You may ask if “this book idea” is a good idea. You may ask your friends, family, colleagues, and support professionals (life coach, business coach, book coach, etc.) if your book idea is a good one.
I ask you to answer that question for yourself. You are the expert. Do your clients regularly come to you for help on that topic? If they do, then the book idea is good. If they don’t, but you know it will still help them. Then — it’s a good idea.
If you can’t think of anyone your book would help or you wonder if anyone else is interested in your topic, then I still say the book idea is still a good idea. However, now your excitement and interest in the subject are the reason it’s a good idea. I know a blogger who vociferously claims she writes her blog for herself — if the readers like it, then it’s an added benefit, not the goal. I love it!
Will they buy it?
Maybe your question is “will people buy it?” Is there a market for this book? That is a different question from “is this a good idea?”
If your sole motivation for writing is book sales (aka $$$) — my advice is to save your time and money. Spend the hours you would need to write, edit, format, and publish your book on a vacation instead. Maybe, you can get more exercise or focus on getting new clients (better yet, work on retaining your current clients). The money you’ll make from sales may eventually cover the cost of publishing and marketing, but you won’t get rich off just the one book.
Is there a Market for it?
Are you wondering, “is there a market for such a book?” Again, a different question from “is this a good idea?”
If the book’s goal is to expand your business and people are currently hiring you, then there is a market for the topic. But will they buy and read a book?
What’s your experience? Are your favorite clients readers or do they prefer podcasts? Maybe they learn through videos better? You can still have your book, but to sell it to that specific audience (your ideal client), you may need to offer information through additional formats.
One way to determine if there’s a market for your book is to find what other books are out there. Use Amazon to get a sense of the market. Enter your keyword or phrase into the search bar at the top. If Amazon offers search options on the topic, then quite a few other people have searched for the subject. Click on the offered phrase or hit enter and see what books are offered by Amazon. Choose a book and find out what categories they’re in (scroll down to the Product details to look at Best Sellers Rank). Click on a category to see the top 100 best sellers on the list. Are there lots of of books like yours or only a few?
If there are lots of books, the good news is — there’s a market. However, if there are lots of books, there’s competition. Sales will be up to you, your followers, and how much effort you put in to selling it.
The great news is that if there are no books (or only a few) on the topic, you can create the market. Sales will be up to you and how much effort you put into creating other enthusiasts.
The belief of ‘write it and they will buy it’ doesn’t sell books. Whether or not there’s a market, you are going to have put some effort into getting the word out about your book.
A Hobby or Passion?
Maybe you’re not writing your book for your job or business. Maybe the topic is something you’re passionate about as a hobby or personal interest. Then write the book!! Sure, investigate the market, but write that book! If there’s no market, create one.
Bad Book Ideas
There are bad book ideas...
write a crap book just to make money,
ideas that don’t inspire you, but for some reason, you think you should write it
Write It for YOU!
There is a lot of advice out there in the world telling you that you need a book for your business; you can write a book in 30 days; or you have to write for the market. I disagree with all of it.
The book you contemplate writing is for two important audiences. You and the reader. The writing journey you are considering will create a book, but more importantly, it will create a writer — YOU. Don’t shortchange yourself. Write! Develop the book idea. Learn and grow as you write.
Once you’ve written the book for you, then change hats. From ‘writer’ you can then turn to becoming an author, publisher and book seller. But do not let the Book Seller push the Writer around.
So… write for you — edit for your reader
Happy Writing!
NOTE TO SELF: Just write it. Develop the idea. See where it takes you. Write it for you!
When you're ready... 3 ways to move forward on your book journey:
Subscribe to The Organized Pen. Get the tips, tools and strategies you need for your writing journey. ✍ Sign up for The Organized Pen.
Join us for the Write Time! If you're looking for the perfect writing partner, look no further than our Write Time group. I am hosting three-hour co-writing sessions every Saturday. Join us for the full 3 hours, just 2 hours, or come for 30 minutes. 📝 Learn more.
Let's talk about your book. I offer a 50-minute complimentary consultation to discuss your book, determine if I can be a great team member on your book journey, and identify your next steps, whether I'm part of the journey or not. 📅 Schedule a time to talk about your book.