So, you have an idea for a book. It’s been in the back of your mind for a while, forming, growing, and getting harder to ignore. But how do you know if your book idea is good enough?

It’s normal to wonder, but this question is lousy. It’s too vague. What do we mean by “good enough?” Let’s get more specific.

Most of us are drawn to write a self-help, personal development, or business book because we want to help others. Right? So…

Is your book idea good enough to make a difference to a reader’s life?

I like this way of framing it because the question focuses on the most important aspect (helping others) while also covering our other, perhaps less “noble” concerns.

  • Is it good enough to not embarrass you?!
    Well, if you’re helping your reader, you can feel proud, not embarrassed. Check.

  • Is it good enough to get you a book deal?
    There’s a lot that goes into getting a book deal, but at the very least, publishers want books that offer readers something. The two align. Check.

  • Is it good enough to bring customers into your business?
    Again, a lot goes into this one, but the very basics of business say if you give your customer a good experience, they’ll return. Help your reader, and they’re more likely to come back to you when they want more help. Check.

Alright, so we’ve validated that we should be asking if your idea is good enough to make a difference in a reader’s life.

So… how do we figure that out?

“Making a difference” is really about creating a transformation. The reader starts the book one way, and by the end they are different in some way.

  • They start clueless, and end with a clear game plan.

  • They start hopeless, and end with hope.

  • They start with limiting beliefs, and end believing they are limitless.

  • They start unable to make weeknight meals in under 20 minutes, and end making bacon and spinach carbonara in 18 minutes flat.


These books do it beautifully:

 

Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton
From: overthinking, stressed, in negative spirals.
To: stress-free, positive, decluttered mind, focused on the present.

 

This Book Won’t Make You Happy by Niro Feliciano
From: unhappy.
To: truly content.

 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
From: feeling like it’s too hard to build good habits and break bad ones
To: feeling like tiny changes can create remarkable results

What’s your transformation?

Your book idea is good enough when you can clearly identify the transformation it offers readers.

What transformation does your book idea offer?

When you can answer that, you know your idea is good enough to make a difference in a reader’s life. And that is an idea worth pursuing.

Thanks,

Liz “Total Transformer” Green
Editor, Book Coach, and Ghostwriter
Green Goose Writing

 
 

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