How to Write A Book Using Expert Interviews
How to Write a Book of Expert Interviews
By Ronda Del Boccio
One of the easiest formulas for how to write a book is to interview experts in your niche or industry and create the book. And as easy as this is to do right, it\’s easy to “mess up” as well. So let me show you how to create an interview book in a way that it truly drives people back to YOU and your business.
The idea of an interview book is ” slap your forehead” simple. Simply record interviews with experts or industry leaders and turn those interviews into chapters of your book.
I\’ve seen interview books work well and I\’ve seen them read like last millennia\’s news. So before you grab your voice recorder and run off to talk to people, let me help you avoid making big mistakes.
Big mistake #1: No goal other than to slap a book together
Don\’t just decide that you ought to write a book and a series of conversations sounds easy. You need to create something of value that people want to read or there\’s no point writing the book. So determine a specific outcome for the reader. What\’s in it for them?
Big Mistake #2: Lack of clarity for how the book benefits both you and your reader
If you don\’t know exactly where you are taking the reader with these interviews and how the book will position you as the go-to expert, you\’ll write a wishy-washy book that does little if anything for you as an expert and business owner and even less for the reader.
Big Mistake #3: Poor choice of experts
You can\’t just interview someone simply because they “do the right thing” or have the right kind of business. If you do, you\’re likely to have a hard time putting together a book people want to read.
Big Mistake #4: Failing to plan your interviews
You can\’t just turn on a voice recorder and have your interviewee start talking. You either need a set of questions you ask every expert or a specific set designed to bring out the brilliance of the specific person you\’re interviewing.
Big Mistake #5: No overarching message or theme
You want more than a set of chats put on paper (or into an ebook). Each chapter, and thus each interview, needs to somehow move forward the book\’s message.
Big Mistake #6: Adding nothing to the interviews
I don\’t know why, but people who write this type of book tend to just turn transcripts into chapters and add nothing at all to them. If you do this, you\’re not positioning yourself as the expert and not adding to your own reputation. Now that I\’ve thoroughly rained on your parade, let me show you how to create an interview book that truly establishes YOU as an industry leader worth heeding.
How to Write the Interview Book
Step 1: Formulate the flow (or outline or table of contents) of the book.
Decide what you want each chapter to say based on your intended outcome. Your book is not at the whim of your interviewees. It\’s up to you to shape it.
Step 2: Select the experts that correspond to your chapters.
Once you know what needs to be in your book, contact the best industry leaders who fit this profile. It\’s important to choose your experts well. Select them because they have a unique spin, a specialty, a strong story or some other element that adds to the benefit of your book.
Step 3: Create your list of questions that you\’ll ask everybody.
This will give you an overall structure for each interview that will create a book that makes good sense to the reader. Leave room for 2 or 3 that are specific to each interviewee so you cam showcase their brilliance.
Step 4: Once you have your list of interviewees, set up your schedule and get busy.
Add. 2-3 specialized questions you will ask your experts based on what you know about them in particular. Be sure to make 2 recordings so you have a backup.
Step 5: Assemble your book.
Make transcripts of the interviews, but for goodness sake, I hope you\’ll do more than clean up the transcripts and publish. Why not add some of your own personality and expertise to each chapter? You could simply add an introduction and a conclusion with some of your own thoughts.
Ta-Dah!
After completing these steps, you have your interview book. If you\’ve added your own thoughts, your book establishes your expertise rather than only adding to the good name of your interviewees. You can be proud of this book that boosts your business.
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Ronda Del Boccio turns ordinary experts into Instant VIP Authors with her simple system for how to write a book that explodes your business. She is the author of several books, including The Instant VIP: Insider Secrets to Fame, Freedom and Fulfillment as an Expert Author. Claim your free multimedia course on how to write a profitable book at http://ProfitableStorytelling.com/writeabook.htm
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