If you want to write a commercial book that stands out in its category—the shelf where you find it in a virtual or physical bookstore, you must develop an idea that is unique and necessary. That means you not only need to provide a book with a high degree of value to readers, as I discussed in the last nonfiction writing prompt, but you also need to write a nonfiction book that offers new information or a different angle on old information and that “fills a hole” in that category. That means you have to write a book that no one else has written yet and that, indeed, is needed in that particular subject area.
Nonfiction Writing Prompt #12: Create a Unique and Necessary Book Idea
To complete this prompt, conduct a competitive analysis of books in the same category as your book. Then evaluate how to make your book better than the competition.
First, determine if your book is a business, body-mind-spirit, travel, reference, history, or craft book, for example.
Second, use the internet, or go to your favorite local bookstore, and “look inside” books you feel are direct competition to yours. These are books someone might buy instead of yours because the content is so similar. When you have 5-10 bestselling books (preferably traditionally published) released in the last three years, study:
- the table of contents
- the foreword and who wrote it
- the front cover
- the back cover
- the first chapter or two
- the index
- the author’s biography
- number of pages
- whether the book is available in paper back, ebook or both
- category choice
- publisher
- price
- year published
For the books you feel truly represent competition, write brief statements that describe the pros and cons of those books. This is useful for a book proposal. For your own business plan for your book, you can go into quite a bit of detail. (For more information on how to write a business plan for your book, click here.)
Next, take a look at your own idea and compare it to the top five competitive titles you have analyzed. Ask yourself:
- How can I create a better book?
- How can I create a book that better serves readers?
- How have these authors underserved readers in such a way that opens up an opportunity for me?
- How do these books fall short of readers’ expectations or needs?
- How is my book the same as these (and how must I change my book to make it different)?
In other words, use these books to spark ideas that will help you hone your idea into the best possible book in the category or topic area.
Did you discover ways to improve your book—to make it more unique and necessary—by doing a competitive analysis on your book? Tell me in a comment below.
For more information on how to create nonfiction book ideas that are marketable and that support your writing goals, join the NFWU. When you do, you’ll receive this month’s Nonfiction Writers’ University (NFWU) homework assignment, which contains more exercises and information on this topic. Plus, you’ll have access to the growing archive of past homework assignments and NFWU teleseminars as well as some introductory gifts worth more than the membership! Join here at the low introductory rate!
The February NFWU Teleseminar, held just this week, was on “How to Mind Map Your Nonfiction Book Before You Begin to Write” with Book Coach Roger Parker. Next month’s NFWU teleseminar takes place on March 18 at 12 p.m. PT and will feature Ultimate Book Coach Kristen Eckstein, who will teach members “How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 3 1/2 Days.” Learn more about the event here. (Members get recordings of the events, access to the forum, bonus products, and more…) Learn about the benefits of membership when you click here.
photo credit: Stephan Geyer via photopin cc
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