Keep First Things First With Your Book

Don’t Lose Sight of the Transformation

Photo by Bankim Desai on Unsplash

I recently had a conversation with an editor at a publishing house who is, by his own admission, obsessed with “pipeline.” An editor’s main job is to build out a “pipeline” of books—that is, they are responsible for contracting a steady stream of books that will bring in lots of revenue for the publishing company. Their job is never ending; there is always the need for more books. Editors are always looking for ways to build out the pipeline. 

I tried to ask this editor about other aspects of the job that might have an impact—what about the management style? What about the communication between marketing and editorial? What about the authors’ willingness to promote their books?

His answer to every question was always the same: Pipeline, pipeline, pipeline.

At first, I was a little frustrated by what appeared to be him dodging my questions. Yes, got it! Pipeline is important! I know that already.

But as I’ve thought more about our conversation, I realize that he’s exactly right. And that’s why he’s so good at his job. Every decision he makes is made through the lens of How does this help me in or hinder me from building my pipeline?

As an editor, the minute you take your eye off the pipeline ball, everything starts to fall apart. No books publishing means no revenue. No revenue means people start losing their jobs—starting with you. An editor literally cannot afford to let their focus on pipeline slip.

This is what Franklin Covey means, too, when he writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that habit #3 is to “keep first things first.” Let those “first things”—your highest priorities, the tasks and mindsets that keep everything else running—become the filter through which you see the world.

For an editor, everything starts and ends with pipeline.

So how does this apply to writing our books?

The “first thing” for your book is the hero’s transformation.

My clients know I’m a broken record about this. I talk about it incessantly. I’m obsessed with it. If you’ve heard me beat this drum before, I can feel you rolling your eyes, just like I was—internally—while I was talking to that editor. But stick with me. There’s a reason I focus so single-mindedly on this one aspect of your book.

It’s because no transformation means no story. 

No story means no value. 

No value means no books sell.

Everything starts and ends with your hero’s transformation. 

What is the Transformation?

The transformation of your book is the positive internal change that is accomplished for your hero.

And who’s the hero? The hero is whoever is doing the changing. 

For prescriptive nonfiction writers, the hero is your reader. You’re writing self-help or thought leadership because you want to change something about the way your reader thinks or acts in the world. You want to help them change something in their life. 

For memoir writers, the hero is the author. The whole point of writing memoir is to show the reader how you have changed through an experience in your life.

I say that the transformation is a positive internal change, because sometimes the external circumstances of our lives don’t change. We still suffer from a chronic illness. The people we loved are still dead. The babies we lost are never coming back. 

But what matters for the reader is that you can show that you’ve become a new, better person in spite of those circumstances. We suffer from a chronic illness, but we no longer let it define what we’re capable of. The ones we loved are dead, but now we honor their memory by living our best lives. The babies we lost are gone, but we find new ways of parenting the parentless. 

That is transformation.

That’s what makes for a story worth telling your reader—and worth buying for them. 

So the question you need to be asking yourself in every decision you make for your book is: How is this helping or hindering the hero’s progress toward their transformation?

Not sure if a scene should stay or go? Well, what’s the transformation you’re aiming for?

Not sure if you need to include another chapter on a related topic? Well, does your reader need it to accomplish their transformation? 

Give the hero no more and no less than what they need to accomplish their transformation. 

Keep first things first.

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Join the Next Map Your Book Cohort!

Transformation is a big part of what we talk about in the Map Your Book cohort, which starts next Tuesday, May 7.

In five 90-minute teaching sessions with weekly workshop time, my Hungry Authors cohost and coauthor Liz and I will teach you our book mapping process from the hero’s current state to their transformation. This is the process we use for ourselves and our clients. We’ve also written over a dozen books between us, so we know that it works.

Here’s our curriculum:

Week 1: Tuesday, May 7 - 2-3:30p ET: Teaching

• Pick Your Genre

• Define Your Audience

• Choose Your Comp Titles

Thursday, May 9 - 8-9p ET: Live workshop time

Bring your questions, get feedback on your project, and hang out with your new writing friends!

Week 2: Tuesday, May 14 - 2-3:30p ET: Teaching

• Refine Your Big Idea

Thursday, May 16 - 8-9p ET: Live workshop time

Week 3: Tuesday, May 21 - 2-3:30p ET: Teaching

• Tell Your Transformation Tale

Thursday, May 23 - 8-9p ET: Live workshop time

Week 4: Tuesday, May 28 - 2-3:30p ET: Teaching

• Outline Your Book

Thursday, May 30 - 8-9p ET: Live workshop time

Week 5: Tuesday, June 4 - 2-3:30p ET: Teaching

• Structure Your Chapters

Thursday, May 6 - 8-9p ET: Live workshop time

Bring your questions, get feedback on your project, and celebrate all of the progress you’ve made!

In the online cohort, you’ll receive:

• Access to this intimate learning experience (space is limited to 15 people!) so you can learn and grow with other writers

• Live lessons and an in-depth custom cohort workbook to walk you through the process

• Access to an online library of sample book maps across nonfiction genres and topics (memoir, prescriptive, devotional, business, education, etc.)

• Dedicated workshop time so we can give you feedback, answer your questions, and help you make progress!

Here’s what past participants had to say about it:

“I was 17K words into writing my first book when I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I stumbled upon the opportunity to beta test the Hungry Authors Book Mapping Course and I am so glad I did. The course takes away the mystery of how books progress from the blank page to finished manuscript. Thank you, Ariel and Liz!” - Pam Brown

“If you are contemplating joining this course, DO IT! You will thank yourself later for making an investment with such exponential payoffs. I came in with a couple of fuzzy book ideas I was struggling to articulate and choose between, and I walked away with my whole book mapped out from beginning to end and even a couple of chapters outlined. I am clear, energized, and ready to get writing!” - Claire Williams

“I made more progress on my book structure in four weeks than I’ve made in a few years by myself. Ariel and Liz are so insightful about seeing structure, and their feedback is priceless. I loved this course.” - Beth Chardack

“With the book mapping course our teachers provided and explained a great tool to find out if your idea works, if you can bring it into realisation and to an end, and finally if you have the structure you have the template you just need to follow to write your book. Thank you, Ariel and Liz, so much!” - Gianna Kay

“Liz and Ariel know how to write, they know how to teach, and they know the publishing business. They don't make you feel like they are keeping industry secrets and they don't act like you are their competition - quite the opposite! They are generous with their knowledge while they support and encourage you to write the book you are meant to write.” - Christina Sachtleben

“After finishing this course, I know I will finish my book because I have a map to follow from the intro, through each chapter, to the conclusion. The process has helped me clarify my Big Idea and I can see where it will keep me on track offering my reader solid, transforming information. I purchased supplies, set up a table in my study, and have allotted a month to the process.” - Susan Cort Johnson

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Tips & Tidbits

The Long-Term Journey of Being a Writer

Liz and I were guests on the Profitable Writer podcast with our good friend Kent Sanders. We had an awesome, behind-the-scenes conversation about what our lives are really like as ghostwriters and how we make money. Listen to the full episode here.

Continuing the Conversation: Do People Buy Books? Yes.

I admit - I’ve really enjoyed all of the conversation and rebuttals prompted by Elle Griffin’s post, “No one buys books.” Here’s a particularly good rebuttal you should read: “Yes, People Do Buy Books.” 

Add Hungry Authors to Your TBR List on Goodreads!

Can you believe we’re just a little over three months away from Hungry Authors publishing?! We’re at the point where there are little updates coming from our publisher every week. One week it might be another round of proofs - or our book available on another reseller’s website. This week, our book is officially up on Goodreads!! So if you love Goodreads, please consider marking it as “Want to Read” or adding it to your TBR list.

Which book idea should you pursue next?

Without a doubt, my favorite writing podcast right now is Don’t Write That Book! hosted by Mike Michalowicz (author of Profit First) and AJ Harper (author of Write a Must Read). In this week’s episode, AJ got vulnerable in sharing the conundrum she’s facing right now: there’s the book her audience wants her to write, and there’s the book she wants to write. I think every author faces this dilemma at some point! Listen to the episode to hear AJ’s and Mike’s thoughts about it.

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What’s Bringing Me Joy

My husband and I are planning a vacation to Florida! I’ve said that we can’t call ourselves Southerners until we take a vacation in the Florida panhandle - and that is happening in a few weeks, just shy of our six-year anniversary of moving to the South. I’m daydreaming about palm trees and white sand and fish tacos. :)

Have a great weekend!

Ariel