The Secret Formula to Writing a Bestselling Book

If you're working on a book, I'm sure it's crossed your mind (or is it just me?) if there's a secret formula for writing a bestselling book. 

It's true some nonfiction authors have a rabid following and their books sell no matter what (Gary V, Brené Brown, Tony Robbins, Glennon Doyle, Brian Tracy, and Jeffrey Gitomer).

But the rest of us mere mortals, myself included, can benefit from some strategic reverse-engineering, which is best done before we actively put fingers to keyboard and write with reckless abandon.

Because you want a bestearning book (a perennial seller, as it were), having a professionally-published book with a solid marketing plan is a great start. Paying close attention to the four cornerstones of a professionally published book: cover, editorial, interior design, and copywriting will pay dividends for years to come.

Here's what I've noticed about books that stand the test of time, make the author money, and grow their platform for years and years (in some cases, decades). They each contain a formula that is easy: easy for the reader to read, remember, do, and share.

Let's unpack each piece of the perennial, bestearner puzzle, shall we?

1. Easy. I've heard on dozens of occasions from my friends in traditional publishing that books written at a third-grade level sell the best. I look at it this way: the most intelligent people take complex ideas, simplify them and make them easy for almost anyone to understand. I'm super-impressed by $10 words, and my brain comes to a complete halt if I don't instantly understand what I've read and have to consult a dictionary. How can you make it easy for your readers to read and understand your book?
2. Remember. When a book contains a transformative piece of information or even a formula that is easy to remember, they are more likely to, well, remember it. I've yet to lay my hands on a book that shares "724 steps to investing in real estate" or "92 steps to make your relationship better." Even when a book contains 365 tips, how many are we likely to remember? Five? Three? One? Let's use The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan. There's one question to remember: “What’s the One Thing I can do / such that by doing it / everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” That's it. One question the reader can and apply—thereby everything will be easier or unnecessary. Works for me, how about you? What's a piece of knowledge you can share in your book that is transformative and easy to remember?
3. Do. They can remember it, but can they do it? Making it easy to do is another key piece of the puzzle. Let's take Hal Elrod's Life S.A.V.E.R.S. from The Miracle Morning (and book series*). The S.A.V.E.R.S. stand for: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. The acronym provides the formula, and Hal then gives instructions on how to implement them—5 minutes for each of them, save for exercise and reading (for which he recommends 20 minutes each). Just one hour and six daily practices and you could be well on your way to an amazing transformation. Don't have an hour? You can do each one for just one minute each—six minutes total—and you're still going to have an amazing morning, day, and life. Make sense? What can you instruct your reader to do, that you do, that can have a positive impact on their life? (Be sure to keep it simple and easy.)
4. Share. This is the big one. Well, they are all big ones, but I think this is where one reader becomes two, becomes four, etcetera and so forth. Think about it: a reader reading your book and taking action is one thing. A reader who reads and loves your book, implements your advice and shares it is magic. Books that spread like wildfire through recommendations contain a formula that is easy to remember, do, and share. A couple of years ago, Mel Robbins wrote The 5 Second Rule, and I've heard about it from dozens of different people. Want to stop procrastinating and get things done (like writing your book, for example)? Count backwards ... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and just do it! Now she has a new book, The High 5 Habit, which shares her morning ritual for reducing anxiety and increasing self-esteem. The most fascinating piece of all is the book has been out for just about six weeks, but she's built a paid community (on an app!), and there are thousands of pictures of folks on social media giving themselves a high 5 in the bathroom. My Beachbody Coach does it. Some of my friends are doing it. Seems like there's a lot of high 5-ing going on in bathrooms around the world! How did this happen? She encourages people to share it, and they do. It begs the question: How can you make a key piece of your book easy for your readers to share with others and ultimately maybe even the world?

Other examples of books like these are Think & Grow Rich (with it's widely-known Self-Confidence Formula), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (30th Anniversary Edition!), The 10X Rule, and one of my personal long-time favorites, Go for No! (want more Yeses? All you have to do it get more No's!). All of these books are easy to read, remember (including their titles!), do, and share. 

As you're crafting your book, be sure to include as many of the elements above as you can, so your book can stand the test of time, fulfill the vision you have for it, and do everything you want it to do for the world and in your life and business! If you have other book craft questions, hit reply and ask away.

Happy book crafting and writing, and I'll see you next week!

Honorée Corder | I help professionals write, publish, market, and monetize their books. 

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