If you’re a yoga or meditation teacher, therapist or psychologist, herbalist or holistic practitioner chances are that you’re thinking about writing a book.

You may look at the NY Times Bestseller list and imagine your book there. You may also think, “I can’t do what they did.” But writing a good natural health book is a process and one that can be replicated. Avoiding these mistakes is a good place to begin.

Don’t:

1. Give Up Before You Start

You may tell yourself, “I can’t write a book on that topic because it’s been done before.” The trick is to focus on an idea centered on a problem that you’re uniquely qualified to solve based on who you are, your experience and your point-of-view. So, a generic book about herbs can become Healing Herbs for Chronic Fatigue or Ancient Herbs for Modern Problems: Stress, Anxiety and Overwhelm.

Don’t:

2. Try to Cover Every Aspect of What You Do

Instead, zero in on the method or plan that works most effectively for your clients or patients. You may treat everything from Lyme disease to fibromyalgia to Type 2 Diabetes, but have found the best results when you use a specific, replicable method for a specific condition. Focus on that, not the rest.

Don’t:

3. Write Jargon, Write as a Person

Voice isn’t only important when it comes to writing fiction. When people read your book, they want to feel like you understand their pain and know how to help them. They also need to know that you’re an authority on the topic. But this doesn’t mean writing in jargon that they may not understand. Instead, your content needs to be clear, direct, and provide real solutions.

Don’t:

4. Include Too Much Personal Information

You need passion and a burning desire to write a good natural health book and it’s essential to include your point-of-view as you write. At the same time, you need to be laser focused on a clearly defined problem and the solution. Each chapter needs to guide readers as they travel

on their transformational journey. Meandering off topic into personal stories that don’t relate to or enhance the content takes them off-course.

Don’t:

5. Write Without a Plan

Beginning your book without a plan just makes the process more difficult. Instead, think about what you want to say, what readers need to know and how you’re going to help them change. Focus on: 1. Your idea which is centered around a problem that you’re going to help the reader solve. 2. Your method, plan or approach that will help them solve it. 3. Your Table of Contents to keep you and the reader on track.

Use your enthusiasm for your natural health subject matter to propel you forward as you write your book. But remember that you’re not only writing for yourself (to be published, to build your brand, to become a thought leader) you’re writing primarily for your reader.

You want your reader to listen to and adopt your advice, method, plan or program so that they can change their lives in a positive way.

Until Next Time!

Ready to explore your book idea? I help natural health and wellness professionals just like you turn their expertise into books that transform readers lives and your own too.

Download my PDF 1-2-3 Write Your Book Faster & More Easily. It’s a case study of The ADHD Reset that outlines the process of converting your method into a book that works. Just go to the home page and download the PDF at the top.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call with me to learn more about my book coaching and editing services. Just email me at info@chrystlefiedlerbookcoaching.com.