As I talk to writers, one of the most frustrating parts of the book creation process seems to be creating an outline.

Many people have great ideas for books. They seem equally motivated to tackle the writing and publishing aspects. But the outline gives writers a lot of trouble because it seems like a mysterious, vague process.

On this episode, I’ll walk you through a simple 5-step roadmap for outlining a standard non-fiction book. This is the exact process I walk through with my clients when we are creating their books.

1. Determine who your ideal reader is and the problem you are trying to solve for them.
2. Figure out why your reader hasn’t already achieved these results.
3. Use the reader’s pain points/questions and organize them into 3-4 major sections of 3-4 chapters each.
4. Look at similar books in your genre to ensure you haven’t left anything out.
5. Get feedback from a few people who represent your ideal reader.

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