How to begin a health book – Part 1

How do you begin a health book? You’ve spent years acquiring specialized knowledge and now you’re ready to share what you know to help others. But how do you begin?

Should you start with a case history? Perhaps your “aha!” moment, or maybe a look at the health craze—or fear—that is sweeping the nation?

All of these openings are good. It’s just a matter of which one best suits your book.

It pays to think carefully about your opening words, for what you write on the very first page, in the first paragraph, and even in the first line subtly sets the tone for the book.

In an instant, readers are told whether this book is based on science, observation, or opinion; whether the author speaks from on high or as “one of us;” whether they have to move quickly or can proceed at a measured pace; and more.

The beginning of your health book is more than just a way to get to the heart of the matter.

The opening is the first glimpse of the heart.

Let’s take a look at six powerful ways to begin a health book.

Health Book Beginning #1 – “Typical patient”

My book titled The Arthritis Cure, which was a New York Times #1 bestseller, begins by painting a sad but common picture:

It starts with a little stiffness in your right knee. Nothing to worry about. Then you notice that the pain is getting worse, that you sometimes have trouble walking and that jogging really hurts. Or perhaps there’s a bit of “morning stiffness” in your hip, and it’s a chore to go up and down the stairs.

With this brief description of a typical patient, the author tells the reader that he understands their pain.

The story continues with the patient going to the doctor, undergoing an examination, and getting the bad news: “You have osteoarthritis, the ‘wear and tear’ type of arthritis that attacks the knees, spine, hips, and other joints.”

There’s more bad news. The doctor explains the limits of treatment:

“We can take care of the pain, up to a point, but unfortunately, there’s nothing else we can do about it.”

This single-page opening describes how osteoarthritis pain typically begins and the crushing realization that there is no way to stop—let alone reverse—the disease process.

But it’s more than a factual report, for the “typical patient” health book beginning establishes instant rapport. The author tells the reader: Yes, I’m a health expert, but I don’t dwell in an ivory tower. I understand what it’s like to suffer, and I can speak to you in a sympathetic, understandable manner.

This makes the beginning ideal for books that ask readers to adopt a treatment or program that has not gained wide acceptance or is not yet backed by stacks of scientific studies. Readers will follow your advice because they believe that you understand them and won’t demand as much purely scientific proof as they might otherwise.

But if, on the other hand, your idea is backed by reams of studies, you might do better with the “solid evidence” or “new discovery” beginnings, which are described below.

The Arthritis Cure, a bestselling health book by ghostwriter Barry Fox

Health Book Beginning #2 – “Solid evidence”

Many years ago I wrote a book, To Your Health, which examined the scientific evidence showing that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol had some health benefits. The book began:

As far back as the 1960s, medical researchers were surprised when they realized that people who drank moderate amounts of a widely used beverage seemed to have an extra measure of protection against heart attacks. Not only that, these people seemed to be living longer. Back then no one knew why, but today, after three decades of large-scale study, scientists have demonstrated that drinking moderate amounts of this common substance can…

There’s a bullet-point list of potential benefits, followed by:

And there’s more. Many prestigious studies, including the American Cancer Society Study, the Kaiser Permanente Study, the British Doctors’ Study, and the Japanese Physicians’ Study have shown that drinking moderate amounts of this amazing substance can reduce one’s relative risk of dying from many causes, not just heart disease, by as much as 10-30 percent.

As you can see, this “solid evidence” beginning is based on numerous scientific studies, rather than the author’s personal observations or opinion. And the studies include large-scale inquiries conducted by highly-regarded organizations.

Note, however, that the studies do not have to present startling new information. Instead, it’s the number, depth, and weight of the studies that matter. In the case of To Your Health, the idea that moderate consumption of alcohol has some health benefits was old news. However, the book marshaled decade’s worth of research to confirm the idea.

The “solid evidence” beginning to a health book can only be used when there is an abundant supply of studies and other solid information.

This beginning is especially useful when you are presenting an idea that runs counter to prevailing ideas or attitudes: It’s not an opinion, it’s science.

Health Book Beginning #3 – “Terrible tentacles”

I coauthored a book called What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension, which presents a program for dealing with the “silent killer” that fells so many millions around the world. The book begins with some disturbing mini-case histories:

A woman lies dead in her hospital bed. The only sound in the room is the ominous whine of a heart monitor, which proclaims to one and all that her heart has, at last, ceased functioning.

A sixty-six-year-old man walks briskly down a busy avenue on his way to work. Suddenly, his face contorts with pain. He drops his briefcase, clutches his head in agony, and is dead before he hits the ground.

An elderly woman lies in a hospital bed, undergoing kidney dialysis. These thrice-weekly treatments leave her exhausted, but without them, she would die.

A businessman and father of three sits in an easy chair and sighs as he gazes out the window. He has given up the golfing he loved so much because, with his heart failing, he just hasn’t got the energy to play anymore. That’s true even if he spends 95 percent of his time in the golf cart.

Instantly, readers wonder how one disease—hypertension—could destroy lives in so many ways! (One person died of unstated causes, another from something that happened in his head; a third is disabled by kidney disease, and the fourth by a failing heart.) It’s frightening!

The “typical patient” beginning describes what the reader is already going through. The “terrible tentacles” beginning, on the other hand, paints a picture of what might happen if they don’t take care. This makes it ideal for health books that must get readers to take action, quickly.

Health Book Beginning #4 – “New discovery”

The very first health book I wrote, DLPA To End Chronic Pain and Depression, was based on a brand-new understanding of how the body manages pain and depression. The book began:

The most important and exciting scientific discovery of our time was made twelve years ago at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Thanks to that breakthrough and the research that followed, we are on the threshold of a new age in medicine. Much of the debilitating chronic pain and depression that now afflict us may soon be nothing but an unpleasant memory.

Beginning a health book with the “new discovery” approach signals to readers that what they’re about to learn is based on solid science. Yes, the author will probably present case histories, as they make things more understandable and readable, but the book is grounded in science, not opinion.

The book continued:

In 1972 Dr. Candace Pert and Dr. Solomon Snyder showed that morphine (a powerful painkilling drug) fits into certain nerve cell structures in the brain like a key fits its lock. In other words, morphine can unlock previously unknown powers of the brain. But this was a puzzling discovery: Why do human brain cells have specific structures that interact with morphine? These two scientists, along with others, proposed a simple but radical explanation: The human brain must produce its own form of morphine!

This realization led to the discovery that DLPA, a mix of the D and L forms of the amino acid phenylalanine, can rev up the body’s “morphine system” and help quell chronic pain and depression.

Beginning a health book with the “new discovery” approach is an excellent way to assure readers that what they will learn is both groundbreaking and scientifically valid. Unlike the “solid evidence” approach, which is backed by decades of studies, the “new discovery” beginning is fresh, exciting, and hot off the Bunsen burner.

This makes it ideal for books that present treatments or programs based on newly-discovered biological, physiological, or psychological principles and actions.

DLPA To End Chronic Pain and Depression, by Arnold Fox, M.D. and Barry Fox

Health Book Beginning #5 – “A question and an answer”

I was one of several editors who worked on Handbook for the Heart, which “illuminates the joys to be gained from love.” More specifically, the book offers thirty-some original essays from spiritual teachers.

The book begins with a question and an answer:

If you were given one wish for our world, what would it be? Ours would be, quite simply, that each and every one of us could feel at peace. And we believe that the gift of peace begins with hearts filled with love.

With these forty-three words arranged in three sentences, the “a question and an answer” beginning has:

Told you exactly what the book is about — peace through love
Established what peace is — a gift you give yourself
Established the tone with which the book’s message is delivered — loving, generous, inclusive

The “a question and an answer” approach works well for a variety of health books, not just those that are spiritually inclined. Here’s the same approach used for a book on depression—with two questions:

Why do some people overcome depression while others feel trapped in its grip? The answer isn’t just about willpower—it’s about understanding the mind, body, and the science of healing. What if hope wasn’t just possible but within reach?

As you can see, the “question and answer” beginning can be used in a variety of health books. It’s useful whenever you want to quickly lay out the problem, solution, and tone, in just a sentence or two.

Handbook for the Heart, how to begin a health book

Health Book Beginning #6 – “Personal inventory”

My fellow ghostwriter and wife, Nadine Taylor, coauthored a book called Runaway Eating which looked at “the dramatic increase in the number of midlife women seeking treatment for eating disorders.

The book began by inviting readers to take a hard look at themselves:

Have you ever eaten half a chocolate cake, then felt terrible about yourself? Do you feel that your eating habits are out of control? Have you been on some form of a diet for as long as you can remember? Do you hate your weight, your shape, or your body in general to the point where you cringe whenever you look in a mirror, try on clothes, or see pictures of yourself? Is having a body that’s slim, trim, and sexy still incredibly important to you, even though you’re no longer in your twenties? Do you run away from your problems by indulging in your favorite comfort foods? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you.

Opening a health book with a ”personal inventory” opening allows the author to:

Describe the problem — out-of-control eating and psychological distress
Let the readers know she understands the issue
Qualify them — if they don’t answer yes, they don’t need to read the book
Set the tone — in this case, a more cut-and-dry tone is used compared to the loving tone in Handbook for the Heart.

The “personal inventory” beginning works well for most types of health books. The key is to use a tone that reflects the nature of your book: cut-and-dry, sympathetic, accusatory, loving, simple, professorial, or something else.

Runaway Eating, Nadine Taylor, begin a health book

Your First Words Set the Tone

With your very first words, you tell the readers where they are going, and who is guiding them there.

You indicate whether your book is scientific or impressionistic, whether they must hurry or may tarry, whether they must follow every step or can pick and choose—and much more.

Your first words may only constitute 0.05% of the words in your book, but they speak for the entire work.

So think carefully as you begin your health book. And think carefully about what type of health you book want to write, as well. You might also want to consider the elements of a bestselling health book.

If You’d Like Help Writing Your Health Book…

Barry Fox explains how to begin a business memoir or autobiography

Contact us!

We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, professional ghostwriters and authors with a long list of satisfied clients and editors at major publishing houses.

You can learn about our health book ghostwriting and credentials on our Health Book Ghostwriter Page.

For more information, call us at 818-917-5362 or use our contact form to send us a message. We’d love to talk to you about your exciting idea for writing a book!