98 Write Your Own "Must-Read" with AJ Harper

Have you ever wanted to write a book? Do you want to grow your writing skills or find new ways to use words to inspire your team and grow your organization? If you’re ready to take the first steps toward writing a book, AJ Harper is here to help! AJ is an editor, publishing strategist, and former ghostwriter who now uses her skills to help others write transformational books, grow their leadership, and make a unique impact on the world. She shares her methods through workshops like her Top Three Books Workshop, and she is also the author of  Write a Must Read: Crafting a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own.

In this podcast episode, AJ shares more about Write a Must Read and her experiences as a ghostwriter. She also shares some practical methods manufacturing leaders can use to grow their storytelling skills, whether they’re getting ready to write a book or simply looking for new ways to engage their teams.

1:03 – In a previous episode with Michael Port, we talked about speaking and growing your speaking skills to improve your impact in your organization.

2:39 – As a ghostwriter for bestselling books, AJ gained the experiences and insights she now uses to help others craft must-read books

5:01 – Like manufacturing, crafting a good book means developing strong systems and processes

5:30 – By having a strong and repeatable system, you can overcome challenges like self-doubt or your inner critic

6:28 – A key point of strong storytelling is remembering details

6:48 – To remember details you want to write down or share with your team, write them down in your phone or even record them for later

8:33 – Even if you have a very busy schedule, you can still find times in your day to write

9:17 – Writing doesn’t have to be daily and you don’t have to write a ton of words every day, as long as you find time to write on a regular basis that works for you and your schedule

10:42 – Other people may have already written ideas similar to yours, but the world still hasn’t heard it in your unique voice

11:43 – To connect with your audience, you need to put your reader first

13:35 – By using the reader first concept, you can also find better ways to connect and communicate with your team

14:50 – Even by just acknowledging an existing problem or condition, you can still motivate and support your team or audience

16:37 – Think about the hearts and minds of your audience and demographic

19:12 – Having a script is a way to prepare yourself before speaking, even if it’s just a few key points

20:42 – Instead of only focusing on your own objective, think about how you want to make others feel

21:35 – Don’t expect to be great at first

Connect with AJ Harper

Visit her website, where you can sign up for her newsletter with more writing tips

Learn more in my review of Write a Must-Read