Gaining Empathy With Readers & Crafting Your Core Message

5 min read (1011 words)

 

 

Today, I’m going to introduce you to two concepts that you may or may not be familiar with:

1. Your core message
2. A category of one

Either way, we’re going to address them here.

Because just like the blood coursing through your veins, they are critical to getting what you ultimately want as an author.

Both work in unison.

And they work to remove barriers for you as a self-publisher looking to bypass competition, gain attention, consistent sales, glowing reviews, and a thriving business alongside your book.

If you’ve been a customer of mine for any length of time, you’ll know I stress the importance of gaining “empathy” with readers using QA analysis before outlining your book or anything else.

Empathy is the backbone of everything I teach.

So, let’s get into…

Your Core Message

AJ Harper, author of “Write a Must Read,” and ghostwriter for the bestselling books “Profit First” and “The Pumpkin Plan” (and 9 other books) on behalf of Mike Michalowicz — had this to say about your core message as a non-fiction author.

She goes on to say…

And further explains…

I used AJ’s book to give further credence to a similar (but “combined”) method I’ve traditionally used with wild success — known as a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and an Elevator Pitch.

Condensed into a short, compelling statement of your VALUE.

Let’s stick, however, with ‘Core Message.’

It feels more modern.

There are some subtle differences between a USP and an elevator pitch and how AJ Harper defines the core message.

However, unlike a clear, strong and transformational statement (as taught by AJ) — speaking to the solution of the core problem your target reader is experiencing…

I prefer to take it up just one more level, combining all 3 methods.

Clear, “unique,” strong and transformational. (“C.U.S.T”)

When thinking about a core message, I like to include elements that put my book into a “category of one.”

Eliminating competition.

So, for me, it must have…

At least ONE of these unique “M.A.P”. elements:

• Unique Mechanism
• Unique Audience
• Unique Promise

And while elements of your core message CAN be woven into your book title and sub-title (hook) — that is NOT its purpose.

Its purpose is to act as a thesis, to guide you, your book, and the transformation you’ll provide readers upon reading.

All in a SINGLE sentence.

And if you’ve not considered the idea of creating a Core Message for your book, you’ll see why that’s a mistake once you finish reading below — and especially watching the video below.

Where we’ll further “unpack” my unique framework.

Without it, you’re just another fish in a large, cloudy and confusing lake fighting for attention.

When you take the time to craft yours, you become…

A Category of One

When done with finesse, based on the upfront “empathic” research we’ll go over today, competition is less of a concern, and attention is almost guaranteed to flood your way.

Because you “isolate” your offer in the market.

No one has the same core message as you.

You’ve combined some unique — but appealing — elements.

It’s presented to gain the attention of a target reader that you’ve established empathy for. A level of understanding that many of your competitors overlook or simply have little understanding of how to perform with data-driven methods (“Qualitative Analysis”)

With ChatGPT and AI — gaining these insights is a breeze.

Taking research that took days to perform down to minutes.

How you articulate your core message comes down to a fine balance of word choice in your title, description, introduction and your table of contents (TOC).

Separating you and your book into a category unto itself.

A category of one.

Let’s recap for CLARITY:

In the buildup to this video, we looked at a broad overview of a proven niche with huge demand and identified key elements that make the bestselling books there successful.

Using data-driven methods…

Like Qualitative Analysis & Predictive Modeling.

We identified surface-level problems and got AI (ChatGPT) to propose surface-level solutions. And just for fun — we got ChatGPT to present a book title in line with all this research.

From there, we dug into the research to pinpoint an entry by choosing a sub-niche or book topic that shows potential.

Today, however — we go deeper.

Uncovering pressing questions, problems, dreams and obstacles of your specific target reader — and summarize everything using an additional data-driven approach: Jobs to be Done (“JTBD”).

Everything covered today is all you need to put together a comprehensive book project brief.

Something that’ll cost you between $300–$800 for any competent analyst to do on your behalf.

And hey — it’s all FREE.

Let’s get into the video:

If you’re a KDROI user already — you’ve been exposed to the importance and practice of gaining EMPATHY with readers using ‘review mining’ on Amazon (Feature #2).

A qualitative “data-driven” insight method that’s performed before any element of your book is even considered.

It requires a lot of manual analysis and deep thinking.

It’s time-consuming; draining even.

With ChatGPT, however, we can get all that “thinking” done for us before moving on to the next stage. Which takes seconds.

Let’s continue in the video:

 

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I hope that was useful, insightful and eye-opening.

Feel free to share your thoughts or questions below.

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