the-peacock-process-002

The

PeacockProcess

by Book Peacock

How we turn your idea into your book, without your needing to write a word.

our storyI started Book Peacock because I saw a need in the market. Countless people have a story to tell and wisdom to share, but the process of actually writing a book is challenging for anybody who isn’t a professional writer. I knew there had to be another way, and there is—the Peacock Process.

I love seeing the written word come to life in a way that brings value to the world. Bringing people’s ideas to life is exciting. Most people have a book trapped in their head, and they just need a good way to get it out. Think of all the smart and wise people you know who have not published any books. So much untapped knowledge is floating around in the world, and we want to bring it to life.

Having a book is the most underutilized marketing tool available, and we are making it possible for anyone to be a published author. When I published my first book, many new opportunities opened for me. When you write a book, you become a leader, not a follower, and opportunities follow leaders.

Our process is based on interviews. We do about ten hours of interviews over about five to six sessions to get your information onto an audio recording. We then work off transcripts to turn your words into a published book.

We use your words, so the book is yours. We are just here to help you put it all together.

Thanks for reading. I have assembled a great team of publishing experts and writers, and I hope we can work with you soon.

Always peacock,

Michael ThompsonFounder, Book Peacock

the Peacock Process

The general wisdom has always been that if you want to have a book with your name on the cover you have to go through the long process of actually writing it. This is an obstacle that prevents most people—even those with a good idea—from having their own book. At Book Peacock, we have developed the Peacock Process to overcome this dilemma. We have developed an interview-based process that makes it easy for anybody with an idea or a story to tell to turn it into a real published book.

What’s your story, and Why haven’t you told it yet?

Chances are that you haven’t turned your story into a book yet because the usual process for writing a book doesn’t work for you. You are not a professional writer, and you have better things to do with your time than agonize over a blank page.

It doesn’t seem fair that professional writers should have the exclusive ability to share their wisdom with the world through authorship. Using the Peacock Process, you can now work with us to make your book a reality without having to actually write anything. We do it for you!

is it really Possible to Write a book Without Writing a book?

Yes!

Our process removes the obstacle of your needing to know how to get started and having to sit at a computer and write thousands of words. Through a series of interviews, you just convey the idea of your book to us, and we do the rest, from the planning to the writing to getting it published with a beautiful interior layout and cover design.

What is a book anyWay?

More important than the words themselves, a book is a collection of ideas that the author has based on their experience or wisdom. We read books so that we can get the wisdom and knowledge that has been presented. What matters is not who compiled (wrote) the words but rather the ideas and wisdom of that person. In other words, as long as the ideas are yours, it doesn’t matter if someone else compiled them. It is still your book. That’s how the Peacock Process works. We collaborate with you through a process of interviews to understand those ideas and then assemble them into a well-written manuscript and publish it for you. Imagine the feeling you will have knowing that your book is for sale on Amazon for the world to discover or that you can now give a physical copy of your book to your clients.

Writing is a skill like any other, and it makes sense to leave that task to professionals. That’s what we do. We take your ideas and have an experienced, professional writer work from your interview transcripts to produce a book that tells your story based on your ideas.

Myth: you have to be a good Writer to Write a book

Every day we all communicate with each other, but most of that communication is through speaking because speaking is the easiest and most versatile form of communication for almost everyone. Being able to think and also write are not always possible at the same time by the same person. The Peacock Process uses spoken communication to develop your ideas, and then our skilled writers and publishing team do the rest.

The Peacock Process ensures that you can be an author without ever needing to actually write a single word. We lead you through every step, from coming up with the outline to deciding what the cover art for your book will look like—and we do all the writing. Your job is just to consult with us as we go through the various steps so that we can be sure that the final product is exactly what you envision and something you can be proud to call your own.

do you have a book Waiting to coMe out?This question actually deters so many aspiring authors. They become so overwhelmed by wondering what they want to write about that they end up not writing at all. Instead of trying to start by determining what you want to write about, focus first on why. Why do you want to have a book? Once you know why, you are better able to position it, and you need to know how you will position it before you can know what you will write.

Why do you Want a book?In the old days of publishing, authors wrote books to make money by selling them. Authors positioned their books with this in mind. They wrote in a way that would inspire someone to buy that book, but the world is different today, and the traditional model is obsolete. Most nonfiction writers are not concerned with how many copies their book will sell. They have other motives and monetization strategies for their work.

books have becoMe Marketing tools This point is particularly important. In today’s digital age, credibility is everything. If you have written a book in a specific field, you become credible. You are considered knowledgeable and an expert since you wrote a book on it. When you are seen this way, opportunity finds you. For example, a business coach might write a book on how an online entrepreneur can increase sales. This book might not sell more than a hundred copies, but actually having written that book makes the coach more credible in their field, which allows them to attract more clients, charge more, get paid speaking engagements, and so much more. You don’t need to actually sell copies of your book to benefit from having one.

hoW could your life or business iMProve by having your oWn book?Maybe it can be used to generate leads, make your online presence more credible, or grow your personal brand. The options are literally endless, but you must keep in mind that you need to be honest with yourself about why you are writing your book. What results do you hope to achieve? The answer to this question is a critical aspect of approaching the outline in the proper way.

There is no wrong answer. It is your book and your story. Just be honest with yourself about your why. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you might want to write a book about how to always make money on the buy and sell. If your goal (your why) is to sell a million copies and become a famous author, you might be disappointed, but if your goal is to use this book as a marketing tool to get more clients (because now you are the “expert”), then it can be a wildly successful endeavour and likely one that will change your life in a deliberate way.

every Person has their oWn reason for Wanting to Write a book, but here are the Main ones:

BecoMe An “exPerT” in your field.

This is great reason to write a book. You can use your book to position yourself as an expert or leader in your field, and when you are regarded this way by others in the field, many opportunities will come your way (and you will probably make much more money as a result). For example, you may have a small house-painting company, and you write a book about how homeowners can get the most ROI when investing in having their home painted. This book might not become a best-seller (I actually guarantee that it won’t be), but it can be used to 10x your revenue since everyone wants to work with a “leading expert” in the field. This book can transform your company from a small one that nobody thinks is exceptional to one that is considered the standard of excellence in the market. All because of a book.

GenerATe A loT of leAds.

Do you operate in a specific niche? You may not sell thousands of books, but your book still has the potential to generate thousands of dollars (or more) for you. If you are in a small niche industry and you write a book about the subject, you will receive a lot of attention about what you’re doing among the people who are also in your niche. If you write a book about how to house-train poodles, your opinion is going to be highly regarded by people who are struggling with house-training their own poodle. If getting leads is your goal, you need to provide tangible value in your book. It cannot just be a big brochure for your business. Books are great for lead generation, even in (especially in) niche markets as long as you provide value. When you write a book, you become the expert, and experts get more leads and can charge more for their time.

GeT PAid To sPeAk.

Maybe the annual poodle convention needs a speaker, and they’re just looking for someone with a little social proof to invite to be this year’s keynote speaker. A book is exactly the type of social proof that will help you get paid to speak. People want to hear from other people who have already shown they have something substantive to say on a topic. It used to be that someone could show their social proof with a catchy business card, but that doesn’t really work anymore. People need to have social proof that can be accessed online, and a book is one of the best ways to do that. This is also a great option for people who want to get into other areas of expertise than what they are used to (or what people expect of them). If you want to broaden your present area of influence, write a book about that new area, and suddenly you become an “expert.”

GeT A joB or A ProMoTion.

Perhaps you hope to be hired as the sales manager of a new and exciting company. The company is going to be interviewing many people for this position, but you think you’re the best suited for it. Imagine showing this company your published book about some relevant aspect of sales. They will be incredibly impressed, and right away you will rise to the top of all the candidates. Talk about an unfair advantage! You must remember, though, that you can’t just whip together a book for the sake of it; otherwise, your plan might backfire (if they actually read it). You need to have something valuable to contribute. We will work with you to make sure you are providing substantive value.

you jusT WAnT To shAre soMeThinG WiTh The World.

Not everybody wants to use a book as some form of marketing tool. Some simply want to tell their story for its own sake. Maybe you have learned how to lose weight and keep it off, and you just want to share that to help other people. That’s great. Maybe you want to write a memoir of your life to leave to your family when you are gone. That’s great too. What’s important is to know what you want to accomplish; you need to have a defined goal. If it is vague, the book will not be as effective in accomplishing your objective as you hope. We will help you through this process.

here are soMe of the bad reasons for Writing a book:

» You want to sell millions of books and make millions of dollars in the process. This is unlikely to happen, and if this is your goal, you are probably going to be disappointed by the outcome. Try to use the book to make millions of dollars in a way other than book sales.

» You want to be famous. Again, this is not likely going to happen. Very few people gain fame from writing a book. Famous authors were usually famous first and then used that fame to write a book and sell copies. Even if your book does hit #1 in its category on Amazon, you’re probably not going to become famous. Ask yourself if fame is something you want simply for the sake of your ego or if it’s because you want to use your fame to help people. If it’s the latter, then I have good news for you—you don’t need to be famous to help people.

» You don’t feel you need a reason; you just want a book. The point of a book is to share your ideas with other people. If all you’re looking for is somewhere to put your thoughts, then save yourself the hassle and start a blog, which will do the trick. If you want other people to read and care about what you have to say, you need to write it with their interests in mind.

knoW your audienceYou need to know what you want to get out of your book before you can envision the audience that you are speaking to, as they are interrelated. When you know the results you want to achieve from your book, you can work backwards to determine your audience—and thus how you will speak to them in your book. Ask yourself this one question:

“Whom do I need to speak to in order to get the results I am hoping to achieve?”

This is important because many people tend to try to cast a wide net. They try to speak to different audiences with the same book, but this approach has proven to be ineffective. Books need to have a specific message that is targeted to a specific audience.

“If you try to please everyone, you will please no one.”

No book will appeal to everyone, so choose a specific audience, and speak directly to them by giving them the niche value they are seeking. Consider the difference: “How to be a Good Real Estate Agent” vs. “How to be a Good Real Estate Agent by Using my Proven Lead Funnel.” One is broad, and the other is specific. The specific one will have better results every time.

For example, don’t just write a book about how you travelled the world on a budget. Instead, write a book about what you learned while travelling the world on a budget so that others can learn from you and do the same. This distinction is the difference between a good book that provides tangible value and a boring book that doesn’t really do much for anyone.

If you are confident that your expected results are aligned with the goals the reader hopes to achieve by reading the book, the book needs to be written, and we’re here to do that for you!

content does not coMe first!Before you can decide what you’re writing, you need to follow the steps we just laid out (and we will lead you through this process) before attempting to do the outline. The content depends on the results you want to achieve and the audience you are speaking to, so before you try to determine what you are going to write, don’t let yourself skip over the previous steps pertaining to results and audience.

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Think about the content from their perspective. A person doesn’t buy/read a book because they want to help the author. They do it because they want to help themselves. Ask yourself why a potential reader would care about what you have written? This requires examining an idea from a different vantage point, which is an important exercise to go through when developing the outline and content for your book.

Throughout the whole process of creating your book, you always need to go back to the fundamental question: What’s in it for my readers? How will my content help them realize their goals? How does my work fit into their context? When answering these questions, be specific. The more focused you are in your vision, the better it will serve your readers. This doesn’t mean that you need to have everything figured out. It just means that you need to have a good idea about what the reader wants to learn from reading your book.

the outlineOnce you know what results you want to achieve, we will work on the outline of the book. The outline is critical because it organizes what you are going to say in a coherent and logical manner. This is the point of the first interview we do with our clients when they begin working with us. We want to get a rough outline of the book (“rough” because this outline will improve and take shape as the process progresses).

During this interview, we want two things to become clear:

What is the Value? We need to know why someone would want to read this book.

What is your Goal as an Author? Whom do you want to speak to with this book?

We also need to develop the shell for what the parts will be:

inTroducTion

The point of an introduction is to make the reader want to keep reading and finish the book. For this reason, it should not be thought of as just an overview of what is to come. It needs to be inviting. It should grab the reader and hold them. A few good tactics can be used to accomplish this goal: hook the reader by telling them why they need it, and tell them specifically what they will get out of it by the end, i.e., have a clear thesis.

Body

One of the objectives of the initial interview is to try to decide where the divisions are in the story. Does the story need to be divided into parts, or will chapters be enough? Parts and chapters are different. Many books actually have both because they achieve different results. Whether or not a book needs parts (or sections) depends on the nature of the divisions that exist in the story. You don’t need to worry about this issue. We will tell you what to do.

Then the objective is to develop chapters and the points that will be in them. Now the book really begins to take shape. The point of a chapter is to divide your material into smaller portions so that the reader can more easily consume it. Chapters force the author to be organized and concise, which is exactly what the reader wants.

During our initial interview, we are actually trying to come up with questions within each chapter that we can then revisit in subsequent interviews. We want to have questions that will allow you to talk through your various chapters at a later time. This is the purpose of the outline; it provides a road map for subsequent interviews.

It can be daunting to try to come up with “chapters,” so just think of these as points. What are the different points you want to make in your book? If you can list those, you can get a rough idea of what the chapters will be. Within every point will be sub-points, which you will use to fill out the chapters as they explain and support the main point you are making.

conclusion

Authors tend to underestimate the value of the conclusion and rush through it because they think it is just a redundant section. This is not true, though, as the conclusion is where you need to sum up all the points you have made to bring everything together. The conclusion should repeat the thesis of the book while giving a concise summary of the main points that were made in support of the thesis statement.

In many instances, authors include a call to action in their conclusion. They go beyond simply summarizing the material. They tell their readers to go out and do something about it. You want the reader to finish the book and feel energized by what they just read.

the intervieWOnce we have an outline in place, we are ready to begin the interview process. This is arguably much easier than the process of making the outline because it is more natural and fluid. It just relies on your talking about what you already know. When we interview our authors during this process, our main objective is to get your ideas transferred onto an audio recording. It doesn’t need to be perfectly linear, which is what is so great about the interview. As long as we can get it onto the recording, we can arrange and organize the ideas later.

The interview works so well because everybody is comfortable talking. Most people are not professional writers and are not going to be able to express their ideas effectively if they have to write down everything. Having to stare at a blank page is daunting enough to stop most people from writing their book, but with the Peacock

Process, if you can express your ideas through verbal communication, we can turn them into concise and eloquent written prose. Our interview process makes it easy for anybody to write a book without needing to actually write a book.

Our interviewer will approach the interview by assuming they know nothing about the subject matter. The purpose of this approach is to have the author fully explain everything. The interviewer might ask questions that seem simple or obvious, but the point is to get everything onto the audio recording. It doesn’t matter if we get too much information, but it makes it harder to write if we don’t get enough.

The interviewer will ensure that the author is not just being general in their answers and will ask specific questions about specific events, hoping to bring out the personal as opposed to it just being boring and informational. The book should be a story, and getting this story out in the interview is the responsibility of the interviewer. For example, a bad question would be “Why did you become a philanthropist?” A good question would be “Tell me about the moment you knew philanthropy was your calling.” Our interviewer will frame the question in a way that inspires a good answer and ultimately a good story.

Some moments in the interview may be uncomfortable because the questioning can become emotional or difficult, but the best approach in this situation is simply to continue. The best content often comes out in moments of vulnerability, so the best way to handle that is to just embrace it. We remind the author that they will always have editing authority over the final product, so there is no point in holding back during the interview.

Tips for the Author During the Interview

The most important tip we have for our authors is to relax and have fun. The interview is not supposed to feel like a test. It is supposed to be a relaxed experience where the author can be comfortable in their element and share what they already know. It doesn’t matter if you stutter, repeat yourself, or go on a tangent. It’s just an interview, and we can cut out the parts that don’t work later.

We also advise that you just take your time and tell us everything. This process should not be rushed. We want you to take your time and give us as much information as you can. No clock is ticking. Just continue talking and tell us everything that you can. You also don’t need to worry about saying the right words—just express the ideas. We’ll put the words together later.

We love when you tell stories and give real-world context for the points you are making. We will try to lead you in this direction, and we’ll constantly ask you to give examples.

The interview process can be as long as ten to fifteen hours. We will break the time into much shorter interviews so that the segments are manageable. We find that two-hour sessions work well. We’ll continue the interview as long as you still have things to say.

the Writing beginsOnce you have completed the interview, it now falls on us to put together an initial first draft of your manuscript. To do this, we work from a transcript of the interview. We use a great transcription company for this purpose.

We do not simply copy the transcription into the book. Since the transcription is based on a conversation, it cannot just be copied directly. It needs to be rewritten and rearranged, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are just assembling your own words and ideas into written prose that works well in a book. Our writers essentially take the interview paragraph by paragraph and work with it to make it bookworthy prose.

Our writers will turn the transcript into a fantastic readable book.

Once we have completed a manuscript, we’ll edit it thoroughly on our end, and when we feel it is finally ready for you to see, we’ll give it to you. At that point, you have the opportunity to critique it and give us feedback. Then we can revise it until you feel themanuscript is exactly what you want it to be.

It’s your book, so you have final editing authority on the manuscript. We’ll give you our opinions, but you have the final decision on everything.

Once you’re happy, the manuscript is done!

choosing a title for your bookThis step is key. Having a good title is particularly essential. You need to think carefully about the title because if effective it can significantly increase the chances of your book being successful.

The title is what people see first, and their first impression of the book will be shaped by it. A good title will not make your book better, but a bad title can deter people from reading your great book. Choosing your title is the first marketing decision you’ll need to make as you publish your book.

A good title will grab the reader’s attention. The reader is only going to read something that excites them in some way, so make it exciting. In the same vein, the title should be memorable. A title should also convey (maybe indirectly or subtly) what the book is about—it needs to be informative. Finally, it needs to be easy to say; for example, don’t use complicated words in the title that confuse people. If you do this, people will be repelled instead of attracted, so make it straightforward and easy to say.

If you were to share your title with a stranger on the street, would they be able to offer a pretty good guess about what the book is about? Your answer should be YES. If not, choose a new title.

Subtitles:

It is standard practice for nonfiction books to also have subtitles. These are needed to put the title into context. The title often won’t make sense until it is paired with a subtitle. For example, the title of The Peacock Process doesn’t make sense until it is contextualized with a subtitle How Book Peacock turns your ideas into a book without your needing to write a word.

hoW to find the best title:

» Identify the book’s goal. Are you trying to gain notoriety for your personal brand or business, or are you actually trying to sell copies on Amazon? The goal of the book will affect your choice. You need to ensure that the chosen title serves the goal of the book.

» Brainstorm ideas. Don’t just sit down one day and decide to come up with a title. Take your time, and write down ideas as they come to you. When it is time to actually decide on a title, you can then draw on the ideas you have come up with over time and not just the ones you may have at any given time. Using key words is a good tactic as is stating the benefit of the book. For example, Dale Carnegie’s well-known How to Win Friends and Influence People tells the reader exactly what benefit they will get from the book.

» Test your choice(s). You’ve come up with a title you like. Now test them. Ask other people what they think of them. If other people don’t like the title, don’t discount their opinion. They probably don’t like it for a reason you should be considering.

book descriPtion

Do not underestimate the importance of a good description, which will either be on the back cover or the inside flap and will also be prominently displayed on such sites as Amazon near the “buy now” button. The description needs to be a short paragraph, and it also needs to be just right. Good descriptions can take books places that bad descriptions cannot. When a reader is deciding whether or not to read a book, they will rely heavily on the description.

What we focus on with the description:

We are going to write a description that is about two hundred words and separated into two paragraphs, as this is easier to read than one long paragraph. The writing will be concise and simple. It will be a third-person narrative.

Some authors think that the description should be a summary of the book’s contents, but this is not the right approach. The description is an advertisement for the book. It is supposed to hook the reader into wanting to read it. This section is not supposed to give everything away; it is supposed to tease the reader into wanting more.

For this reason, the first line is critical. A bad first line can lose a reader, but a good one can hook them. The description should try to create a personal connection between the book and the reader. Ideally, the description will generate an emotional response within the person who reads it. We will be specific in the description about what and how is being provided in the book.

author bio

The author’s biography is an important part of the process because it will be read by anyone who is deciding whether or not to buy and/or read your book. This aspect of the process is often overlooked, but it is quite important because it can go a long way in shaping the perception a person has about you before anything else happens. Most people want to think that an author has credibility before investing time and money to read what they have to say. The bio is a great place to establish credibility. In fact, many people will just read your bio but won’t end up reading your book, so it is a great way to sell yourself and build your reputation.

The author bio should not be long, but it should include the following points: convey your authority and credibility on the subject, and it can include things you have done that show credibility or that are interesting. That’s all—short and sweet. For example,

if you’ve built successful companies while travelling around the world, say that, but keep it short. The point is not to brag about who you are but just show that you are qualified to write a book.

Part of the author’s bio is the author’s photo. It is important that you pick the right photo, as people will often form opinions about you based on this photo. To pick the right photo for the occasion, you need to first know what message and tone you are trying to convey to your audience, which is why there isn’t a single right way to do it. The approach depends on the context. For example, a corporate executive should have a photo that conveys professionalism, but a world traveller might want one that conveys adventure. Know your audience, and give them what they want within that context. That being said, all author photos should be good, clear images that are properly aligned and straight. If you don’t already have a good image for this purpose, you’ll need to invest in a good headshot. It will be worth it.

book cover

As part of our process, we also provide our authors with a beautifully designed book cover. People frequently judge a book by its cover, so we go to great lengths to ensure that your cover is perfect.

We have had clients ask if they can design their own book cover, but we strongly recommend against doing so. Making a book cover is not easy, and it’s best to leave it to the professionals. We outsource this process to expert designers. You will have a chance to collaborate and give your feedback throughout the process, but leave it to us, and we guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with the outcome.

If you’re just creating an eBook for digital distribution, you’ll only need a front cover, but if you are going to be selling physical copies of the book, you’ll also need a design for the spine and back cover. We also provide this service. Back covers generally include the author’s bio, testimonials, a book description, and maybe the author’s photo.

interior design

If you are publishing your book beyond digital format, we’ll need to design the interior of your book. Books are not just simply copies of a word processing file. They are carefully laid out to look good and professional, which includes spacing, font, size, chapters, format, and typography. We will ensure that anyone will feel at ease with the design of your book. The best interior book designs are those that nobody notices because they are done properly.

isbn nuMbers

The International Standard Book Number is a 10- to 13-digit number for all published books. It is essentially a global identification number that allows your book to be identified from all the others. You don’t need to worry about this part of the process, as we provide and register ISBN numbers with every book we publish.

interior design

If you are publishing your book beyond digital format, we’ll need to design the interior of your book. Books are not just simply copies of a word processing file. They are carefully laid out to look good and professional, which includes spacing, font, size, chapters, format, and typography. We will ensure that anyone will feel at ease with the design of your book. The best interior book designs are those that nobody notices because they are done properly.

tiMe to get PublishedThat’s it. The Peacock Process is complete. Now you have your own book for sale on Amazon and all the other popular online book-selling platforms. Now you can start promoting it and benefitting from it.

As you can see, the Peacock Process is simple. All we need is about ten to fifteen hours of your time, and we do the rest. You never need to be stuck during any part of the process. We move you right along the whole time.

a book is one of the best investMents you’ll ever MakeThe time is now for you to invest in yourself by authoring a book. It has the potential to 2x, 5x, or even 10x your business and personal life. Get it touch with us today and we’ll guide you through the process, ensuring that nothing gets in your way.

so go out there and peacock. you deserve it!

www.BookPeacock.com