How to find your voice

I’ve had many comments over the years from people who have read my books and have told me that they can hear my voice as they read it.

That’s because I’m comfortable with my style and write in a conversational manner.

However, I’ve been writing for more years than I care to remember! I was one of the early adopters of writing a newsletter very early on in my business, when not many people were doing it.

Over the last 14 years, I’ve written thousands of newsletters, blogs, articles, as well as six books, and my voice has undoubtably developed and evolved during that period.

If you’re struggling to find your voice, here are the tips that I shared in my live recently. You can watch the live here. 

1. Decide your tone

In Q6 of the Get Started workbook, I recommend you clarify your ideal reader for your book. As you’ll have a different tone depending on who your book is for. It may be important to know their age and gender, but it’s essential that you know their level of knowledge of your topic, as then you’ll know how to pitch your content.

2. Be conversational

Unless you are writing an academic tome, your book can sound like you. Sure, you might want to bring in references and your own research, but it doesn’t need to be highbrow. Remember your book is part of your brand, so how you approach your writing will reflect how you want to be perceived by your reader.

3. Become an authority

Before you start writing your book, decide what you want to say. In my latest book, Becoming An Authority, I talk about owning it.

“Don’t be fluffy with the way you say something. If you want to make a point, make it. Assert your point using the I pronoun rather than ‘we’ and ‘our’ when you have something important to get across. Your reader wants to know your opinion, so don’t be afraid to give it”.

4. Nail your sentence structure and words

Your book needs to read well. One piece of information needs to layer seamlessly into the next bit of information. There’s nothing that bugs me more than a book that jumps around from one topic to another without a clear focus. And think about the words you are using. I’ll often recommend clients explore their vocabulary and I guarantee that your thesaurus will become your new best friend!

5. Get feedback

One of the reasons why many clients work with me is to get feedback on their writing, and suggestions on how they can make it better. Having support like this will help you to develop your voice and create a better book. Having a mentor, critical friends or peers will help make your book the best it can be.

Do you want help to find your voice?

Join our growing community of authors who are successfully writing their credibility books, click this link to find out more.