Before you write a book, you need a good book idea. This sounds obvious, but deciding what you want to write about is a challenge.

You need to have an idea that excites you, is worth writing, and provides value for your readers. So how do you know if you have a book idea worth pursuing?

After publishing four books, I’ve learned this is a tough question to answer. There are many factors that influence whether or not your idea is any good. But there are ways to remove the guesswork. The truth is you can know if people will read what you have to say before you even finish writing the manuscript.

This week on The Portfolio Life, Andy and I talk about how to decide if your book idea is worth pursuing and practical ways you can test your ideas to see if people are interested in what you have to say.

Listen in as we discuss how I discovered the idea for my next book. We also talk about how other authors decide what to write about and how you can get more confidence in your book idea before writing it.

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Show highlights

In this episode, guest and I discuss:

• How to decide what idea to pursue when you want to write a book
• How I discovered the idea for my next book nearly two years ago
• One simple technique you can use to know if you have a book idea worth pursuing
• When you know you’re ready to pursue a book idea
• The two steps you need to take to validate your book idea
• Why you have to write and not only talk about your book idea
• Why you can’t afford not to share your work in public
• The importance of doing your best work even when you think no one is looking
• How practicing in public can help you identify good ideas

Quotes and takeaways

• Chase what fascinates you with your writing.
• You can’t write a 60,000-word book if you haven’t written a few thousand words.
• You know you have something when you can’t get to the end of it.
• When I’m doing the work, I want to love the work.

Resources

• The Authentic Swing by Steven Pressfield
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Make Art Make Money by Elizabeth Stevens
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Do you have a book idea? Have you shared your idea with others in person or online? Why or why not? Share in the comments