Your SHORTCUT Book: Why write when you can interview?

You don’t have time. Yet you need a book. Maybe not a 280-page nonfiction title. And not the type of project that needs a traditional publisher.

But a book that promotes your expertise, your business, or a new passion. Your budget is small, and your deadline is tight. Now is how.

OTHER PEOPLE’S SMARTS

You know the term OPM – other people’s money. But what about OPS?

List 5 people or more who speak well about your themes, expertise, issues. Also, create a table of contents – simple but clear – that defines a chapter. Your roadmap will help you stay on theme theme.

Request an interview and be frank about what you are doing: Creating content for a book. (“I am the author of …” are still the 5 most powerful words in business.)

Also assure the person being interviewed that they will be acknowledged in the chapter, and maybe on the back cover, but mostly certainly in your social media promotions. Celebrate each expert in your marketing. It’s a win-win.

Is it okay to disagree with an expert? Respectfully, yes. You may choose this method to show contrast and diversity of opinion within your themes. No worries.

Then what?

HOW TO CONDUCT & SHAPE INTERVIEWS

BE PREPARED with a list of questions so you don’t waste time. And limit the talk to 30-40 minutes. Crunch time. Get ‘er done.

RECORD the interview—and be frank about this. Hit the RECORD button after pleasantries and greetings.

TRANSCRIBE the audio. The people I work with charge $1 per minute. Yes, this will cost you, unless you have software to generate a transcription. But a Word document saves A lot of time. Time is money, right?

DON’T MERELY PUBLISH THE INTERVIEWS. Do journalists publish their interviews? Sometimes. But they are edited for clarity and length. Most times, reporters write an article based on the interview. How?

Start with a compelling quote or story about how you know or met the expect. This is context. Why are they important.
Write the article like a scene, wherein two people converse, perhaps debate, but always in search of the info you want to share. You are the narrator. It’s your book. You must express your views. You are the prism through which knowledge is shared.

Each interview is a chapter. But you can add other types of chapters and information if they help illuminate. Stay on theme. Your book is not a hodge-podge.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR BOOK BE?

Publishers measure length by word count. Each double-spaced page is about 250 words, and so 25,000 words is about 100 pages. When the book is designed the page count will expand. That’s plenty.

But maybe you only need 12,500 words – about 50 pages. Self-publishing platforms allow for this sized book, and with a nice cover you will be proud of your effort.

And you will have saved a lot of time using OPS.

Have Questions? You know where to find me. Free consultations.

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