Having too many book ideas sounds like a good problem to have.
Until you actually have to choose one.
If you’re anything like me, ideas are not the issue. I can generate them all day long. This book over here. That book over there. Another one that appears at three o’clock in the morning and suddenly feels like the most important idea I’ve ever had.
The problem isn’t having too many ideas.
It’s refusing to choose.
Not every good idea should become your first book
This is where aspiring authors get stuck. They assume that because an idea is meaningful, interesting or important, it deserves to become the book they’re writing right now.
Maybe.
But a good idea and the right book are not always the same thing.
Some ideas are too broad. Some are better suited to an article, a talk or a Bible study. Some may become terrific books later, after you’ve built an audience that is ready for them.
And some ideas are simply easier for readers to understand and care about right now.
Your job isn’t to write every good idea you have.
Your job is to choose one.
Your life is full of clues
The strongest book ideas rarely appear out of nowhere. They’re usually connected to something you’ve lived, learned, overcome, studied or become unusually interested in.
Pay attention to what people already ask you about.
Pay attention to the subjects you can talk about for an hour without notes. Pay attention to the experiences that changed you and the lessons you keep returning to.
Years ago, the number-one search phrase connected to my name was:
Donna Partow planner.
There was only one problem.
I had never made a planner.
Apparently, people had decided that because I taught so much about organization, time management and getting things done, surely I must have one.
They were telling me something.
Sometimes other people see the book hiding in your life before you do.
The book you love most may not be the book to write first
Authors hate this part.
They have one book they’ve dreamed about for years. It’s personal. It’s important. They feel called to write it.
And maybe they are.
That still doesn’t necessarily mean it should be Book #1.
The book I most wanted to write became my ninth book.
By then, readers knew me. They trusted me. There was an audience ready for what I wanted to say.
It became my #1 bestseller.
Had I insisted on writing it first simply because I loved it most, I have no idea whether the outcome would have been the same.
Timing matters.
A book has to matter to somebody besides you
This is one of the hardest transitions for a new author.
You begin with:
What do I want to say?
Eventually, you have to consider:
Why would someone else want to read it?
Those are not opposing questions. The strongest books usually satisfy both.
You bring something real to the page—experience, insight, conviction, a story worth telling.
But the reader also recognizes something she wants, needs or cares about.
That’s when a personal idea begins to become a viable book.
Don’t confuse importance with marketability
Some of the most important subjects in the world make terrible book concepts.
“Prayer” is important.
“Marriage” is important.
“Faith” is important.
“Purpose” is important.
But thousands of books already exist on each one.
The fact that a subject matters does not automatically give a reader a reason to choose your book about it.
That’s why choosing the topic is more strategic than most first-time authors realize.
You’re not merely choosing what to write about. You’re making one of the first decisions that will affect almost everything that follows.
You are allowed to save ideas for later
One reason authors won’t choose is that choosing one idea feels like murdering all the others.
It isn’t.
Open a file. Put them in it.
I have never suffered from the fear that God will stop giving me ideas.
The opposite problem is considerably more likely.
You don’t need to squeeze your entire life’s message into one book, either. If you have several strong ideas, wonderful. Write several books.
Just don’t try to write them all at once.
The best first book creates momentum
Your first book does not need to contain everything you know or become the defining work of your life.
It needs to get finished.
It needs to be useful.
It needs to reach readers.
And ideally, it teaches you enough about writing, publishing and your audience that Book #2 becomes easier.
Then Book #3.
A finished book creates possibilities an idea sitting in your computer never will.
The real problem
Most aspiring authors with too many book ideas think they need more clarity.
Often they don’t.
They need to decide.
You don’t have a shortage of ideas.
You have a shortage of no’s.
Choose one good book.
The others can wait.
Quick answers
Should my first book be the book I’m most passionate about?
Not necessarily. Passion matters, but so do timing, reader interest and whether the idea is ready to become a book. Your favorite idea may still be the right one—or it may become a stronger book later.
What should I do with all my other book ideas?
Save them. Choosing one book does not mean abandoning the rest. It means deciding which one gets your attention now.
What if I choose the wrong topic?
Choosing a book topic is an important decision, but it isn’t a lifetime sentence. Authors write more than one book. The goal is to make a thoughtful choice and then move forward instead of spending another year comparing ideas.
Not sure what kind of writer you are? Take my free 90-second quiz — What Kind of Writer Are You? — and discover your writer type, the hidden trap stalling your book, and your one next step.