Do you feel overwhelmed with book ideas? Instead of having one book inside does it feel like you have a raft of un curso de milagros ready to be launched? It can be challenging to select the topic for your first book. Use these questions to guide your decision making process. The most successful books have a clear focus and present useful steps to solve a specific problem for a specific reader. In fact, the more clearly you define your target reader and your topic, the easier it will be to market your book.
The more tightly you can define your target reader and the specific problem your book will solve, the more successful your book will be. If you are a corporate consultant, writing a book about French cooking might be a fun and creative project. However, it would not bring you more consulting clients. When you select your topic, make sure you have a clear path from your book to your products or services. Your book will position you as an expert. Use that positioning to your advantage and link your topic to your business.
When you write a book, you’ll be spending the next 3-5 years marketing it. If you pick a topic that bores you or does not resonate with your highest purpose, it will be hard to find the energy to market it effectively. Take a good look at your training, education, and life experience. Do you have personal success solving this problem? For example, if you are writing about financial abundance but you are currently bankrupt, you have a credibility problem, both within your heart and with your readers. If you have never run a successful business, it will be hard to write a book telling others how to run their business successfully.
Many entrepreneurs who are new to their field are so excited about their training that they want to write a book on the topic. It’s better to select an area where you have some real-life experience so that you feel confident about your knowledge of the topic. When you write a book about a problem that you’ve successfully mastered, you will write with first- hand knowledge of both the impact of the problem, the solution, and the possible pitfalls that people may encounter. Look to your life experience, both personally and professionally, and you’ll find plenty of great book topics.
Writing a book is a commitment of time and energy. If you select a topic that you enjoy, perhaps even love, the process of writing your book will be fun instead of feel like drudgery. If you just adore talking about branding, have some wonderful success stories, and can’t wait to learn more about new ways to create brands, you’ll probably enjoy writing a book on branding.
Examine your own reading list, both books and ezines. Which books or newsletters do you read as soon as possible because you as so fascinated by the topic? If you have a book shelf full of books on personal development, attend conferences regularly, and work as a life coach, writing a book on accounting would not be much fun for you. When you’ve answered these questions, you will naturally discover your ideal book topic. In fact, it will seem so logical that you won’t believe you ever considered another topic in the first place!
