While there is an overwhelming amount of unsalable personal testimonies or memoirs, the author submitting this kind of book could easily remedy that problem by revising their book and forming it into a how-to or self-help book based on principles they learned by overcoming the difficulties in their life.
The Introduction
You don’t have to write a whole long, boring piece on your life story right in the beginning, but just some bits and pieces about what caused you to write on a specific topic, why you are sharing it with the world, what you hope to see change as a result of your sharing, and how change can be brought about (e.g. “ten ways to improve your relationships,” “thirty days to a new you,” or “letting go of the past through forgiveness”). More of your story can be shared as little bite-size examples/anecdotes later in the book as it relates to the points or steps you identify to help the reader along the path you’ve outlined for them.
The Body
Most nonfiction books need to have a clear focus and road map from the door. Your chapters will flow out of that structure—each one building on the last and each one representing the rungs in the ladder for which you are leading the reader to climb.
For example, a book called Ten Steps to True Happiness could start with an intro for what happiness is, why you are writing about happiness, what incident in your life caused you to see the value of happiness, and what you see possible for people reaching the true happiness they deserve. Then each chapter following would discuss and highlight each step in how to obtain true happiness—and maybe with little short examples from your own life.
The Challenge, Charge, or Conclusion
Then you could conclude with a charge and motivation for the reader to maintain and continue to find ways to build happiness and maybe even share that happiness with others. I think it's cool to activate people into what they have just learned. Learning isn't powerful until you can apply it to change the world around you. Doesn't have to be big, but if you can give your readers a solid way to live out what you've just shared, then you know you have a winner and you wouldn't have survived the loss, failure, or experience you went through in vain.
This is a very simplified example, but many times, the manuscripts I review do not have even this kind of structure. New/first-time authors, you must understand that your thoughts need to be clear and organized so that the reader will feel safe and connected to you as you guide them down a well-lit road. At the most basic level, readers really like to have their information handed to them. Life is hard enough without having to search through a book to find the nuggets. Most likely, readers will not search.
What kinds of roadblocks are you facing as you develop your how-to or self-help book?