One of the first lessons my editor, Ken, taught me was that you write the introduction after you complete the book. I will call the one I wrote before meeting him “draft 0.” It now makes sense since my book has changed shape almost weekly and my early thoughts on what the introduction would say have also changed.
There’s a lot at stake with the introduction. It has to grab readers as they scan it and convince them that the book is worth their time and money. It must clearly state:
– Who the book is written for (who will benefit from reading it)
– How it will help them
– Who I am and how my experiences qualify me to write it
– What I believe are the broad themes about successful change management
– Why the book is structured in the way that it is
– Why I wrote it
Basically, the introduction has to convey the essence of my book in a few pages. With only six short case studies to write before I complete my book’s content, I have been psyching myself for my next challenge: to nail the introduction. It’s time to tell my story.
