How to Write a Self-Help Book Outline
Knowing how to write a self-help book outline can help you organize your experiences and wisdom in a meaningful format. Then, you can organize your content in a logical manner, providing others like you with the help they need.
This world is a very complicated place. It can be stressful and frustrating. Many might seek professional help to cope with these issues but cannot afford the costs of therapy. What is the next best solution? Purchasing self-help books that can be immediately applied to personal life. 5.7% of all consumer books purchased in any given year are self-help books, resulting in an industry that brings in $10 billion or more each year.
The market for self-help books is booming. To capitalize, start with a self-help book outline that will pave the way for your manuscript. Here’s how to write a self-help book outline.
#1. Break everything down into manageable steps.
Self-help books are useful because the advice can be readily implemented. That advice must be relevant, easy to understand, and something the average reader can do to create results. This means your outline must break down the end goal into manageable steps.
Think about your average staircase. There might be 9-14 steps in a home that take you from one floor to the next. Each step is its own goal in your self-help book outline. As the reader takes each step, they move to their end goal. This does two things: it allows the reader to see their progress, and it makes your advice feel relevant because there has been a successful movement.
#2. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.
The goal of a self-help book is to create efficacy, which means achieving a tangible result. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep revisiting the core ideas of your narrative to reinforce the changes or choices that need to be made.
However, that doesn’t mean every outline point should be the same topic, just restated differently. This means that each chapter can revisit important core topics meaningfully. The goal is to create an outline that encourages reader familiarity once the writing begins.
#3. Use examples that most people are going to understand.
In the movie Defending Your Life, Rip Torn’s character Bob Diamond tells Daniel Miller, played by Albert Brooks, that he was stuck and couldn’t make it in time for Miller’s hearing.
“Don’t treat me like a moron,” Miller says in the movie. “Try me.”
Diamond responds: “I was trapped near the inner circle of thought.”
“I don’t understand…” says Miller.
“I told you,” Diamond retorts.
When an author speaks to a reader in a self-help book, they must use examples that most people will understand. One key to success for the reader is the ability to visualize the changes or choices they will need to make to reach their goal.
As part of the outlining process, include certain examples that help reinforce the key points you’re trying to make. You don’t want the examples to overwhelm your narrative. So, use the outlining process to insert them into key areas where you want to drive your core ideas home.
#4. Find the inspiration.
Many self-help books cover various aspects of personal development, like weight management, coping strategies, and negotiating better salaries. The aim is not to point out issues your readers already know about continually. The goal is to help readers believe they can overcome the problem your book identifies. They want to see how you’ve overcome a problem so they can repeat the process. This is what your outline will help you to cover.
You’re not trying to win a gold medal when you write a self-help book. You’re trying to inspire others to become an Olympic champion in their own way. Share on XYou’ll be able to inspire others by outlining the steps you took to deal with the identified problem in your book. And, just as with your core thoughts, you can keep revisiting these inspirational moments throughout your book.
Outlining a self-help book is almost the same as outlining any other type of manuscript.
The main difference lies in their core focuses. Instead of just aiming for entertainment, the primary goal is to spark a profound shift in how readers see things, fostering the belief in their ability to make positive changes. By carefully addressing these four key areas, you can craft a self-help book outline that effectively helps your publication achieve its aim of bringing about significant change in its readership.
Further Reading
Why Write a Self-Help Book vs a Big Idea Book
Is It Better to Self-Publish or Get a Publisher?
Writing Your First Nonfiction Book
Most Lucrative Nonfiction Genres to Write In
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About the Author
Melissa G. Wilson is a seasoned author and publisher with over 20 years of experience, guiding over 174 thought leaders to success in the literary and business arenas. As the founder of Networlding Publishing and a former “Networking Coach,” Melissa has authored five best-sellers, including “Networlding,” which held a top spot on Amazon for a year. She combines her passion for networking and publishing to help authors from diverse fields achieve their goals by building strategic partnerships with other authors and her large network of leaders and publishing experts. Melissa is committed to fostering community and professional growth, offering free start-up consultations for aspiring non-fiction business authors.