do I have to put personal information in my book?

Not if you don’t want to. But a lot of readers will find it easier to relate to you if you tell them stories about yourself to explain why you think the way you do. Telling stories about yourself shows vulnerability, which helps establish trust and credibility.

Most business books are giving readers facts, advice, or a program to follow. If you tell stories to support your text, and you can make it a story about yourself or your family, it will help them understand that you've been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

That’s why you’re worth listening to.

You’re sharing the lessons that you've learned, whether it’s a philosophy of life, effective habits, or solving a specific problem in a specific area of business. Whatever, if you've done it yourself, then let the reader know. If you've worked through a crisis, tell the reader. You don't need to spill your family's intimate secrets, but you could share something about, say, working under extreme stress.

If you’re not comfortable with bringing your personal life into your business book, no worries. We can tell other stories instead. But if you are comfortable with a little vulnerability, so much the better.

If the reader feels that you are holding back, they’ll feel cheated. If they feel cheated, they won’t trust you. And if they don’t trust you, they're not going to see any reason to read your book.