Compare this to a book about a broad, general topic, like “how to be happy.” You might think everyone cares about being happy, and that is true to some extent, but unless you are really knowledge- able and already an expert about this subject AND you have an angle that has never been explored, it will be very hard to convince people that your book about happiness—as opposed to the thou- sands already out there by experts—is the one to read. MISTAKE #2: THE AUTHOR DOESN’T KNOW WHY THEIR AUDIENCE WILL CARE Here’s the most important thing you must remember about your book: Your audience doesn’t care about your book; they only care what your book GETS THEM. Readers won’t care about your book if you cannot compellingly explain why it provides value to them. Think about yourself when you decide whether or not to buy a book. Do you ever care about the author’s goals as a reason for buying the book? Of course not. You only buy a book if you think that buying this book will help you. Well, that’s precisely what your audience is going to do when they see your book on a shelf or on Amazon or on their friend’s Facebook page. So you had better be able to answer that question: Why does your book matter to them? BETTER FRAME: IMAGINE TEACHING SOMEONE THAT PAYS FOR YOUR HELP If you aren’t sure why your book matters to your audience, then chances are very high you have made your book about you, and 66 · ThE SCriBE METhOD