What should I write about?

Here is a question that we received recently from a client:

Q. I would like to sell large numbers of books. What should I write about?

A. What are you qualified to write?


You cannot just write about anything. In order to be credible you need credentials. It is soon apparent to a reader if your information is superficial. You must write about something for which you have great passion or considerable experience and/or education. You "can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time".

As an author, your goal is definitely to sell books, but primarily you have to write with your reader in mind. After all, that is the person who will buy your book, and the primary question in that buyer's mind when looking at the book is, "What's in it for me?" If the book doesn't offer something life changing, the buyer moves on to another book. The buyer is looking for the solution to a problem, so he or she will buy the book that has the solution. Incomplete or inaccurate information just won't sell.

The age old advice of writing about what you know is so true. Follow that advice and you are on the right track to many book sales.

Denise