guest post by Michelle Waitzman
I was recently asked in an interview, “How do you know which of your ideas you should turn into a book?” As a non-fiction author, my ideas for books are triggered by my curiosity about a particular subject. For novelists, they might come from a snippet of overheard conversation, a news story, or even a dream. Most authors are “ideas people,” who are constantly thinking of potential new topics or stories. But not all ideas will make a great book.
I’ve put together my thoughts on how authors can assess an idea to help them decide between committing the time and energy to turn it into a book and just letting it go. This advice applies whether you hope to find a traditional publisher or self-publish.
Is it substantial enough for a book?
Some authors have an inspirational idea, a unique plot twist, or a shocking revelation that they are excited to share. However, the idea might not expand to fill a book. I recently read a book on public speaking, where the author had a great tool for structuring talks. However, that only took up one chapter, and the rest of the book, while it contained useful advice, felt like filler. If your book needs “filler” to make it a reasonable length, you might not have a good book idea. You might instead have a good idea for a blog post, webinar, or article.
Not all books have to be a specific length, but whatever genre you’re writing for, you should aim to meet readers’ expectations. Nobody wants to take on a 1,000 page cozy mystery, and nobody will be impressed by a 30 page business management book.
Is there an audience for your book?
You probably want your book to sell well, so before you invest your time (and money, if you’re self-publishing) into creating a book, do some research into whether it’s likely to find an audience.
When you have an idea you’d like to turn into a book, do a bit of market research first. Use Amazon and your local library system to search for books with a similar theme, topic, or premise (publishers call these “comps” or comparables). If there are none, there’s probably not a significant market for your book. If there are a lot, ask yourself whether you have a fresh take on the idea that will make your book stand out.
If your idea would appeal to readers of several bestselling books, but approaches it from a unique angle or gives it a different twist, you’re likely to find an audience.
It’s OK if your audience is a fairly small niche. One of my books is an immigration guide for moving to New Zealand. Not a huge market! But the publisher wanted a New Zealand book for their series on international immigration. I ended up writing three editions of the guide before moving back to Canada.
Do you love your idea?
Writing a book is a long-term commitment. A lot of books take a year or more to research and write, and many authors spend years laboring over their books. Even if you write several genre fiction books per year, if you don’t love your particular niche you’ll soon tire of it.
If you had a momentary flash of brilliance where you came up with the idea, it might not be enough to sustain you through the lengthy writing and editing process. And that’s just the start! After your book is published, you’ll have to market it by participating in interviews and book signings, maintaining social media accounts, sending out newsletters, and more. If you are tired of talking about your book, this will become a painful slog.
We like to think that once we publish our books, they take on a life of their own. But in today’s ultra-competitive book market, with thousands of new titles available every day, it takes a huge effort to get your book in front of potential readers and convince them to buy it.
In my latest book, Be as Happy as Your Dog, I’m talking about positive psychology, happiness, and self-care. But I also get to talk about dogs and share lots of cute dog pics and videos, so that’s not likely to get boring any time soon! An author is the public embodiment of their books—be prepared for this long-term commitment.
Should you write it anyway?
Perhaps you’ve read through all of this and you’re thinking, “But I really like my idea. I don’t care whether it fits in with other books in the market!” That’s great, go ahead a write the book you’re longing to write. Maybe it’s just for you to share with friends and family. Maybe you’re involved with organizations or events where you could sell your book directly to its niche target audience. Maybe you just want the satisfaction of writing a book you love.
There’s nothing wrong with writing a book that won’t be a big seller, as long as you don’t have unrealistic expectations. The majority of self-published books are lucky to sell 100 copies. Even traditionally published books rarely sell more than 2,000 copies. Don’t compare yourself to JK Rowling or Colleen Hoover. Be happy with yourself for following your passion and sharing your message with whoever is ready to read it. Just writing a book is a huge accomplishment.
I encourage you to write whatever you’re passionate about, with a realistic understanding of the publishing landscape. And above all, enjoy the process!
Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology, is a self-help book that explains how people can learn to embrace the same joyful approach to life as their dogs.
By bringing together the wisdom of dog behavior experts and leaders in the growing field of positive psychology, it reveals easy changes you can make to level up your happiness immediately, and make it last.
It’s available at all major online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Dogwise.
About the Author
Michelle Waitzman in an author, corporate writer and plain language consultant who lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and two rescue dogs. Her latest book is Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology, available in paperback and ebook at major online sellers.
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