Is It a Book? 5 Ways to Test Your Nonfiction Book Idea

Today’s post is by Bethany Saltman and Fran Hauser, book coaches and co-hosts of the podcast BOOKBOUND.

Writing and publishing a nonfiction book is a big investment—of time, energy, and often money. In our work with authors, we find that people often approach the process with passion and ambition but without any sense of what it really takes to get the attention of an agent or editor, especially in today’s crowded market. That’s why we’ve created these five ways to test your book idea.

1. Do you have a sticky, counter-intuitive idea?

It’s not enough to have a good idea. A successful book is an idea about another idea, and the more surprising or “counterintuitive” the better.

We use the seed sentence from the writing teachers Marie Ponsot and Rosemary Deen: “They say _____ but my experience tells me _____” to help writers discover their counterintuitive ideas. You should be able to identify a book’s sticky idea or even the “They Say” right in the title.

These three books make it clear that they aren’t just sharing a big idea with their readers, but that they’re going to make us think differently about something:

Real Self Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses Bubble Baths not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin, MDHow to Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind: Forget the Fairy Tale and Get Real by Todd BaratzThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

Does your book have a sticky, counterintuitive idea? If not, don’t worry. Try writing ten “They Says” and see where it takes you. This will take some time, and it’s worth it because without a strong idea, you don’t have a book.

2. What kind of publishing path is right for your book?

When new authors come to us, they often have an idea in their minds about what getting their dream publishing deal will look like: an agent, a big advance, and a book tour. While they don’t always know it yet, theirs is a fantasy about getting a traditional deal with a Big Five house (Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan), and, unfortunately, it is usually a fantasy—not because their book isn’t a great idea, but because they don’t have the “platform” (i.e., reach) to justify the investment from a Big Five publishing house. Also, book tours are a thing of the past, even for many Big Five authors.

The great news is that there are many publishing paths available. When we work with authors, we invite them to align their goals with their publishing path. Here are key questions to consider.

Do you already have strong readership or reach—and want a chance at a national bestseller list? Big Five publishers look for nonfiction authors who are already engaging their target readership, then build on the foundation that’s already been created. While publishers help secure nationwide retail distribution and mass media attention, they still rely on authors to get the ball rolling. A significant platform is often a requirement if you want to land on the New York Times bestseller list. Note: you’ll need an agent to be considered by a Big Five publisher.Are you a recognized authority or expert in your field, but don’t have much reach to your potential readership? A traditional publisher outside of the Big Five may be a good fit, and that includes university presses. They may be more focused on the quality of your writing, ideas, or scholarship, especially if they already know how to reach the target readership for your book. They often have the same strengths as the Big Five, but many do not require an agent.Do you expect to sell the book directly to your readership, at events, and/or through online retail? Then you stand to earn much more money via self-publishing if you’re willing to learn the process and assemble whatever talent you need (e.g., editing, design, and production help).Do you want to retain as much control as possible over the final book, but have no desire to manage the publication process? Then you may want to consider a paid publishing service or hybrid publisher to get your book to market if you have the money to invest (costs are typically in the low five figures for high-quality, industry professional results). If bookstore distribution or physical retail distribution is important to you, look for a publisher or service company that has traditional distribution through Simon & Schuster or Ingram Two Rivers.

For much more information on the key publishing paths, see this post from Jane.

3. Is there room for it?

Let’s face it. Truly original ideas don’t come along every day. And that’s OK! Finding your spot on the shelf is a matter of finding that sweet spot between “proof of concept” (books like yours that have done well) and “white space” (how your book will be different). One way to discover that sweet spot is to hone in on your unique perspective.

One of our favorite case studies for finding room in a crowded market is Bonnie Wan’s bestselling book The Life Brief. Wan is the head of brand strategy and partner at the storied marketing agency Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners. Ten years ago, anguished by the choices she’d made in her life and dangerously close to a divorce, she had an epiphany: her expertise was in helping her clients discover what really mattered about their brands by writing a creative brief. So, she decided to try writing a creative brief about her life. As she puts it, “I was applying the craft of what I had mastered in advertising, but toward very different things.” And voila! Wan found room on one of the most crowded shelves in any bookstore—self-help—by writing a book only she could write.

Here are some other ways to differentiate your book from others like it:

Voice & perspectiveOriginal/counterintuitive way to look at somethingA new piece of researchA fresh form, i.e., adding photos to prose, etc.

When asking yourself if there is room for your book, the answer is definitely YES! You just have to get smart about how to position it.

4. Who are you writing for?

While it’s natural to want to write a book that will reach the masses, the irony is that the best way to reach a big audience is to write to one specific person. In marketing, this is called your Ideal Customer Avatar (or ICA). We call this person your muse.

We define your muse as the person whose life will change after reading your book. Ideally, your muse is a real person you know, though it can also be your past self. Once you decide who you want to write for, you can explore what your muse really needs by asking about their PPQ: Pain, Problem, Question.

For instance, in Bethany’s 2020 book Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey Into the Science of Attachment (Random House), her muse was her past self, an insecure young mother.

Her PPQ was:

Pain: What is her core discomfort? The thing that keeps her up at night? I feel like the worst mom in the world.Problem: Because of her pain, what is her central problem? I am so busy beating myself up, I am missing out on my baby’s love (which would actually help soothe my pain).Question: Based on her problem, what does she want to know? Is this normal? Or is there something really wrong with me? And what can I do about it?

Keeping your muse in mind is incredibly helpful when writing your book for a couple of reasons. One: writing for one person makes your writing very specific, which is the mark of all strong prose. The other is that connecting with your muse and your desire to help them with their PPQ keeps you engaged in the writing and publishing process—especially when faced with the inevitable challenges and rejections. When you write your book in service to a specific person, you’ll stay inspired even when it’s hard.

5. Are you the one to write it?

If you want to write and publish a nonfiction book, you’ve probably heard—perhaps with a shudder of fear —the word “platform.” An author platform refers to your experience and network expertise in the space you are proposing to write about. It’s the thing agents and publishers look for to validate that you are a credible source on your topic (and, of course, they’d like you to leverage your platform to sell books).

And while people often look to social media numbers as an indication of their platform—and certainly when you’re looking at Big Five publishers, numbers are important!—there is much more to it.

We like to think of “platform” as your “author-ity.”

When pitching your book, one of the most important questions you’ll have to answer is why you’re the one to write it. So, in answering that question, consider all of the following:

Education and degrees, including certifications, prizes, and honorsWork experience + major wins at workNetwork: who do you know, and will they endorse and/or amplify your book?Social media presence. And PS: Engagement matters just as much as followers, if not more!Publications and bylines, including all the writing you’ve done professionally, and don’t forget about published academic researchNewsletter (e.g., Substack) and email list—again, engagement, engagement, engagementUnique personal experience with your topic

After testing your book by asking yourself these five questions, if you discover that YES, your idea really is a book, congratulations! The great news is that now that you’ve gone through this process, you’ll be in a great position to write your proposal, which is your next step. And if not, that’s great news, too.

Books are wonderful tools to share your ideas and insights, but they certainly aren’t the only ones—perhaps your work is better suited for a podcast, a Substack, or a class, or all of the above! In any case, by testing your idea, you’ll be ready to share your work with confidence and true authority.

Note from Jane: Twice a year Bethany and Fran offer a BOOKBOUND Accelerator for aspiring authors who want to turn their great ideas into standout books.