(Paul’s Note – this post is excerpted from Module 3 of my 10 Module Course on Creating eBooks. To get the complete course delivered to your email inbox on a weekly basis you need to subscribe to my Newsletter!)
There are four reasons why you should outline your eBooks. Any one of these individually validates the time you spend on outlining. The compound interest effect of all four makes outlining an indispensable part of the eBook process.
Those benefits are:
- (i) Reduces the ‘overwhelm’ factor
- (ii) Gives a snapshot of the eBook prior to writing
- (iii) Provides a writing schedule for the eBook
- (iv) Ensures that your write a focused eBook
Let’s look at these in more detail.
(i) Outlining Reduces The ‘Overwhelm’ Factor
I’ve written at length about Writer’s Block on the One Spoon website – one of the primary causes of writer’s block is a fear of the blank page.
That fear is magnified by a factor of 50 or more when it comes to writing an eBook instead of writing a blog post or a website article. The thought of 50 or 60 blank pages to be filled is daunting – especially to the blogger or content marketer thinking about writing their first eBook.
But if you take your eBook and divide it into manageable chunks, then that overwhelm factor is seriously reduced. If that manageable chunk is equivalent to a blog post or a website article, then it’s immediately far less intimidating to think of writing a series of 20 connected blog posts or website articles than it is to write 60 pages.
If a series of 20 connected blog posts or website articles still seems overwhelming, then break those down further. Find the unit that you feel comfortable with – and outline your eBook in multiples of that unit. When it comes to writing, every day that you complete 1 or 2 units is a day that you’re 1 or 2 units closer to finishing.
Completing an eBook – or any book – is as simple as that.
I chose chunks equivalent to a blog post as my basic unit because I when I write I tend to write a complete post. So you know, we’re talking around 1200-1500 words here.
If your blog posts tend to be 800 to 100 words long, then use that as your chunk size. Don’t be dictated to by the way that I write – be dictated to by what’s comfortable for you.
For most bloggers and content marketers embarking on their first eBook, this reason alone is sufficient justification for outlining your eBook.
There’s more though.
(ii) Outlining Gives A Snapshot Of The eBook Prior To Writing
The second benefit to outlining your eBook is that the finished outline will give you a reasonably detailed snapshot of what your eBook is going to be like when you’ve written it.
This snapshot can be used to check that your original idea will in fact translate to eBook length, and that there’s sufficient depth to your idea to warrant 50 or 60 pages of writing.
This snapshot can also be used to ‘test’ your eBook idea. You can use the outline to create a synopsis and send that to 4 or 5 of your best clients and see what they think.
Or you can use that snapshot as the basis for a Sales Page if you’re someone who likes to presell your eBooks. Without an outline it’s almost impossible to create a convincing Sales Page at ‘Pre-Sell’ stage. Pre-Selling is something that deserves a course of its own – and there are guys out there who teach such courses (Sean D’Souza and Clay Collins to name but two).
Once you’ve established an audience – or built your tribe – and have written two or three eBooks, then pre-selling is something that I believe every business should do. It’s hard to pre-sell without an outline – in face if you tried to pre-sell without an outline you’d probably find that the process of creating a Sales Page at pre-sales stage is effectively the same as creating an outline anyway.
So bite the bullet. Create an outline. There are still two more compelling reasons for writing an outline too.
(iii) Outlining Provides A Writing Schedule For The eBook
Outlining your eBook into manageable chunks or units has a third benefit: that outline can form the basis of a writing schedule to actually get the eBook written.
If each of those chunks is equivalent to say a day’s writing, then you can see by looking at your outline how many days writing there is in the eBook.
And you can go to your calendar and plan it with military precision. Day 1 – Chunk 1. Day 2 – Chunk 2. Etc. Obviously you have to be aware of existing writing commitments – regular posts or content for your blog, or guest posts for other people – but you can literally find the days when you’re not writing for your blog and schedule a Chunk.
For most of the eBooks that I’ve started I try and create some kind of visual track of my progress. I posted about it here:
How To Create A Habit Plan: Don’t Break The Red Line
I’ve read of novelists who printed their pages out and placed them in a steadily growing stack face down on their desk. Or I had a friend who created a simple Excel application and he would enter how many words he’d written that day and it would produce a Pie Chart showing what percentage of his book he’d written.
If this is your first eBook, I can’t recommend enough that you find a ‘visual’ method to track your progress, and put whatever visual aid you’ve decided upon somewhere prominent. So that when you see it, you can see your momentum growing. It’s a great boost on those days when you don’t feel like writing.
Outlining also ensures that your eBook has a consistent thread throughout it.
(iv) Outlining Ensures That You Write A Focused eBook
There’s nothing worse – in any form of writing – in reading something where the Author loses track of what he or she is writing and meanders from idea to idea with no apparent shape.
A strong outline ensures that this won’t happen to you.
Remember the One Sentence Summary of your eBook? From Module 1, The Quick Start Method? If you build your outline from that – whichever method of outlining you use – it’s unlikely that you’ll suffer from a lack of clarity, or any kind of meandering from one unfocused idea to another.
Tip: Sometimes when you’re outlining an eBook you’ll come up with ideas for ‘chunks’ that are related to your eBook, but don’t quite fit in. There are two things you need to do with these tangential ideas – firstly, excise them from your eBook. If it doesn’t fit the idea expressed in the One Sentence Summary it’s out. Be ruthless.
But.
Those tangential ideas can form blog posts that you can publish on your blog that can be part of the selling process on your blog. After your eBook has been published, it’s great to publish these tangential posts and then refer your audience to your eBook Sales Page as a Call to Action in that post.
To Read More…
To read more of Module 3 of my course on writing and publishing eBooks – which includes 4 different outlining methods for eBooks – you’ll need to subscribe to my newsletter. The Course is currently in ‘beta’ and being developed week by week.
If you’ve got any thoughts, comments or questions on outlining eBooks then fire away in the Comment section below.
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{ 24 comments }
Hi Paul,
Funny I just did that for my Ebook last week and suddenly I can see clearly now. After all this is not a novel, I am not looking to where the character will take me.
Yes there might a story telling element to it but in the end this ebook is a very practical guide, so I need to keep clear and for this I need to know where I’m going.
Mapping the outline is a requirement.
Great post Paul and right on time for me.
john Falchetto recently posted..New Series- Wisdom from distant shores
John
Be intrigued – what system of outlining did you use>? How did you go through the process of outlining your eBook?
paul
Paul,
Outlines are key. I tend to keep mine on the loose side. With pretty large chunks outlined.
I know some people that are effective outlining down to the paragraph, but that level of outline detail is not for me.
It is important to have some idea where you are going. Not only from a content standpoint, but for managing the whole thing, as you pointed out.
Writing without an outline is like trying to get to ocean by driving toward (or away from-depending upon the coast) the sunset. You may get there eventually, but the path you take will me more meandering than a mapped and planned path.
Steve@Internet Lifestyle recently posted..The Right Way to Launch an Information Product
Steve
Thanks for dropping by – what kind of outlining systems do you use? Do you mind map? Make notes? Excel spreadsheet? Love to know your process a bit more…
Paul
Thanks Paul. Excellent article. I love outlines because they make writing salesletters so much more easier.
Here is another trick I use to write the outlines… start from the end. It makes things more concise if you know what take-aways you want the reader to take. Start with the end and then break things down.
Ankesh Kothari@SuccessNexus.com recently posted..The First Step to Recruiting Affiliates
Hey Ankesh
Thanks for stopping by – how’s the World Domination Plan going
Starting from the end is a great technique to incorporate into your outline – it ensures that you finish with the intended result. I first came across this technique whilst studying outlining for screenplays – there was a famous team of Action Screenwriters who did exactly this.
I often find that – and intriguingly found this when writing fiction too – that I usually have a clear vision for the start and the finish, and that it’s the middle section that causes the most problems. When I’m outlining I tend to chip away from both directions until the outline is complete.
Thanks for stopping by.
Paul
To me there are 2 ways of writing a book;
1. start from the beginning and write from beginning to end.
2. Build the whole book step by step.
When I write I always plan it first, then I write out each chapter in short form.
Then I keep adding until I have a finished book.
This has worked really well for me.
My book is about 100 pages and has only taken 3 weeks to write and edit first round.
It should be completely finished in maybe a month.
Daniel M. Wood recently posted..How do You Prefer to Learn
Hey Daniel
Thanks for stopping by.
What’s good (for you) is that you’ve identified a system that works for you, and are using it. I think every writer – of any kind – has to find the system that works for them and use it. The system that I use won’t work for everyone – but some people may be able to take it, bolt on parts from say your system, tweak it and come out with their own system.
We all have to find our own paths.
That’s crucial to know.
Paul
Hi Paul,
It’s been a while since I’ve written an ebook, but I have written a novel and I outlined it before I started writing. The problem with my first novel, is that I didn’t wait until I was finished outlining it. And that’s exactly what happened with the second one as well. I had outlined parts of it, and I just couldn’t wait to start writing
I have been using mindmaps, both on my computer (using MindNode Pro) and on paper (hanging everywhere on my walls in my office).
Jens
Jens P. Berget recently posted..You don’t have to be Jerry Seinfeld to be running a kick-ass business
Ha ha
I was just leaving a comment on YOUR website!
Lots of people use Mindmaps to outline – and that’s cool. Personally I don’t use them much…when I last wrote a novel I used a stack of Index Cards and elastic bands!
Paul
Perfect timing
I have thought about the index cards as well. But how do you use them? I want to have an overview just by looking at one place, for instance by looking at my wall. Do you put the index cards out on a table to see a complete overview?
Jens P. Berget recently posted..You don’t have to be Jerry Seinfeld to be running a kick-ass business
You can do it ‘virtually’ – there’s a program called Writer’s Blocks. (Or any Screenwriting Program worth it’s salt will have index card layout too).
Or you can do it with actual index cards – when I want to see the whole story I usually stick the cards to the back of a door or a wall.
(In fact I had an Old Door that used to live under my bed and when I was outlining a novel or screenplay I’d lean it up against the wall and pin my cards to that!
True Story!)
HTH
Paul
PS – you can also create a ‘Beat Sheet’ – read STORY ENGINEERING by Larry Brooks for more info. Good book too. And he has a blog….
Hi Paul,
Love the meat here. I’m a big fan of outlining after learning the hard way with my first ebook. Now I outline, although somewhat loosely. I have found your number ii to be true. Sometimes those brilliant ideas I’ve had don’t translate into enough info for an ebook or there is a better way to use it.
I would add a number V; outlining helps you to *finish* the ebook, period. No going off in an unintended direction or many directions only to have the whole thing fizzle out because you can’t conclude it. Also, no outline means spending countless frustrating hours trying to make the mess all fit together and the temptation to NOT finish it becomes too tempting.
As far as having a visual, there are all sorts of timeline graphs at tickerfactory.com. I used it when I did a written word challenge on my blog and it really helped keep me motivated.
Cheers,
Peggy
Peggy Baron recently posted..Google Analytics – Discover and Do
Hey Peggy
Thanks for stopping by.
Yep I think you’re right – visualizing the eBook in its totality allows you to push on and finish it when you get to that natural ‘low’ point (around 40 to 50% of the work done). I find that the first 30% or so is easy to write, but then it starts to slow up until you get to around 50% – and then once you get beyond half way – AND YOU KNOW IT – that progress starts to speed up again.
Is that how you’ve found it?
Paul
Yep, the middle seems like it stretches forever. So after I outline it I prefer not to look at the big picture anymore and concentrate on each chapter as if they were merely articles.
There is also something to be said for an outline helping you keep your excitement and momentum. Do you outline, then write like crazy in the beginning and get further than you thought possible. You’ll be so proud of yourself, you’ll just continue on.
Peggy Baron recently posted..Google Analytics – Discover and Do
I outline everything. I sometimes use the outline facility in MS Word, but usually I use my mindmap program which then converts from a mindmap to an outline.
I’ve been trying to work out why, because Ive always done this, and can’t imagine working any other way. I believe very firmly that time is money. I enjoy writing, but I had unnecessary detail. I think an outline helps you work out what you want to say and in what order, it keeps you on track. The result is better and takes less time. When Im working on articles, I create a huge mindmap to cover the batch I’m writing. For ebooks, it’s much the same; I go down to the paragraph level. The outline is basically what, when, who, where and why information. The detail which fills the outline is usually the ‘how’.
Lesley from lesley writes recently posted..A Website Promotion Plan Using Article Marketing
Hi Leslie
Which Mindmap program do you use?
Intrigued as to how far down you drill into your outline – it’s crucial that people find their own method, and their own method has to be something that works well for them, and then follow that method. Sounds like you have it well systemized – which is great!
Paul
I use a mindmapping tool called Inspiration. I’ve used other tools which were in some ways simpler to use, but I always end up coming back to Inspiration; I seem to think in color so I wanted a color mindmapping tool and this program also has a graphics library, so I can create colorful mindmaps and diagrams for use in webinars and as illustrations in articles and ebooks.
So I think onto the mindmap, just toss in all the ideas I have, use the drag and drop of the mindmap software to put it into a logical order which flows well, and then convert it to an outline file. I keep that activity apart from the actual writing, because I think they require a different mindset.
It’s a process I find works well for me from books, down to articles and blog posts. Do you use a mindmap tool? I’m always interested to know if there is a new one out there.
Lesley from lesley writes recently posted..A Website Promotion Plan Using Article Marketing
I use Mindmapping for brainstorming mostly – and I do that by hand. I use A3 paper and do big brainstorms….but I outline in either Word or Excel.
I’ve heard interesting things about a program called Scrivener (which is a Mac program) that helps you organize your material – will be checking it out this weekend!
Paul
I use what I call the ‘Mixed Mind Method.’ It’s a combination of using a mind map first to record the brain-dump of ideas and a traditional outline later. The initial mind map produces something similar to a blood spatter; a mess of ideas in seeming disarray, but after some some careful consideration you begin to see patterns emerging. The patterns are the building blocks of your outline.
In my opinion, using a traditional outline too early in the process can inhibit the generation of ideas. It’s too linear to use right away (the way my brain works, anyway). Your brain is anything but linear, therefore approaching writing an eBook in a linear manner (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.) can cause you to miss some pearls along the way. The Mixed Mind Method captures the free-associative nature of the right-brain and the more logical and orderly nature of the left.
Barry recently posted..How a 15 Year-Old Teenager Exploded the ‘Myth of Inspiration’ and Simply ‘Got It Done’
Hello Paul! I just heard of great things about you as a mentor, inspiration, etc. etc. etc. So I thought it’s worth checking out. When I got here, however, this post – my first read from you – is already pointing out a major flaw in my writing. LOL! I’m a habitual whack-the-keyboard writer, particularly with non-strict writing. This was tested when I was writing my ebook. Not having an efficient outline proved to me that I need to get my a$$ kicked big time. It’s been weeks and I’m still at finalizing the edited draft. So I’m thinking, if I read this post again, that would be the kick-a$$ wake up call of how I should go about my next project. Thanks a bunch for the idea, Paul! I’m glad Eugene pointed you out. Now I have a lovely sore to deal with from the kicking experience
Ruzanne recently posted..A million – or a little less – benefits from BlogFrog
Hey Ruzanne
I was just about to ask where you heard of me! Then I saw Eugene’s name (cool guy!). For non-fiction stuff – whether at post length or longer – I’m coming to the conclusion that the more detailed the outline, the easier it is to finish something (and for that piece of work to be consistent and focused).
Without hyping myself I would recommend that you subscribe and get the free course I’m putting together on writing an eBook – it’s very detailed, and will give you some great tips and help. And it’s totally free. No strings attached. And you can always unsubscribe when it’s been delivered.
Thanks for stopping by.
Paul
Wow! You really are something, Paul. Thanks for pointing me somewhere. The traffic jam inside my head is just so crazy sometimes. Will sure subscribe to your free course.
See you around! Keep rockin’!
Ruzanne recently posted..A million – or a little less – benefits from BlogFrog
Hey Ruzanne
Seriously, if you wanna write an eBook subscribe to the free eCourse. It WILL help you. And it will only cost your email address…plus you can unsubscribe when it’s finished if you want. There really are no ‘drawbacks’ or ‘hidden traps.’
Paul
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