The Introduction section is what it is, an introduction! You are telling or summarizing the reason why you took a decision to write your book. You are building on what the title and subtitle did to the readers.
Format for the Introduction Section
1. Tell a short story on your personal experience that shows the problem. For example, for my book, Money Making Secrets in the Education Industry, look at the way I started the Introduction section:
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"Only God could describe my feelings as I opened the letter that was handed over to me by the principal of the last school where I worked as a math teacher. The ever-smiling principal kept her eyes on me as I scanned through the contents of the appointment letter she just handed over to me and said, “I hope you are okay with the employment terms in the letter?”
“I am okay with it ma,” I replied trying as much as possible to conceal my excitement. “I may not be able to resume work until three days after the date specified in this letter ma, I hope this is okay with you?”
“It’s okay Mr. Oguntade, we will be expecting you”, she replied"
I secured an appointment with one of the leading private secondary school in Nigerian and I was blown away by the package, which tripled the stipends I was earning before the new job offer. It was my second (and the first big) appointment since I finished youth service (the first one, secured six months earlier was also a teaching appointment in a secondary school) and then I was surprised to see a school pay that much to an almost fresh graduate like me and a new intake for that matter.
Well, this first “appointment letter” experience and subsequent work experience in this school and in the education industry at large opened up my understanding to the large amount of money that goes in and out of the education industry on a yearly basis. Even the pay package that got me excited was just a minute percentage of what comes in and out of this school.
The good thing is that this “cake” is begging to be cut by anybody who cares to dare. This book has been prepared to push you to “sharpen your knife for the cake cutting experience in the education industry”.
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This story was meant to sustain the interest of readers of my book. The story described in a conversational story style what the book is all about.
Though you can decide not to use a story. It depends on you. I believe a practical story captures the attention of the readers and they want to read more. I have seen bookstore visitors scan through the Introduction section of a book before they take a buying decision. With a practical story related to the main problem your book is solving, you will capture the attention of the people and that is more book sales for you.
2. After your practical story, you can then show how you are qualified to write the book. One paragraph is okay for this. For example for my book 'Silly Mistakes in Mathematics', I included this:
“Having taught Mathematics for many years at all levels…".
I believe that apart from the practical story you started with, your readers also want to know whether you are capable of writing a solution to the problem your book is solving.
I want you to look at another example from my book, Bible Secrets for Effective School Teaching:
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"Some years after taking up this teaching job, the Lord began to open my eyes to problem areas in the education industry and leading me to provide solutions to them. This development led to the compilation of the following materials to address some problem areas in the industry:
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The statement above was included under the introduction section to pass a simple message across to the readers of my book and that message was: I'm capable and qualified to write the book you are holding in your hands!
3. Describe or summarize the main contents of each chapter that should interest the reader. This is optional though. You may decide to go to the first chapter of your book after completing the first two steps above. However, if you can include this, go ahead and do it.
The First Chapter
The first chapter can share more practical stories. This time around it can be the story of others that are related to the problem your book is solving. It can be the story of a problem you solved for someone and which you have obtained their due permission to share in your book. Even if you have not obtained any permission, you can still share the story but you should change the names of the characters involved in the story.
I want you to look at the story I shared in the second chapter of my book, You Can Break An Addiction:
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Please Read This Story:
“I have been with my boyfriend for about a year now, I found out about three months ago he has a problem with a hard drug. I was troubled when I found this out. I love him and he is intelligent and funny, I see past his disease and the person he is.
I tried to help him but I don’t want to encourage him.
First, he denied it then finally confessed. Recently he entered a medical detox place and they gave him saboxin for 10 days. The first few days he was home, he was fine and this morning I caught him doing it again.
As much as it hurts me I feel like I can’t take him back in here, its full time job watching him. I want him to get the help he needs but am I wrong to tell him to go or should I let him stay until he finds a bed open? I know it’s a sickness but it’s so hard to trust him right now”.
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This strategy will build the interest of the reader. You shared a practical story that involved you and that showed you as an authority on the problem your book is solving under the Introduction section. You have also followed it up with a practical story of another person that is related to the theme of your book. You are already getting your readers in the mood to read the remaining part of your book.
Note: You may also decide not to use another story in this part of your book. You can just go straightaway to provide solutions to the problem your book is meant to solve using the subtopics you have written down. The choice is yours. Remember that it is your book!
The next chapter will share how you can develop the various sub topics or chapters of your book.