The Ethical Self-Help Author, #3
Yesterday, we talked about the concrete impacts that self-help and spirituality authors can have on their readers’ lives. Today, I want to talk about subtler impacts: the ideas and beliefs that self-help authors plant in their readers’ minds.
Readers pick up self-help and spirituality books because they want to believe in something. At a high level, they want to believe that there is hope for their problem, whether that’s overcoming shyness, finding their life’s purpose, or anything in between.
Not only do they want specific tools and techniques for solving their problem, but they want a conceptual framework for making sense of their problem, and of life itself.
As a self-help and spirituality author, you are providing your readers with that framework. Just like advising your readers on their diet, careers, and relationships, this too comes with tremendous responsibility!
Nuance is Key
Many would-be self-help and spirituality authors ditch nuance in their rush to lay out an attractive and highly salient organizing principle for life. For example, “Everything can be explained by astrology/karma/Meyers-Briggs personality type/the law of attraction/adverse childhood experiences/etc.”
Although it can be beautiful and productive to look at life through any number of these lenses, highly ethical self-help and spirituality authors carefully consider the implications of these claims, weave in nuance where appropriate, and acknowledge the limitations of the framework they’re promoting.
For example, let’s say you’re writing a book about how to grow wealthy by boosting your charisma. A less skilled author might say, “If you’re still poor after reading this book, it’s your own fault! Anyone can get rich if they use these simple techniques.”
In contrast, a highly ethical author might write, “While I sincerely believe that you will boost your income using the techniques in this book, the fact remains that the economic system is designed to benefit a select few while placing the many at a disadvantage. As you grow wealthier, remember that we also need systemic change, and consider putting some of your newfound resources towards helping those still in poverty.”
Not only does embracing nuance make you more credible as an author and teacher, but it sets your readers up for success and increases the chance that your book will help them lead wise, kind, and compassionate lives.
Are you writing a self-help/psychology or spirituality book? Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me, and we'll chat about ways to maximize your book's potential to change readers' lives.
