Is My Idea Good for a Nonfiction Book or Something Shorter

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Sometimes it’s hard to know where a writing idea truly fits. It may sound good, but it’s critical that we have the tools to evaluate whether the idea is book length or needs some tweaking. Today I'm going to walk you through the steps I use to evaluate whether an idea is good for a book-length project or better suited to something shorter.

The Process of Evaluating a Book Idea

First, your book idea must answer these questions:

• Who is the book for? 
• Who is your audience
• What age
• What are their circumstances

What problem does the book answer?

• Every reader picks up a book and at least subconsciously asks, “What’s in it for me?”

Is this a niche audience or more mainstream?

• Can you prove this audience exists?
• Are you connected to this audience already?
• Do you know how to connect with this audience?

Is the market flooded with this idea?

• This doesn’t mean don’t write it. It may mean you need to tweak it to have a unique twist

What are the current issues this idea addresses?

• Look for current trends.
• WARNING: Don’t write to trends, but look for relevance to today’s audience

Why are you the right person to write this book?

• Do you have expertise 
• Do you have experience

Once you’ve answered these questions, begin exploring if your idea is long enough for a book

Second, answer these questions:

Does your book have a narrative?

• Just like in fiction, nonfiction has an arc. This means there’s a starting point and a resolution. This is how that worked in my book, Soul Care When You’re Weary
• Triage
• Rediscovering Peace
• Reconnecting with Prayer Play
• Letting Go
• Moving on to Joy

Is your book complex enough? 

• Do you have enough ideas for 40 – 50,000 words

Is there a unifying theme?

Once you’ve checked all these boxes, it’s time to move on to the next set of questions/considerations:

How will you sell your book once it’s published

• Are you interested in self-publishing? Why or Why not?
• Are you a speaker or a public figure with exposure to a lot of people who will buy your book. Just FYI, an average self-pub author can sell about 200 books a year. 
• Do you have a compelling reason for getting the book out immediately?
• Is traditional publishing your dream?

How big is your platform?

• A tiny or nonexistent platform can be a HUGE stumbling block to traditional publishing.
• Even with self-pub, you still need a platform to get your book exposed to readers (there are approximately 1 billion UPC codes on Amazon right now)
• Look at your platform like a publisher and or agent would:
• Social media platforms and numbers
• Blog numbers
• Guest post and article numbers
• Subscriber lists
• Borrowed platforms

If you’re unsure about how well your book idea would work as a book, begin to write articles or blog posts or even social media updates about the topic. This will do several things: 

• It will help solidify the topic and organize your ideas
• It will prove to editors/agents that you have a viable topic
• It will prove there is a market for your idea

Warnings to heed:

• 1. Don’t make the mistake of writing the book for yourself. Telling your story may be cathartic, but every book is written for the READER, not the WRITER
• 2. Don’t write the book and THEN build a platform. Connect with your audience now and while you’re writing the book. This will help you write a better book and make it easier to sell
• Don’t make it too long. Nonfiction books are shorter than fiction. 20,000 is the short end and 60,000 is about the longest. There are always exceptions to the rule, but they better be GREAT exceptions or they won’t fly

These are the things I consider when I evaluate an idea for myself or for someone I'm coaching. Now it's your turn, what questions and thoughts do you have? Be sure to leave your comments in the section below!

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives. Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.