Independent publishing has become a more acceptable route for experts to publish books that meet the needs of their audiences. However, independent publishing, or self-publishing, does not equate to publishing books that look and read unprofessional.

So what does a coach, speaker, trainer, or consultant do when she wants to write and independently publish a nonfiction book that looks like it can compete with a New York Times Best Seller? You don’t have to search any further than the best selling books on your favorite book store shelves.

Start paying closer attention to a few details in your favorite nonfiction self-help book titles. This will help you learn what works with books that are commercially popular. Use these books to pick up clues that tell you what makes a good book in the eyes of the reader. There are certain details that you will see over and over again — but you have to pay attention.

Let’s take a look at a few of the details any active reader of nonfiction self-help books should be paying attention to the next time you visit your favorite book store or log on to Amazon.

#1. Examine the title. A good nonfiction title gives the reader the promise of the book. What is the author claiming to help the reader do? A good title may also mention WHO the targeted reader is. You may also find self-help book titles that give the reader a time frame by which they can expect change to take place.

Here are a few examples of winning self-help book titles:

• How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
• The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
• The Whole30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom by Urban and Hartwig

Action Step: Take some time to look at Amazon or visit your local book store at books in your area of expertise. What nonfiction titles stand out the most to you? Can you tell what the book is about just by reading the title? How long is the title? Does the author make use of the sub-title to give you a better idea of what to expect from the book?

#2. Read the back of the cover copy. Once a reader is hooked by the title of a self-help book, she often turns the book over to find out what the book is about. If you are looking the book up on Amazon, that means you turn your eyes to the book description.

Here, you will find the gist of the book boiled down to a few sentences. They may start off by asking the reader a question to help them qualify if this is the book for them.

You may also find a list of highly targeted, short bullet points that explain what the reader can expect to learn.

Action Step: Examine the book cover copy of a few books in your genre. Is there a headline? Is the copy easy to scan with your eyes so you don’t have to read every word? What emotions do you feel reading the copy?

#3. Pay attention to the table of contents to see what the book covers. The next thing a reader may do is crack open the book to go through the table of contents. This is where the reader can skim the chapter headings to find out whether there is specific information that may be relevant to the problem they are looking to solve.

Action Step: Take a look at the table of contents of the nonfiction books in your area of expertise. If you are using Amazon, you can use the “Look Inside” feature by clicking on the book cover. Notice how long the chapter headings are. What keywords are being used here? Does the author list sub-headings for content that is more complicated?

#4. What can you learn from looking at the book cover? The cover of your book matters (no matter what the cliche says…). What colors did the author use? Does the author use a picture of her face or full body picture on the cover? Or maybe the author chose to use an abstract picture of something that’s related to the topic as the cover? Is the font easy to read? How does the font make you feel when you look at it?

Action Step: Take a picture or a screenshot of some of your favorite book covers and lay them out, side-by-side. What are some of the elements you enjoy about these nonfiction book covers? How does the title of the book appear on the cover? How does the cover make you feel?

#5. What is the tone of the language used in the book? The tone is all about the manner in which the writer chooses to speak to the reader. Does the author use sarcasm to talk about a life threatening illness? Is the tone more formal like a textbook, or does the author prefer to write as if she is having a one-on-one conversation with the reader?

Here’s a great example of two different tones used in the title of a book.

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

The author of the first title is clearly a carefree spirit who doesn’t mind having a strong curse word thrown around for attention. I’m quite sure you won’t even find a curse word in Tolle’s book. However, both books are quite successful and have an audience of readers that gravitate to the style of writing that speaks to them.

Action Step: What tone do you prefer to write with? What new writers often do is copy the tone of another successful author in order to feel like they are “doing it right.” However, I like to guide my authors to use the tone they speak with when addressing their clients. If you use dry jokes in talking with clients, use dry jokes in the book. If you preface your lessons with stories from your childhood, feel free to do that in your book. Use this time to think about what your tone is the next time you talk to a client. Note what feels natural to you.

If you are going to be reading books for your own personal development (and I’m sure you do if you consider yourself to be an expert…), you may as well start paying attention to the elements that made you gravitate towards that title in the first place. Becoming a more active reader will help you to figure out what your readers enjoy in the books they read so you can replicate some of those same classic elements in your own self-help book.

Are you looking for guidance on how to write a professional nonfiction book? I am currently taking appointments with serious experts seeking ghostwriting and book coaching support. Email me at Hello@DigitalWellPublisher.com and tell me more about your project.