“I was lost, I tell you, lost! I had a popular Universal Fantasy workshop that I wanted to turn into an equally popular book. But I found myself way out of my comfort zone with non-fiction, and I struggled to the point that I felt like giving up. 

But then, I found Lisa’s YouTube channel. Not only did I devour all of her great tips and advice for crafting a non-fiction book, but I also happily hired her on as a book coach after our free consultation.

Lisa is funny, caring, and smart. She was so easy to learn from—the opposite of struggle. And her friendly and warm manner made writing this book way more fun than it would’ve been had I kept slogging away on my own. She helped me iron out the books’s wrinkles and arrange all the pieces from my workshop for maximum impact. 

Hiring her was honestly the best money I could have spent. The early ARC reviews are coming in, and they’ve been amazing. Thank you, Lisa!

Now when I see my fellow authors groaning about turning their speech and workshop material into a how-to book, I tell them, “Don’t get frustrated, get in contact with Lisa!”

– Theodora Taylor, 7 FIGURE FICTION: How to Use Universal Fantasy to SELL Your Books to ANYONE

“Lisa is the best non-fiction author coach!”

—Renee Rose, 15-time USA Today Best-Selling Author

“I had no idea writing a non-fiction book could be fun. I loved this process.”

—Heather Hildenbrand, USA Today Best-Selling Author 

Ready to Plan Your Book?

Download Lisa Daily's free Self-Help Book Outline & Creative Work Plan and start turning your expertise into a book you're proud of.

➡️ Get the Free Creative Work Plan & Self-Help Outline

About Lisa Daily

Lisa Daily is a USA Today bestselling author and one of the top book coaches in the US who helps entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators write, publish, and market profitable nonfiction and self-help books.

She is the founder of Author.coach, where she provides book coaching, courses, books, workbooks, and free resources designed to help authors turn their expertise and ideas into books that grow their businesses, audiences, and authority.

With more than 20 years of experience as an author and book coach, Lisa has worked with first-time authors as well as bestselling, six-figure, and seven-figure authors. Her books and teaching focus on practical, strategic approaches to writing, publishing, book marketing, and building a profitable author business.

Already Planned Your Book? Here's What to Do Next

If you've already worked through your book idea, identified your ideal reader, and created a solid nonfiction or self-help book outline, you may be ready to move on to the next stage.

Depending on where you are in the process, these resources can help:

Ready to Write Your Book?

If you have a plan but need help turning your outline into a finished manuscript, explore Lisa Daily's books, workbooks, courses, and resources for writing nonfiction and self-help books.

➡️ EXPLORE SELF-HELP BOOK WRITING RESOURCES

Want Step-by-Step Help Writing Your Book?

Lisa's Write a Self-Help Book in 30 Days course walks you through the process of turning your expertise and outline into a completed self-help or nonfiction manuscript.

➡️ LEARN ABOUT THE COURSE

Want Personalized Help With Your Book?

If you'd rather have an experienced book coach help you develop, write, publish, or market your book, Lisa offers private book coaching for entrepreneurs, coaches, creators, and authors.

➡️ EXPLORE BOOK COACHING

Wherever you are in the process, the goal is the same: write the right book, publish it strategically, and turn it into an asset that helps you build your audience, authority, impact, and business.

Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Help Book Outlines

How do I outline a self-help book?

Start by identifying your ideal reader, the problem your book will help them solve, and the transformation you want them to experience. Then determine the major steps, ideas, or concepts your reader needs to understand to move from where they are now to where they want to be.

Those major ideas can become the foundation of your chapters. From there, you can identify the stories, examples, exercises, research, and other material you'll need to support each chapter.

Lisa Daily's free Self-Help Book Outline & Creative Work Plan walks you through this planning process before you begin writing.

What should a self-help book outline include?

A strong self-help book outline should include more than a list of chapter titles. It should give you a roadmap for delivering the transformation you've promised your reader.

Depending on your book, your outline may include your book's central promise, ideal reader, chapter topics, key teaching points, stories, examples, exercises, research, resources, and action steps.

The goal is to know what each section of your book needs to accomplish before you write it.

Do I need an outline before writing a nonfiction book?

Not every author outlines in the same way, but planning a nonfiction or self-help book before writing can help you identify gaps, eliminate unnecessary material, organize your ideas, and create a clearer experience for your reader.

For self-help books in particular, it's important to understand the journey you're asking the reader to take. Creating that roadmap before you write can save significant time and rewriting later.

What is a Creative Work Plan?

Lisa Daily's Creative Work Plan is a planning tool designed to help nonfiction and self-help authors make the important strategic decisions about their books before they begin writing.

It helps you think through your reader, your book's purpose and transformation, your content, your structure, and the material you'll need so you can create an effective book outline and begin writing with a clear direction.

Can I use the Creative Work Plan if I'm turning a course, workshop, coaching program, or expertise into a book?

Yes. In fact, planning is especially important when you already have a large amount of material.

A Creative Work Plan can help you determine what belongs in the book, what doesn't, how the material should be organized, and what additional content you'll need to create a cohesive reading experience rather than simply transferring existing course, workshop, or coaching material onto the page.

Is this self-help book outline really free?

Yes. Lisa Daily's Self-Help Book Outline & Creative Work Plan is free and designed to help you plan and outline your nonfiction or self-help book before you begin writing.

👉 GET THE FREE SELF-HELP BOOK OUTLINE + CREATIVE WORK PLAN