This article will walk you through generating a book outline based on your customer research. This is an essential time-saving tool, and the AI performs its best work with the help of your thoughtful oversight and input. Let's get started!
Have you watched Module 3's lesson titled Book Outline yet? Start there and
learn what a strong and detailed outline should look like.
Generating a Book Outline
1. Main Book Title
First, add a 'working' main book title for your book. This does not need to be your final title but should include your POC and any important target information for your audience. If you are unsure how to write your title, please watch the Book Title lesson in Module 3.
2. Subtitle
Next, enter the subtitles for your book. It does not need to be final but should follow the structure of the Book Title lesson in the course.
*Fun Fact!
Our software has a content moderation check to ensure that the words in your title align with Amazon's terms and conditions. However, please do not use offensive words or profanity in your title.
Please do not attempt to troll or test the software's acceptance limits. It will flag your user account within Publishing.ai.
3. Vision Statement
Next, enter the vision for your book and your desired writing style.
The vision of your book is your chance to provide additional requirements or wishes. Writing a vision for your book is an important step in the process, helping to guide our AI models to ensure that your final work aligns with your initial goals.
Here you can:
Define the core message or theme
Establish your unique perspective
Visualize the impact
You can write the vision in any format you like:
- Bullet points
- Full sentences
- Paragraphs, etc.
It can be helpful to use chat GPT to assist you with writing your vision if you are not sure what to write. You can use this prompt to fill in the blanks to help you, and then copy and paste your vision statement from ChatGPT into the vision field after reviewing it.
Vision Statement Template for Chat GPT:
"I would like to provide a [transformative/comprehensive/informative/etc.] guide for [audience] seeking to [understand/manage/achieve/etc.] [core message]. It should include [actionable strategies, insights, exercises, etc.] to [specific goal or outcome]. It is important to draw from [source of knowledge or perspective] and provide relatable examples and case studies, following the outline structure and details. I aim to [shift the narrative/offer a new perspective/etc.] around [topic] from [current perception] to [desired perception], showing that [key insight]. This book aims to [educate/inspire/uplift/etc.], offering a path to [specific benefits or outcomes]."
Example Vision Statement
A book on anger management may have a vision statement like:
I would like to provide a transformative guide for individuals seeking to understand and manage their anger effectively. It should include actionable strategies to navigate their feelings constructively. Drawing from the latest psychological research and providing relatable examples is important. I aim to shift the narrative around anger from shame and frustration to empowerment and understanding, showing that properly managed anger can force positive change. This book aims to educate and uplift, offering a path to emotional resilience and a more harmonious life.
4. Reading Level
The reading level tool helps you tailor your content to match the comprehension skills of your audience. Selecting a Target Reading Level ensures your writing is clear and appropriate for your readers. This feature is especially useful where the complexity of the text needs to be adjusted to suit different age groups or expertise levels.
If you are unsure who your audience is, refer to your customer research report.
To choose your reading level, click the box to open a drop-down menu.
You can choose between 3 choices:
Click on the tooltips (i) to read more details.
Reading levels are based on ARI scoring, which will display the grade level for comprehension.
Young Reader is targeted for grades 6-7. Readers as young as 10 should be able to comprehend and feel engaged.
The average will match most book reader audiences. Its target grade is 8-10, which is suitable for most readers. If you are unsure what your target readability should be, choose average.
Advanced allows you to increase your reading level for more technical topics with a target grade level of 11-12. Advanced is the most popular choice for Finance and Tech niches.
Once you have chosen your reading level, you can move on to Author Bio.
4. Author Bio
Do you want to include an Author Bio? This field is optional, but if you wish to include an author bio, it will be used in the introduction of your book. Adding a bio can help engage your reader, so don't be shy here if you have something great to share! You can list facts, information, accomplishments, etc., and the AI will turn it into a cohesive bio.
5. Number of Chapters
Choose the projected number of chapters if you have a desired amount. If you manually select the number of chapters, our software will do its best to fit generated content within that number of chapters you have selected.
If you do not change the number of chapters, the default number of chapters selected is 8. A default number of 8 ensures that each chapter fully covers a cohesive idea or section, maintaining reader engagement and clarity within 30,000 words.
You can always edit chapters and their contents once the outline is generated using 'Edit Mode', which can be found in the toggle on the top right.
Notes to Consider
If you have a ten-step process, you can set your projected number of chapters to 10. Once the outline is generated, you can always add or remove chapters and their bullets using the editor view on the left-hand side.
6. Generate
Last, click the Generate button. You will see the process begin in the output section on the right side of the screen.
Outlines are usually generated in 11-16 minutes, though this can be affected by how many people use our software at any given time.
You will see a loading bar to show your generation's progress. You can leave the page and return it when it is done!
You will be notified within Publishing.ai and receive an email notification when your generation is ready for your review.
If you are happy with the results, you can copy the entire outline by clicking the Copy button at the top right section of the page. You can also highlight specific sections and use Control-C to copy them to your clipboard.
If you want a new set of results, click the generate button again to reset the prompt and create a new outline! The outline that you see is the one that our AI will use when you move on to the next step.
Example
If you can see 1 of 2 Generations, you have selected 1 to proceed with.
If you can see 2 of 2 Generations, you have selected 2 to proceed with.
Our Text Editor will allow you to change your generated outline content.
You can move sections around, click on a section, and type new text in/ paste from a document you wish to copy and paste.
You are advised to use bullet points to keep the content consistent within each section if you add content. Sections will be separated by **section title**:
If you use this formatting around any of your text, our AI model will bold it and consider it a section title.
If you want to learn more about our outline text editor, please click here!
Pay attention to your word count at the top of your outline output. If your word count does not show a manuscript above 30,000 words, do not proceed to the next step unless it is intentional for some cases (like educational books for a younger audience).
Once you are ready to move on to the writing sample, hit Continue, and then Yes, continue when you see the pop-up.
The pop-up lets you know that you cannot change the order of the chapters and the content within the outline once you proceed, so only hit 'YES' if you are sure you do not want to modify the outline.
REMINDER: It is always best to read through the outline to ensure it aligns with what you want this book to be about, as it may need further refinement.
If you feel something in this guide is missing, please let us know by contacting [email protected] and sharing your feedback!