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Over the years, I've talked to a lot of people who want to write a book, but they haven't been able to get started because they can't figure out what to write about.
Fortunately, as a business owner, you have a big advantage: the community or "tribe" you've built around your business. If you have a store, that may be your customers. Or if you run an online business it may include people who comment on your blog, send you email, or people you know through social media.
In fact, if you're having trouble deciding on a topic for your book, your community is probably your best source of ideas. Ask your clients, peers, commenters, and friends what their biggest struggles are and you might be surprised at the answers you receive.
People read books: to be entertained or informed. If you have a blog or Web site, think about the articles that received the most feedback? Which ones had the most spirited and emotional dialogue? Which blog posts were retweeted or shared on Facebook? What questions do you get from clients?
When you look back over your work, you'll see patterns appear. Maybe there's a topic that comes up on your blog that you get really passionate about, and it seems like your blog posts almost write themselves. Those posts may be a good starting point for a book.
In fact, as you go through your posts and questions you receive via email or social media, you might be pleasantly surprised to discover how much you already have written about the topic, even before you've started "officially" writing your book.
If you don't have a new blog, don't be discouraged. You might have the type of business that doesn't lend itself to blogging. That's okay too. Here are a few other places you can look for ideas:
- Recent emails you have sent. If you're like most of us, you probably expressed your opinion, helped someone with a problem, or given advice.
- Comments on other people's blogs (including your own comments), Twitter tweets, Facebook status updates and shares. See if anything pops out at you as particularly interesting. Maybe you have an opposing view on a controversial topic.
- Real life, in-person conversations. When you talk to people, spend a lot of time listening. Pay attention to the questions, concerns, and problems people have. Then start writing down your solutions.
You've probably written a lot of material that you could include in a book. No, you won't be able to use everything, but the writing you've already done, whether in blog posts, email, or comments can be a great source of ideas.
Get More Ideas!
By joining the Book Authors Circle! In the Book Authors Circle, you'll find a community of authors who are working to create quality books (and ebooks) that help people. You get access to book publishing pros who can answer your questions and keep you moving forward on your book projects. You also get to hang out with other enthusiastic authors who share their publishing challenges and solutions. When you join the Book Authors Circle, you receive monthly Q&A calls and email support and enjoy a private book-publishing discussion board. earn more about the Book Authors Circle by visiting the Web site today.
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