a second that even the most prolific author doesn’t do this one thing:
Research!
Sure, every business book begins with an idea. But no one knows every single detail necessary to weave a story, theory or system, into pages upon pages to create a succinct book.
When writing a business book I find that the research usually takes longer that the writing itself. The best part? The research for a book takes me on a journey I never expected. It has become my favorite part of writing.
When I was writing Fix This Next, I researched The Winchester House. This place was built with addition upon addition to improve the house, and it went nowhere. I mean there were actual stairs that leading nowhere. My wife and I even visited it when we were out in California to see for ourselves. (I take my research pretty seriously, after all.) What’s the connection? Fix This Next is a system that diagnoses the vital need in a business, how to navigate to correct it. It fixes the business, instead of getting nowhere, which is a common trap.
Research takes you on an unexpected path when writing a business book (or any book!). Be prepared for the journey to be very fluid, and try to lean into that! You may not end up where you originally thought and that’s ok!
For my next business book, I am delving into the research journey once again. Suddenly I am reading about the iridescence of butterfly wings. Not exactly what I anticipated I’d be doing with my day, but I love this learning process and how it opens my mind. Most of all, I enjoy finding the analogies I come across. And of course, sharing what I learn with others so they can succeed as well.
What are some of the processed you have in place for your business? What is your favorite part?
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Hi Mike. I love reading your books. I’ve taken a lot from Clockwork and and pieces from Profit First, although I am yet to follow the complete system as I should. I appreciate that your books have a creative side and your use of metaphors make non-fiction easier to digest.
What I love most about what I do, is taking complex processes and breaking them down into achievable projects or goals. I have done this on an individual basis, however, I would like to shift to helping simplify organisations where I see a lot of red tape. In simple terms, it’s goal setting and execution… but I love diving deep to understand the complexity and then break it down into something that’s actionable for others.