5 Tips for Writing a Self-Help Book

As you might have guessed from the title of this article, I’m not exactly a New England Patriot’s fan. It’s not that I really have anything against the Patriots, aside from my vague annoyance that the past decade of Super Bowl games has started to look a bit repetitive thanks to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. In fact I’m only an NFL fan in the most generous application of the term—that is, I am usually in the room during peak football season when my husband has commandeered most of our illuminated screens in order to display as many concurrent games as possible.

But I do tend to read more than the average person, and I’m also the sort of person who has that peculiar fondness for the burn of marathons and other endurance sports. So when I read about The TB12 Method, a diet and fitness book released last year by a man who manages to regularly eviscerate his more-than-worthy opponents even at the relatively ancient (in football player years) age of 40, I thought it might teach me something applicable to my own health and fitness goals.

As far as sales go, the phrase “roaring success” isn’t inaccurate. It became a New York Times bestseller and still holds the #1 bestselling spot on Amazon for Sports & Outdoors. It received pretty good reader reviews too, and—perhaps most importantly—Brady’s strict dieting and stretching regimen does appear to lend to his mind-boggling longevity, agility and strength.

So I certainly can’t fault him for sharing (albeit with the help of ghostwriter Peter Smith) his success with the rest of us who will never be five-time Super Bowl champions. Plus, a lot of what the book says jibes with other fitness advice you run into: Cut down on caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and other delicious vices; stretch like it’s your job; drink more water; eat more whole foods and fresh produce.

But many of the reviews—from the New York Times‘ characteristically sober overview to SB Nation’s biting smirk—pointed out that the science behind the book wasn’t entirely, well, scientific, especially for a book full of claims that you would think needs to rely fairly heavily on chemistry and biology. It wasn’t all wrong, and his advice will almost certainly make you healthier (except maybe for the hyponatremia-inducing total avoidance of sodium), but as sources including Vox noticed, “There’s no good scientific evidence that the diet does the specific things Brady claims—neutralize the body’s pH level or improve muscle recovery.”

Does that make it an unhelpful self-help book? Not at all. Plenty of people may find health benefits in Brady’s recommendations, and it has certainly been successful. Mission accomplished.

But, if you’re a writer interested in composing your own self-help, fitness, motivation, or otherwise advice-based book—and particularly if you’re not a globally-recognized pro football player whose face and name alone can sell thousands of copies—I’d advise that you make sure your claims are fact-based and appropriately backed by reliable sources and research.

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