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- How to Generate Best-Selling Ideas For Your Book or Novel
How to Generate Best-Selling Ideas For Your Book or Novel
- By Brian Scott
- Published July 27, 2009
- Improving Your Writing Skills & Marketing ,
Brian Scott
Brian Scott is founder of Book Proposal Writing a free website that teaches you how to write a book proposal. Download your free sample book proposal today. Read his blog for freelance writers at working writersnewsletter
View all articles by Brian ScottThere's nothing mysterious about coming up with ideas for your
book. Within a page or two, you'll have more ideas than you know what
to do with. Your ideas start with YOU. When you think about what you
enjoy, about your past experiences and your knowledge, you're
guaranteed a regular fountain of ideas. Let's turn on the fountain.
1. Idea Generator One: What Are You Good At?
Make a
list of 20 things you're good at. Don't think too hard about this.
Maybe you're good at buying presents for people—you've got a knack
for choosing just the right gift. Maybe you're a good cook, or a good
parent, or a good swimmer or a good tennis player. Or maybe you used
to be good at one or more of these things. For example: I grew up
with horses, and owned horses for many years. I'm good with horses,
and a good rider. If I saw a gap in the market for a horse book, I'd
feel comfortable writing the book.
You get the idea. List at
least 20 things that you're good at, or have been good at in the
past. For example, if you know you're an excellent gardener, even
though you now live an apartment, list "gardening.”
2.
Idea Generator Two: Tap into Your Past Experiences
Experiences
sell. If you've been abducted by little green men from Mars, it's a
book. If you're a bigamist, it's a book. People have written books
about their illnesses (see from challenge to opportunity below),
their addictions, and their pets. Browse through the bestseller lists
to see what personal experiences people are writing about.
Here's
where you walk down memory lane. If you're in your twenties, it'll be
a short stroll. If you're in your forties or older, it will be a
hike. Don't get bogged down with this, list 20 experiences you've had
that spring to mind.
The easiest way to come up with
experiences is to work backwards through the stages of your life, or
through decades. Again, don't take a long time over this. Set
yourself a time limit --- ten minutes is enough.
3. Idea
Generator Three: Tap into Your Knowledge
What do you know?
Start by making a list of all the subjects you were good at in
school. Then list all the jobs you've had – yes, part time work
counts.
Also list:
Your hobbies. Are you a keen
Chihuahua breeder? Do you quilt? Take photographs?
Your
current job. What are you learning in your job that other people
would pay to learn?
The places you've lived. Your hometown
may be boring to you, but guide books sell well.
Your family
tree. What special knowledge do your nearest and dearest have that
you could write about?
Spend around ten minutes writing down
as many subjects as you have knowledge about.
4. Idea
Generator Four: What Do You Enjoy Most in Life?
Celebrity
chef Nigella Lawson freely admits that she cooks because she loves to
eat. Nigella has turned her love of food into a career. She regularly
produces bestselling books. (Her chocolate recipes are brilliant.)
What do you love? People have written about garage sales, cosmetics,
cars, vacations. If you love something, chances are that thousands or
maybe millions of others will love it too.
Watch the
newspapers and take note of current trends. Or better yet, listen to
what your children are talking about, or asking you to buy for them.
Children tend to be well up on what's happening.
Remember
that it will take around 5-8 months for your book to reach the
bookstores. Therefore, the currently hot topics on the bestselling
lists may be old news before your book is in the stores. This doesn't
mean, of course, that you can't write on perennial favorites like
money, sex and exercise. These topics never go out of popularity, and
a new twist on one of these is always a sure bet.
The idea of
writing about what you enjoy is that you will be bringing passion and
enthusiasm to your topic. Enthusiasm is a must.
5. Idea
Generator Five: From Challenge to Opportunity
You face
challenges every day. Most are minor, some are major challenges. If
you've ever faced a large challenge, or if you're facing one right
now, then consider that the things you learn could help other people.
Whatever your challenge is -- whether it's moving house or
confronting a life-threatening illness -- other people face the same
challenges, and in those challenges lie the seeds of books.
Make
a list of 20 challenges you've faced in your life. Anything
catastrophic qualifies: losing your job, facing bankruptcy, the
betrayal of a spouse. If you've had a quiet life, then make a list of
challenges that the people you know have faced.
Additional
challenges you can consider include any habit you've broken, from
congenital lateness to overeating.
When you've finished
brainstorming, you'll have dozens of book ideas. Winnow out the
non-starters. Don't delete them, move them to another computer file.
Call it "odds and ends" or "snippets."