Know Your Reader

“Everyone has a story to tell.” Yes, BUT…

 … that doesn’t mean that everyone’s book is worth reading.

It’s a question of value for the reader. You can interest and entertain them, or you can teach them something they find useful … and ideally you can do both together. But at the end of every page the reader has a choice.

Turn the page or put the book down and go do something else.

It’s the author's job to get them to turn the page.

How can you tell if you’ve got something to say that will keep them reading?

You have to identify who your reader is. Is it a younger version of yourself? Someone in a similar role in your industry or in a different industry? Someone you see struggling with a problem you’ve overcome? Or someone who’s losing out because they don’t have your insight?

You can’t go far wrong if you figure out who your reader is, and then answer the questions you think they would (or should) ask you if they could.