The Selfish Gift - Go public with your purpose

How to Craft a Book That Changes Lives―Including Your Own, with AJ Harper, Editor and Publishing Strategist

February 01, 2023 Maggie Langrick Season 2 Episode 16
The Selfish Gift - Go public with your purpose
How to Craft a Book That Changes Lives―Including Your Own, with AJ Harper, Editor and Publishing Strategist
Show Notes

Have you heard the saying, "The book is the new business card?"—just something you can crank out and put on Amazon in a matter of days, in order to boost your visibility? Well, today's guest is here to explain why that is absolutely the wrong reason to publish a book—and the wrong way to do it. By cutting corners, investing as little as possible, and thinking only of yourself rather than your reader, you'd essentially be creating a throwaway marketing piece (which is exactly the fate of most business cards!) The function of any worthwhile nonfiction book is to change lives, and AJ Harper is on a mission to do just that.

As a developmental editor, ghostwriter, and publishing strategist, AJ has worked with hundreds of authors, from newbies and first timers to New York Times bestsellers like Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First. She is also the author of her own nonfiction book, Write a Must-Read, which teaches you how to conceptualize and write a nonfiction book that will actually make people want to buy and read it. In this episode, you'll learn:

  • The hard truth about whether "everyone has a book in them."
  • AJ’s proven framework for crafting a life-changing book. (“A book is not about something. A book is for someone.”)
  • How to identify your ideal reader. (It's not just about demographics.)
  • How to determine which parts of your life belong in your memoir.
  • The difference between a book's core message and its promise—and why clearly identifying those two things will set you up for success.

For more, check out:
ajharper.com
maggielangrick.com
wonderwell.press

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