The Scribe Method The Best Way to Write and Publish Your Non-Fiction Book

The North Star Check

If you’re considering writing a book, there’s one critical step you can’t skip: ensuring your book’s purpose is crystal clear. At Scribe, we call this the North Star Check, and it’s the culmination of all your book’s positioning work.

Why is this so important? Because a clear North Star ensures your book has focus, resonates with your target audience, and ultimately helps you achieve your personal or professional goals. If you can’t distill your book’s purpose into one powerful sentence, chances are your book idea needs more work.

The North Star Template

The North Star sentence must sum up everything your book is about and how it will work. Use this simple template:

“I will use my book to target [PRIMARY AUDIENCE], by teaching them [BOOK IDEA], which will lead to my ultimate goal of more [OBJECTIVES].”

Let’s break this down:

  • Primary Audience: Who are you writing for?
  • Book Idea: What unique value or knowledge will your book provide?
  • Objectives: What do you ultimately hope to achieve with your book?

When you get this sentence right, it becomes your guiding light for the entire writing and publishing process.

Examples of Great North Stars

Here are a few examples of how this formula works in action:

Example 1

“My book will attract people who lead sales teams, by teaching them the neuroscience of how to effectively train and run a sales team, which will lead to my ultimate goal of more corporate sales consulting and training.”

  • Audience: Sales team leaders
  • Book Idea: Neuroscience-backed strategies for training and management
  • Objective: Expand consulting and training business

Example 2

“My book will attract HR managers from midsize businesses, by teaching them how leveraging automation can revolutionize their experience with once-repetitive and tiresome HR chores, which will lead to my ultimate goal of getting paid speaking and consulting engagements as an expert in the HR automation space.”

  • Audience: HR managers
  • Book Idea: Automating repetitive HR tasks
  • Objective: Paid speaking and consulting opportunities

Example 3

“My book will attract small-market advertising professionals, by teaching them five traits their brands can embody if they want to compete with (and beat) category giants, which will lead to my ultimate goal of gaining new clients for my advertising firm.”

  • Audience: Small-market advertising professionals
  • Book Idea: Branding strategies to outcompete larger rivals
  • Objective: Attract new clients

Example 4

“I will use my book to target mature startup founders, by shifting their mindset from chasing VCs to building a revenue-focused business, which will lead to my ultimate goal of expanding my entrepreneur coaching programs across Canada and the US.”

  • Audience: Mature startup founders
  • Book Idea: Focus on revenue instead of venture capital
  • Objective: Grow coaching programs

How to Know If Your North Star is Strong

Once you draft your North Star sentence, ask yourself:

  1. Is it clear and specific? Avoid vague language and focus on one primary audience, idea, and goal.
  2. Does it align with your expertise? Ensure your book’s topic reflects your unique knowledge or experience.
  3. Is it actionable? Your North Star should serve as a roadmap for your book, guiding your writing and marketing efforts.

If the sentence doesn’t feel right, revisit your book’s positioning and refine it until it does.

Next Steps

If your North Star sentence is solid, congratulations! You’re ready to move forward with confidence. If not, take the time to refine your positioning until everything clicks.

For more detailed guidance on creating and publishing a book that achieves your goals, check out the free online copy of The Scribe Method or purchase a hard copy today.

With your North Star in place, you’ll have the clarity and focus needed to write a book that not only stands out but also delivers real results.