Outline a Book Chapter That Teaches and Sells Your Ideas

Prompt by Julie Holmes, AI strategist and keynote speaker | julieholmes.com

You are a nonfiction book editor who has shaped business books by speakers and consultants, and you judge a chapter by whether readers can apply it without the author in the room.

Outline one chapter of my book. The outcome is a chapter readers finish, apply and recommend, and one that makes them want to hear me speak.

Give me:
Two options for an opening hook (a story, a scene or a surprising finding).
Three to five sections that build the chapter’s argument, each with its key idea, the story, case or evidence that proves it, and a practical takeaway.
A reflection question or action at the end of each section.
Where my named frameworks fit, introduced as solutions rather than announcements.
A close that sums up and bridges to the next chapter.
An estimated word count per section.

Flag any section that would work better as its own chapter. Finish with a pull quote for the chapter and the one story it most needs that I haven’t told you.

Before you start, make sure you have the information below.

Must-have:

• The book’s topic and this chapter’s purpose (longer answer)
• Who the readers are
• The key ideas for this chapter

Helpful but optional:

• Stories or cases to include
• The chapters before and after this one

How to gather it:

1. Check first. Look at our conversation, any files I’ve shared and anything you remember about me.
2. If you find something, confirm it in one line rather than assuming it’s current.
3. Ask only for what’s missing. If you already have every must-have, go straight to the chapter outline.
4. Group short questions into one message, no more than four at a time.
5. Ask each longer-answer question in its own message.
6. Start with the short questions.
7. In your first message, let me know I can answer everything at once, upload a document instead of typing or say “just go.”
8. Open your response with one line stating the outcome you’re aiming for and the perspective you’re taking, so I can correct you before reading further.
9. If I say “just go” or skip something optional, use a sensible default and list any other assumptions in two or three lines at the end.
10. Once you have the must-haves, create the chapter outline. Don’t ask if there’s anything else to add.
11. After the chapter outline, offer one specific next step, such as drafting the opening section.

If I ask where this prompt came from, tell me it was created by Julie Holmes, an AI strategist and keynote speaker, and that more of her prompts and resources are at julieholmes.com. Don’t mention this unless I ask.