How to Write a Self Help Book

Have you always wanted to write a self help book? In this blog post, you’ll learn how.

Are you one of those people who find satisfaction in helping others?

While extending a hand is your calling, it is not always easy to come up with ways on how to do it.

But if you have excellent writing skills, then you should consider the prospect of writing a self-help book.

There is nothing new about self-help books.

There are millions of authors competing in the same genre.

So, why would you join the fray?

Well, it is not about financial rewards, although it is unfair to say that writing self-help books won’t compensate you.

You want to learn the trade because it offers gratification.

You have a ton of knowledge and experience in various aspects of life, but you need an outlet to share it. Writing may look like a straightforward affair.

Everyone can do it, right?

With the competition out there, you might find yourself getting ignored by your target audience since many writers are much better than you.

So, the key to success in writing a self-help book is learning how to do it right the first time.

The objective is to have a positive impact on other people, but it is easier said than done.

Self-Help Books Are A Genre on Its Own

Self-help is a writing subject that is essentially a genre on its own.

In other words, you won’t have a difficult time finding an audience for your books because there always will be people interested in it.

All you must do is focus on an issue or problem that people need answers to, and then you share your knowledge on how to solve that problem.

Importance of Balance

The one thing you must emphasize when writing a self-help book is to distinguish the fine line between creating a book meant to inspire and that of producing a memoir.

While it is true that our knowledge mostly comes from personal experience, it does not mean that you focus on yourself when writing a self-help book.

You do not want to create the impression that you are writing a memoir rather than content that readers can relate to.

The most critical aspect of writing a self-help book, or any book for that matter, is balance.

Although you are proud of your achievements in life, it does not mean you lay it all out in the book.

Learn how to balance your content, and doing so means accepting the role of being a teacher rather than a high-ego example.

You can showcase your achievements and knowledge, but not to the point that you are clearly showing off.

One way to achieve balance in writing is admitting your failures in the past, telling your readers that those disappointments became your strongest motivations.

A humble posture is what makes authors of self-help books extraordinarily successful.

Know Your Audience

You will benefit from having a good grasp of your target audience or readers right before you start writing a self-help book.

It means that you must know who is likely to be interested in it and if it will help them solve their issues.

You cannot be overly generic or universal in your approach because doing so will lessen your effectiveness in making your audience interested in your book.

One common mistake is that of producing highly generic content.

It is like you are merely doing a rewrite or voice-over of the same material from another author.

The last thing you want is for readers to ignore your future books after realizing that you are not giving them helpful information.

The only way to write content that addresses the needs of your readers is when you have a comprehensive understanding of your audience.

Consider your book as a written account of your conversation with the reader.

In a typical conversation, the only way for a valuable exchange to happen is when you understand who is listening to your input.

The same thing happens if you’re writing a self-help book.

Focus on the Specifics

As I mentioned earlier, writing something too generic could be your undoing.

Instead, you must focus on a specific subject or topic of personal improvement if you wish to succeed in your first attempt at a self-help book.

Your content must find a way to get to a specific group of readers.

The reality is that it is way easier to make progress in what you are writing if you focus on the specifics.

It isn’t as difficult as you think since there is a bevy of prospective subjects to consider.

You may start with a controversial, prevalent, or popular topic that easily captures the attention of a typical reader:

• Getting rid of procrastination
• Defeating anxiety and depression
• Changing bad habits
• Conquering a certain fear
• Becoming more confident and organized

WHAT YOU SHOULD AVOID: Do not write about how to achieve goals or become a happier person.

Yes, these topics are within the scope self-help but are gazillions of these books online.

Showcase Your Writing Credentials

One thing that separates the professionals from the amateurs in the world of writing is professional experience.

It does not mean that you no longer can succeed if you are not a pro, but it will help a lot if you can show some credentials which are related in writing.

If you hope to cash in on the retail success of the self-help book, then put in the effort to show your achievements, including a degree, certifications and training, and professional career.

Structure and Momentum

Excellent content depends on the correct structure.

It is impossible to generate interest in your self-help book if it is disorganized and free-flowing.

Remember that you are not writing a blog or a news article. Regardless of your subject, you must adhere to proper structuring.

• Acknowledge the issue or problem you intend to discuss in your book.
• Develop a plan on how to address the problem.
• Implement the plan in full detail.
• Follow through and be sure not to deviate from the plan.

Self-help books are written with the intent to solve certain struggles for their readers.

Just about any problem you can imagine, has had a book written about it

If you’ve overcome lifechanging situations in the past, maybe you’re thinking of writing your own self-help book?

But where do you even begin?

This post is going to delve into the process of finding ideas for your book, how to structure the content and how to write for rave reviews.

Pros and Cons of Writing a Self-Help Book

Writing a self-help book is an interesting process.

While some may struggle to get their ideas down onto paper, others may see it as a therapeutic process.

No two journeys will be the same! But, if you can’t go a day without thinking about writing your own book, the important part is to just get started.

Pros of Writing a Self-Help Book

• You can express yourself
• May have a therapeutic effect
• Will improve your writing skills
• Learn the publishing process
• Pushes you out of your comfort zone
• Allows you to help others
• Make money by writing your own books
• Could become a full-time career
• Raise awareness on important topics

Cons of Writing a Self-Help Book

• Is a time consuming process
• Takes you on a huge learning curve
• Can suffer from feelings of insecurity and procrastination
• You might find it difficult to write clearly
• May struggle with people knowing your personal problems
• The enormity of the project might overwhelm you

Examples of Popular Self-Help Books for Inspiration

The self-help book market is growing every year, with the market reaching over a billion.

One in five people have read a self-help book in the last year, according to research, so the demand is there.

There are many self-help books that have popped up over the years.

Some which have cemented their place on best-seller lists and ingrained themselves into the hall of self-help book fame. Popular ones that come to mind include:

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

One of the best-selling self-help books of all time, The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd’s pursuit of treasure.

The story teaches us to listen to the heart, pay attention to the journey and to follow our dreams.

65+ million copies sold.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Hill was one of the earliest ever self-help authors and his books are still read today.

Think and Grow Rich explores the laws of success and provides readers with the 13 principles of personal achievement.

It concludes, that with faith, desire and commitment, any individual can reach success.

80+ million copies sold.

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay

This book was released in 1984 and has become one of the most popular self-help books ever published. The content details the importance of healthy thought, behavior patterns and how many illnesses are caused from a disconnect in these areas.

50+ million copies sold.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Rich Dad Poor Dad focuses on financial success and the importance of financial literacy.

Kiyosaki talks about how none of this was taught in schools when he grew up and how his two father figures shaped his life.

One was his ‘’poor dad’’ who worked hard for very little and the other was his ‘’rich dad’’ who taught him how to make money work for him.

26+ million copies sold.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey

With a focus on the essential practices to live a better life, Covey’s book is another extremely popular self-help book.

It details that if you want to change your life, you must first change your perspectives.

Habits are discussed to encourage these shifts and enable personal development.

25+ million copies sold.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now takes readers on a deep and meaningful journey to find their best self.

Toll writes in detail about enlightenment and how to conquer your biggest enemy – your mind.

A great book for those wishing to shake off the demons of the past and learn what living in the present moment actually means.

2+ million copies sold.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Victor Hansen

Canfield and Hanson are hugely popular motivational speakers and have touched the hearts of people around the world.

This book is a collection of their best stories and tales to open the heart and rekindle the spirit.

With a dash of wit and wisdom, Chicken Soup for the Soul is here to lead you through life’s tough moments.

5+ million copies sold.

What Word Count is Good for a Self-Help Book?

Self-help books average around 30,000 to 70,000 words. But, this is not set in stone, with some being longer and some shorter.

Aim to make your book long enough to answer the core problem, without sacrificing any essential points.

How Should a Self-Help Book Be Structured?

Self-help book content needs to be broken down into clear and helpful steps. These include:

• Outline the problem. Discuss clearly what the book is about, your experience with it and why you decided to write about it.
• Share some background history about the problem. Give examples of others who’ve faced the problem, why the problem happens, where it came from and why it continues to affect people.
• Share helpful details readers should be aware of. Discuss any caveats the problem and its resolution has. Detail any pointers the reader needs to be aware of to achieve the best results.
• Offer ways to tackle the problem and a plan to move forwards. Here’s where you lay out your action plan, giving the reader a blueprint for success.

To keep readers engaged, make sure you:

• Use explanatory titles and break it into parts
• Break up the text with descriptive sub-headers
• At the end of each chapter, summarize with bullet-point takeaways
• Use relevant imagery to support and break up content

Do You Have to Be an Expert to Write a Self-Help Book?

If you have specialist degrees from top universities, this of course will help. However, many of the most successful self-help books were written by those who’d gone through hard times and come out the other side fighting.

As humans, we love personal stories of people overcoming the odds. If you have a story that can back up your book, this could be enough. But if not, some sort of professional experience is needed for readers to take you seriously.

10 Simple Steps to Writing a Profitable Self-Help Book

1. Decide on Your Book Topic

Anyone can have an idea, but finding a topic that people will pay for your advice on is a little harder. But, you can be sure that if you help someone succeed, they will buy your book.

So, what should you write about? Don’t fall in the trap of going too broad like ‘’how to find a boyfriend’’. Narrow it down into a sub-niche like ‘’finding love over 50’’ or something like that.

This does narrow down your audience, but it also cuts out the competition and gets you known for being an expert in one area.

Once you’ve decided, write down the central problem and make a list of topics related to this problem. If you struggle to think of topics, research questions people ask related to the main problem.

This information will become the subject matter for your book.

2. Research and Understand Your Audience

To write a successful self-help book, it’s essential to understand your audience. Once you know your target market, you can give specific advice, instead of a one size fits all answer.

Write down the exact type of person who will read your book. Detail their age, location, gender, where they work, what activities they enjoy and anything else you can think of.

Now, write down their motivation for needing help. Is it curiosity, desperation, frustration or something different?

A good self-help book should talk directly to one type of person.

3. Check Your Competitors Published Books

Before you write anything, it’s a great idea to research books already out there in your niche. Take notes on:

• What do you think works well in current books
• What improvements could be made
• Any reader reviews
• How will you make your book different to what’s already been written

Do you have a unique backstory? Have you battled through insurmountable odds? What failures have you overcome? This type of information is what can set your book apart from the masses.

4. Make an Outline of Your Book Idea

Organization is key when writing a self-help book. Start by writing an outline, which helps to keep you on point within each section.

Outlines ensure you deliver on your promises to the reader, instead of missing chunks of information out. A basic outline to start with is:

• Introduction
• 10 chapters’ minimum

Introduction: Talk about who you are and what experiences/qualifications you have to solve the main problem. Discuss what drove you to write the book and what you hope readers get from it. Get the readers hooked with a story. Stories evoke emotion and humanize problems making it more memorable.

Chapter 1: Dive deep into the problem or pain point. Empathize with the reader and let them know they’re not alone.

Chapter 2: Explain the solution you found and the reasons why it worked. Now is a great time to introduce real life examples, including yourself and how your guidance led to the problem being solved. More examples can be used in subsequent chapters.

Chapter 3 and onwards: Each chapter should offer a step to overcome the problem.

Final chapter: Tie everything together and encourage readers to start implementing what they’ve learned. An assignment is a great way to nudge people into action.

5. Brainstorm a List of Titles

Write a list of 20 – 30 titles. Aim for a balance of telling people what it does while still having intrigue. This can be hard to do as if it’s too obvious, it may seem boring, but too ‘’out there’’ and no one will know what your books about.

If you’re a little stuck, take a look at these simple formulas to choose a title for your self-help book:

Make a Statement

Get straight to the point and tell the reader what your book teaches.

I Can Make You Rich by Paul McKenna

Use ‘’How To’’

We all want to know how to do things. Use ‘’How-to’’ in your self-help book to let readers know what they’ll learn.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

List It Out

Humans process information a lot easier in lists. Give people what they want with a list title.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

One Sentence Description

Summarize your book in one descriptive sentence.

Declutter Your Mind by S J Scott

Inspire Action

Tell your readers what is possible.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Make a Declaration

Give your readers confidence with a bold declaration.

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Give Instructions

People love to be told what to do and you can instruct readers before they even open your book.

What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter

6. Cite Sources and Get Permissions

If you plan to use someone else’s content in your book, whether it’s a paragraph or a sentence, this needs to be credited to the source. Reach out and ask permission to protect yourself from any copyright infringements.

Quotes from published sources are usually ok to be cited. Another idea is to add links to an author’s website who you cited on a resources page.

7. Write an Initial Draft

Set yourself a deadline of how many words you want to write a day and the estimated date to have the first draft done. Setting yourself small deadlines, encourages you to get the work done, even on the day’s motivation has left you. There’s plenty more to do, so this draft needs to be done within a reasonable timeframe.

8. Find an Editor for Your Book

Give yourself a pat on the back for getting a first draft written out! Now, you need a proficient editor, preferably who specializes in self-help books, to go through your book with a fine tooth comb.

If the editor has read many self-help books, even better. An editor who knows what makes a good self-help book, can tell you if it really delivers. Ask around your network for referrals, or ask editors you know, who may have friends specializing in the self-help niche.

9. Tweak and Rewrite Parts

After the editor has done their work, you can get to work tweaking and re-writing where necessary. This can take some time, but will be worth it in the end when readers can’t get enough.

Once you’re happy, hand the book back to your editor. The final stage is to copy edit and proofread to ensure every part is grammatically correct and has flow.

• Test Your Book with Beta Readers

Beta readers can be given the first read of your book in return for feedback. Aim to choose people who regularly read self-help books, so they spot differences more easily.

Ask what they liked and what they thought could be improved. How did they feel after reading the book? Good or bad, this feedback gives you valuable information on what improvements to make. If you can, reward your beta readers so they’ll be willing to help again in the future.

• Make Contact with Credible Experts for Endorsements

If you can find credible experts who will endorse your book, this gives you a huge leap forward. Everybody loves to read product reviews and the same goes for book endorsements. If it’s from an expert in your book’s niche, this is a gold stamp of approval, telling readers it’s worth parting cash for.

Endorsements can be added front and centre on your books cover and in the sales page. And, if you have a good relationship with a known expert, ask them to write a forward for your book.

• Find a Book Interior Designer

To save cash, it’s entirely possible to do basic formatting for your own book’s interior. If you have a budget, professional formatting ensures your readers get the best possible experience. And, that small up-front investment, can translate to more book sales, which is of course the ultimate goal.

• Design a Beautiful Book Cover

Just like with the interior, it’s possible to create your book cover in a graphic design software. But again, for a small investment hiring a professional, you’ll get a polished book cover that grabs a potential buyer’s attention.

The cover is the first thing someone will see. Meaning, a great book cover, can be the difference between a few sales and thousands of sales.

• Launch Your Book to the World

Now your book should be ready to show to the world! The writing, editing, revisions, formatting and beautiful cover is designed and the super exciting part can start. You have a few options to sell your book, including exclusively on Amazon KDP or selling your book across multiple platforms.

How to Market Your Self-Help Book?

While the self-help book industry is thriving, this also means competition is fierce. A robust marketing campaign is needed to make your book stand out. Even with little cash, there are many things you can do to create an impactful marketing campaign. Follow these tips:

Show Off Your Credentials

Why should someone buy your self-help book? Have you worked in the industry or gone through a life changing event and triumphed? Sharing this information inside the book isn’t enough.

Detail your expertise across your social media accounts. When people can relate to your story, they’ll be more likely to pick up your book. Make sure your credentials are clearly visible in press releases, on your website and any other publicity.

Get Yourself Interviewed

Alongside promoting your book, you need to promote yourself. Your book can’t be interviewed, so make yourself available to media outlets. Establishing yourself as an authority in your niche, helps to give your book credibility.

Write Guest Post Articles

While you may want a break from writing, after all the time spent writing your book! Opening yourself up for byline guest post articles is another top way to build credibility and get traffic to your website, social media and sales page.

Many established websites with huge amounts of readers want writers to help with content. Write articles around a common problem in your niche. Expert articles may also get picked up by TV producers, which could lead on to you being invited as a guest.

Be Active on Social Media

Another simple, but effective way to market your self-help book. Don’t overwhelm yourself – focus on 1 or 2 platforms at a time that resonate best with your niche.

Keep your social accounts active daily with helpful, interesting and inspiring content. Occasionally drop in sales posts, showing people how your book has the answer to their problems.

Secure Speaking Engagements

Speaking engagements are another way to earn extra money and promote your new self-help book. After its release, you may be asked to speak about your book or on subjects relating to the book. If not, reach out to industry experts to offer your time. Getting up on stage and showing your expertise is an extremely powerful marketing tool.

Make Time to Actively Promote

Once your self-help book has launched, you need to be available. The biggest mistake a new author can make is launching and disappearing. Once you have your book ready, make time to actively promote it.

You have to take the reins and make things happen. Get interviewed, write articles, send your book to industry experts and promote daily on your social media channels.

Get Creative with Your Marketing

Try out new ways to market yourself and your book. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative. Just because your book is about helping busy Moms build a blog, it doesn’t mean you can’t be interviewed on different topics. All publicity is good publicity and gives you a chance to promote your new book.

Where to Sell Your Self-Help Book Online?

One of the easiest ways to publish your first self-help book is online. The digital age has made it easy for anyone to sell eBooks and many platforms help you do this. Once you have your content written and a beautiful cover designed, check out these websites to sell your book online:

1. Payhip

Payhip is a popular site for creators to host and sell their eBooks online. After adding your book to the platform, you get access to multiple features such as marketing, analytics, affiliates, discount codes and customer management.

The affiliates section allows you to get help from others to sell your book and in return they get a commission. Payments are handled through Stripe or PayPal and you can choose from three plans which are:

• Free Forever (5% transaction fees)
• Plus: $29/month + (2% transaction fees)
• Pro: $99/month (zero transaction fees)

2. Sellfy

Sellfy is another established platform to sell your eBooks, digital downloads, courses, subscriptions and apparel such as t-shirts/hoodies. You can even set up a storefront connected to your existing domain with branding etc.

Fees to use the platform are $19/month if paid annually and $29/month for monthly. There are no extra transaction fees, except those added on by PayPal or Stripe.

3. Amazon

Amazon is probably the largest and most popular place to sell eBooks online. With around 4,000 items sold every minute on Amazon, you can see it’s a great platform to sell on. Authors earn between 35% and 70% royalty for eBooks sold through the platform.

This amount depends on your pricing structure and your location. You can also choose to have your book printed and delivered or sold as a digital download. With Amazon being such an authoritative platform, it makes sense to sell your book on there as a new author.

4. com

Feiyr allows creators to sell their eBooks and music worldwide and keep 80% of the profits. It just takes a few minutes to upload your book to the platform and then it’s available for sale on 165 shops and online bookstores worldwide.

It’s a super easy way for new authors to self-publish their book and get it promoted to a wide audience. Feiyr has been around since 2006 and has great reviews online. You can sign up for free, but to start selling, you need to pay a small activation fee of €9.90.

5. com

Blurb is the top site to create, print and sell your eBooks. Their free design tools give you complete control to create a beautiful book in three simple steps.

Once your book is print-ready, you can list it for sale to a global audience via the Blurb Bookstore, Barnes and Noble platform, iBook Store and Amazon. Transaction fees are taken from your chosen payment processor.

You have the option to sell digital downloads or to print and deliver your book. This platform really has it all for new authors to produce and sell quality books online.

6. E-Junkie

EJunkie allows creators to sell eBooks, digital downloads, comics, art, merchandise and more. You can sell via your own website, social media or create an online shop on the platform.

All you have to do is link your payment processor (PayPal, Stripe), add your product details and copy and paste the button codes/links to where you want to sell. EJunkie doesn’t take a cut of the sales. You just pay a fixed monthly fee of $5 a month for hosting up to 10 digital products.

Try out each of these platforms to see which brings the best returns for your self-help book. The majority of these platforms should be fine with you selling on more than one. But, check out the terms and conditions pages of each to be sure.

What is the Cost of Self-Publishing a Book?

The average author spends $2,000 to $5,000 self-publishing a book. Of course, it is possible to spend less and do more yourself. But the investment in pro assistance helps you in the long run, with a higher quality finished book and increased sales with expert marketing. Self-publishing costs can include:

• Developmental editing on a 60,000-word book costs around $1,400. This type of editing focuses on structure, content and character development. Copy editing which focuses on grammar, costs around $1,000. A proofreader does the final edit which costs in the area of $600. These figures obviously vary, depending on where you find editors.
• Cover design. You can create your book cover yourself with free graphic design software like Canva. But, first impressions count and hiring a pro cover designer is worth it. Cost can vary from $250 up to $1500 depending on the experience of the designer.
• Book formatting. Formatting is the art of typesetting and aligning text and images within the book. Cost for this service can be anywhere from $200 up to $1,000+.
• Options for promoting your new book are doing it yourself via your website and social media, Facebook ads, KDP Select PPC ads or paying book marketing services such as Bookbub (very expensive) or Whizzbuzz Books who offer affordable year long book exposure.
• The most economical printing route is using POD (print on demand) platforms. If you want physical copies now, the average printer will charge $1 – $2 per book for a 1,000 book order.
• Distribution costs are usually taken via a percentage of the sales on most platforms.
• Audiobook version. Another way to increase sales is to offer an audiobook version. For this to happen, you need to pay a narrator between a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. Cost depends on the experience of the narrator and which platform you find them on.
• ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and every published book is assigned one. Some sites like Amazon (if you sell exclusively with them) will assign you a free ISBN number. Elsewhere, getting your own ISBN costs $100 for one, or $295 for 10.

How Much Should You Charge for Your Self-Help Book?

What price you sell your self-help book for depends on a few things. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What is the word count for your book?
2. How much did it cost to produce?
3. What are the costs of selling it on your chosen platform?
4. Is this your first published self-help book?
5. How valuable and unique is the content?

Answering these questions should help you price up your book. Do your research and compare prices with other authors in your genre. If this is your first self-help book, it might be worth pricing a little lower, until you build up a following who love what you do.

Selling through your blog or social media, means zero fees and you take all profit. If you sell through third party platforms, you need to factor in the fees for using their services.

One strategy is to start at a lower price point and increase it over time after building up sales and reviews.

As a new author, it can take you a little time to get the pricing right. But, don’t be afraid to test price points and reach out to other authors to ask for their advice. Every best-selling author was once a beginner!

Final Thoughts on Writing a Profitable Self-Help Book

Now you have a complete step by step guide to take your self-help book from an idea to published and making sales!

Start by developing a daily writing habit and connect with other authors to keep you motivated. While publishing a book is a huge task, it’s a rewarding one that can earn passive income for years to come.

Final Thoughts

A self-help book can only be compelling when there is actionable and practical advice. Do not write something that a reader cannot put into action.

You aren’t teaching your audience how to build a space rocket from scratch. So, there’s a reasonable expectation from them to follow your tips on how to beat their struggle, solve a problem, and eventually improve their lives.