Offer practical solutions that are well-detailed. The main aim of a self-help book is to help. If it is not helping the reader, it is not serving its purpose. There are many books out there that claim to belong to the self-help genre but barely offer any useful advice. Worse still, the solutions they advocate are not broken down into actionable steps that the reader can easily follow. When breaking down your solution, avoid ambiguity as much as possible.

The reader is most interested in the solution, not just having their problem described to them. Vague descriptions will not help the reader. If possible, try implementing the steps yourself and see whether they work. If they do not work for you or anyone else you know, chances are that they will not be useful to someone else.

Like any other book, self-help books should follow grammatical and writing rules. A poorly edited book will slow down reading for the reader and obscure the main themes in the book. It also makes the work appear unprofessional which could further raise the reader’s doubt on the credibility of the content. After writing your book, hire the services of a professional editor who will make sure that the work presents and discusses the topic clearly.

Organization is also an important feature, especially for self-help books. The work should be clearly organized and should include an explanation of the issue, a clear action plan and how the reader can stick to the action plan described in the book. It is easier for the reader to follow the content and advice contained if each chapter follows a specific pattern. If the book contains all the three important components but they are muddled up together, the insight in the book becomes harder to implement.

As much as the work needs to remain specific to the initial topic, the work should be comprehensive. Take time to explore each subtopic and research every idea exhaustively. Ensure your work is not rushed. Every author wants their book to be successful and success comes through commitment. Readers are intelligent and they will detect a book that just throws a few ideas around and has a catchy title. Take your time and work on the book as best as you can. You do not just want to finish, you want to see your book in the hands of many readers who will appreciate your work. If applicable, quote your sources. A bibliography will add credibility to your work and offer resources for further research on the topic.

In a nutshell, a great self-help book is written with the three Ws in mind. 1) What is the issue that needs to be solved, 2) Why should the issue be solved and what is the implication of not solving it, 3) How can the issue be solved, which is by far the most important component of a self-help book. By the time the reader is done reading the book, they should have learned practical ways they can solve the problem and they should be inspired to work on it.