Title Suggestion
- We call this book, “The Real Man’s Guide to Weight Loss.”
- I have already checked and there is no book by that title on Amazon (believe it or not)
- We can get www.realmansguidebooks.com (realmansguide.com is owned but there is no website there)
- When we have finished this book, we can write more “Real Man’s Guide” books
- “The Real Man’s Guide to Money”
- “The Real Man’s Guide to Marriage”
- “The Real Man’s Guide to a Balanced Life”
- “The Real Man’s Guide to Parenting”
- etc.
The idea is that we would write to the “Everyman” and share our real experiences. Much like John T. Reed, we wouldn’t be super guru miracle men promising an undeliverable panacea of success. We would simply be ourselves – regular guys with regular lives who hope to help others out by sharing what we’ve learned along the way.
Why I Like the “Real Man’s Guide” Title
I like this title because I think it resonates with most men. It’s also clever in that it evokes a sense of macho “Real Men Don’t eat Quiche” manliness, but it delivers solid, helpful information in a humble yet confident tone. In a way, we’re redefining the term “Real Men” by taking it as its literal meaning.
We affirm that “Real Men” don’t necessarily have six-pack abs and thick heads of perfectly styled hair. We recognize that “Real Men” contend with their jobs, money, spouses, friends, children, co-workers, bosses, weight, stress, and faith on a daily basis. We declare that the world is man up of “Real Men” in real situations with real successes and real failures.
The goal would be to place ourselves in the role of mentor, supporter, buddy, and trusted friend. We’re the ones who have been where they’re going and, if we made it, they can too. We’re in their corner, pulling for them, rooting them on, and convincing them they can go the distance. We’re the Mick to their Rocky, the Doc Brown to their Marty McFly, their Professor Keating inviting them to the Dead Poet’s Society.
Format for “The Real Man’s Guide to Weight Loss”
I think we should offer the reader two unique perspectives. Yours as someone who has accomplished this goal and can share authoritative information while identifying with their struggle and encouraging them forward. Mine as I keep a set of diary-style entries while I work through the system. This offers the view from the trenches as well as the view from the finish line. It also engages and draws the reader in through our teamwork. It allows him to feel a kinship with us regardless of when he reads it.
Website Extras
I also think we should build a website companion to the book where we interact with readers through blogs posts and comments. We can post recipes, cheat sheets, inspirational quotes and messages, forms and worksheets, equipment recommendations, and anything else that readers may find helpful. This will offer another level of interaction for readers of this book while also building an audience for the next book.
The Website should be hooked to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Videos on YouTube would be great as well. They could be live videos, screencasts, scribe videos, or webinars. Google loves it when websites use YouTube, because it provides interactivity and Google owns YouTube so it increases their cybergirth.
Monetization
There will be a hundred ways to monetize this book. We can cash in on everything from book sales to membership sites to small group resources to product sales and affiliate deals. Monetizing is the easy part. Writing the book is the tough part. This is why I suggest we just understand now that there will be money to make when it’s done, but postpone that conversation until we complete the book.
However, I do think that we should build a website and begin the social media buzz early in the process so that we are actively building an audience and gaining search engine placement while we’re writing. It creates interest and provides us with accountability to make sure we finish.