Readers don't just appreciate a call to action in your writing, they expect it. How can you give them what you want and add value to your book?
A few days ago I downloaded a group of free ebooks that were supposedly going to teach me how to manage my credit card debt and create a budget. At the end, instead of being inspired to get out there and pay off my credit card bills, I was thoroughly uninspired to take any type of action whatsoever.
How sad for the author - even more sad for his paycheck.
Every day, readers scour libraries and book stores for new books to teach them things. If you are a writer or publisher, your book is most hopefully among them. However, if you fail to give them the content they desire and the motivation they crave, your bottom line will be hurting.
So, what exactly do readers want from you? Simple. They want a call to action.
A call to action can come in many forms. It can come from simply telling the reader to take action. It can come by motivating the reader to take action through inspirational stories and outcomes. It can also come in the form of an assignment that you give your reader as part of a continuing education course. There are many ways to encourage your reader to take action, and they need not interfere with your message or writing style.
When you're editing your work, count the number of times you encourage your readers to take action. How many times do you say:
· take a moment to write/list ________
· on your to-do list, write ________
· the first thing you will need to do is ________
· on the lines below, write ________
· the next time you ________, try ________
...or any other call to action? If you count only one or two times, consider where you can add additional exercises to boost reader participation.
Your readers not only appreciate a call to action, they expect it. Books that give specific examples for putting information to use far outsell those that provide no example for applying the content. Be sure your books include a clear call to action, and your readers will come back or more.
