Expert Round-Up Topic: How do you know if your book idea is a good one?
NICOLE SMITH
I took advice from Fran Hauser and Bethany Saltman who host Bookbound, the podcast. They talk about the sticky idea or topic that you can’t get out of your head as the catalyst to writing your book.
I believe lived experience is the driver of many books and the fuel for entrepreneurs. I turn to books to learn and couldn’t find the resource I needed to navigate distance caregiving as a dementia daughter, so I wrote one.
A book that solves a problem faced by many people who can relate is a good start. Dementia is a global issue, and caregivers are finally getting attention and help through celebrity books and advocacy.
Nicole Smith is the author of Diagnosis Dementia, and her second book on the Sandwich Generation is due out this fall.
BARRY COHEN
I have authored/co-authored three non-fiction books and edited a few dozen for other authors. First, an author needs to check the competitive books on the market. If there is a glut of similar books, you must have a unique spin/angle on the subject matter.
Second, try conducting some direct market research. Assemble an online panel and submit a chapter to a group of people who fit your ideal audience profile. Gauge the level of reader interest.
Barry Cohen is the author of 10 Ways to Screw Up an Ad Campaign and Startup Smarts and the co-author of 10 Ways to Get Sued by Anyone & Everyone; The Small Business Owners’ Guide to Staying Out of Court.
CAROLYN ILLMAN
I just recently wrote and published a book called The Self-Aware Interview: Essentials for Every Enneagram Type (was #1 on Amazon in Job Interviewing during its launch week in May!). I had the idea for this book for about seven years, and one of the reasons I knew I needed to write it is that it wouldn’t leave my head! Ideas on the topic would pop into my head during walks, while I was running errands, taking a shower, loading the dishwasher, etc. The only way to get that to stop was to write it all down!
The other reason I knew I should write this book is that I had written some Instagram posts on the topic and turned them into a blog post, for SEO purposes. Over time as I looked at my analytics, I noticed that the blog post got far more traffic than anything else on my website! I researched the topic and found no similar books existed (it’s pretty niche, given the Enneagram element). There was clearly an interest in it, but the blog post was pretty high-level and not very helpful for readers, so it felt right to write a more comprehensive book and do the topic justice.
Carolyn Illman is the Founder of Hire Possibilities and author of The Self-Aware Interview: Essentials for Every Enneagram Type.
Carolyn’s interview on New Day Northwest
JEFFREY ROGERS
For me, the clearest test I know of is to ask myself whether the person who “needs” this book already exists or if I’m hoping to create them.
When I started writing After the Uniform, I wasn’t trying to create an audience. I was trying to answer a question I kept getting and, frankly, I was still asking myself 15+ years after my military retirement: who am I now that the uniform is gone? That question had no clear answer in print. Books for Veterans and Veteran transition focused on career tactics: resumes, interview prep, networking, etc. None addressed the identity shift underneath it all. That gap was the idea behind After the Uniform. The idea was good because the reader was already suffering (usually in silence) without it, not because I thought it would sell.
Publishing ATU led to a companion journal and two additional journals built around the same reader. None of that was planned from the start. It seemed to grow because I felt the original idea was rooted in a real need. I have a few more books in me, I believe. The test I’m running in my head now is whether I can describe the readers’ problem in one sentence without using trigger words like “helpful,” “inspiring,” or “important”. If I reach for those words, I’m concentrating on the topic instead of the readers’ needs.
Jeffrey Rogers is the Founder and CEO of GillyBell Legacy Works, LLC, Founder of Strengthen the Positive™, and author of After the Uniform.
http://www.strengthenthepositive.com/
DR. DAVID GHOZLAND
You’ll know you have a great idea for a nonfiction book when it is an answer to a real problem for a real person. First, identify your audience, who are they and what pain of theirs are you addressing? Your book should provide them with a clear fix that will improve their lives right away.
After that, check the shelf for existing books. You don’t want to be the only book there as that would imply no one cares, but you also don’t want to be a copycat of everyone else. For example, if there are already numerous books about productivity, you could write a book about productivity for busy home-working parents. This approach takes a popular topic and gives it a fresh angle that stands out.
No matter how unique your idea is, you need to run it by someone before you start writing. Talk to the people you want to help and tell them your main concept. If they get excited and ask where they can buy it, you know you have got something valuable.
You also need to prove you are the right person to write it. No one wants to read a nonfiction book by an author who does not know what they are talking about. You must have experience or skills that make you an expert on this specific topic. Without that credibility, readers will not trust you.
Finally, look inward. Are you able to discuss this topic for an extended period of time without becoming exhausted? Writing a book is a big undertaking. When you are excited about the subject and it helps people, then you’re ready to start.
Dr. David Ghozland, author of TRImesters, a science-based nutrition guide for expecting mothers, former two-term president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association and founder of Intimate Health Center in Santa Monica.
JAN CULLINANE
I’m the author of several nonfiction retirement books, but when my first book, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (Rodale), was first published (there were ultimately three editions of the book), I was an “unknown.” However, I was confident that my book idea was good for the following reasons:
- Most retirement books emphasized the financial aspects of retirement. Although it’s vital “to make your money last as long as you do,” I also included how to choose a place for relocation in retirement, how to create new social groups, how to stay healthy, and what to do with 168 hours a week (including working after retiring from a primary career). My book contained checklists, stories from real people, and concrete, actionable steps. The book was holistic.
- My target audience was Boomers, a huge demographic. So, I knew there was an enormous audience for my book (and the publishers knew it, too).
- I was willing to promote my book. I wrote articles, did speaking engagements (for no charge at the start), and did book signings at libraries and books stores.
Knowing I had a quality product about retirement that would help people in a holistic manner, and that I was willing to work hard to get my book before many people, I had confidence that my book idea was a good one.
Jan Cullinane is the author of The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life and The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement.
PAUL MAURO
I’ll tell you what I tell anyone thinking about writing a book: if you can talk about your idea for hours without running out of things to say, you’re onto something. Writing a book takes time, patience, and a lot of late nights. The only way you’ll finish it is if you care deeply about the subject.
For me, that’s helping people make smarter choices with their money before it’s too late. I’ve spent over 50 years in this space, and I still get excited talking about things like Roth conversions, family wealth, and how to make your money last as long as you do. When your idea comes from that kind of passion, the kind built on real experience and genuine care, readers feel it. They trust you. And trust is what turns a first-time reader into someone who buys every book you write.
Paul Mauro is the founder of Smart Financial Lifestyle and author of books like Smart Financial Grandparenting and Smart Financial Longevity Planning.
