How to choose the perfect book topic

Have lots of great ideas? Here's how to get focused

A friend of mine started his book journey just a month or two after me.

The other day he said to me, “Ben, the hardest part is choosing a single topic! I have so many ideas.”

And indeed he did. Ideas all over the map, too. 4 or 5 books worth of ideas!

But how do you pick just one?

Choosing your book topic — also known as positioning —is the first critical decision you’ll make as an author. It will make or break the success of your book.

Here’s my process for picking the perfect book topic:

(P.S. You can access my book positioning document here. Just make a copy to save it for yourself!)

(P.S.S. If this posts makes you think of someone, please share it with them!)

1. Know your objectives

Why are you writing a book in the first place? There are many possible goals:

• Grow your business

• Launch a speaking/consulting career

• Sell a bunch of copies

• Build your personal brand

Knowing YOUR why is Step #1.

Next, you need to know what you want your book to accomplish in the world. Ask yourself: How will my book serve readers?

Finally, you need to know what a “successful” book looks like. When will you know all that effort (and it’s a LOT) was worth it?

Examples of book “success” include:

• Getting your first $20,000/month client

• Landing your first paid speaking gig

• Selling 10,000 book copies

• Build a large enough audience to launch another product (such as a paid course)

Take time to really understand what you want to achieve with your book.

2. Know your audience

Next, you need to understand your audience.

First off, who are they? And why should they give a rat’s you-know-what about your book?

Ask yourself:

• What pain is my reader experiencing because this book doesn’t exist?

• How does that pain show up in their lives?

• What real-life benefits will they see by reading and implementing my book?

If you’re having trouble identifying pain points, consider this: “What do people currently pay me to teach or do for them?”

Another way to find pain points is to think about the “triggers” that may cause your readers to seek out your book.

For example, my book is about better business writing. A trigger for my audience might be when a startup founder feels disconnected from her virtual team. She feels like her poor writing style is holding her back from connecting with teammates online.

Empathy is a key ingredient in great writing — whether it’s an email or a book. Figure out what makes your readers tick.

3. Narrow down your topics

Use your Objectives and Audience Research to narrow down the list of potential book topics. Your topic is a bridge between your goals to your audience’s needs.

Example: My objective is to build a brand for entrepreneurs who love to read and write.

They want to become better writers, and I just happen to write for a living. “Writing for entrepreneurs” is a topic that fits my objectives, expertise, and my audience’s needs.

4. Create your book pitch

Great books aren’t just built around a topic — they have an angle, or pitch, that makes them unique.

Think of your book concept like an elevator pitch. It must include:

• A problem in the world

• Why it’s important to solve

• Your solution

• Why they (the audience) should care

Here’s my book pitch for Great Founders Write:

“Writing is a skill that all great founders master. The problem is most writing books are written for writers — not entrepreneurs.

Great Founders Write is a writing book focused on principles, not punctuation. It helps entrepreneurs how to think clearly, write confidently, and achieve startup success.”

(This pitch is a work in progress. Looking for feedback!)

When someone asks what your book is about, what will you say?

5. Plan out multiple books

If you’re still struggling to choose one topic, don’t fret. You can always write more books!

Plan to write multiple books. Once you build a book audience, your readers will want more. Capitalize on this demand with sequels and new editions.

Even if you never get around to your other books, thinking this way will help you narrow your focus down to one compelling topic. Not saying enough is always better than trying to say too much.

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Choosing a book topic is tough, but it’s the first (and arguably, most important) big decision of your book-writing journey.

Look for a topic that bridges the gap between your objectives and your audience’s needs.

Be the bridge. And most importantly, be yourself.

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