Why Your Book Idea Will Probably Fail (And the One Question That Fixes It)
Most executives approach me saying: "I want to write a book" or "I have a book idea."
Wrong starting point. Wrong approach.
Here's the truth that will make you squirm: your book idea doesn't matter if you can't answer this question in one sentence. Ready for it?
"Who changes their behavior after reading this?"
Not "who buys it." Not "who finds it interesting." Who actually does something different because your book exists?
The mistake everyone makes:
Executive coaches write books about "leadership principles." Medical professionals write about "healing journeys." CEOs write about "building successful companies."
These aren't simply book ideas. These are categories where thousands of books already exist, most unread.
The framework that actually works:
Before writing a single word, answer these three questions:
Who has a specific problem right now? (Not "leaders"—rather, be granular. "First-time managers inheriting dysfunctional teams" is specific.)
What's the one thing they need to do differently? (Not ten principles. One shift that unlocks everything else.)
Why can't they find this answer anywhere else? (If it's already been said, you're wasting 12 months of your life.) What is the unique perspective that you are providing them?
Here's what this looks like in practice:
Bad book idea: "Leadership lessons from my 30-year career"
Good book idea: "Why promoted technical experts fail as managers (and the counter-intuitive framework that fixes it)"
Bad book idea: "My journey healing from trauma"
Good book idea: "The therapist's guide to helping clients who say they want to change but sabotage every intervention"
The cost of getting this wrong: You'll spend 18 months writing a book nobody needs. You'll launch to crickets. You'll have a beautiful cover and zero platform. Your expertise will remain invisible because the market is already saturated with the same vague promise you're making.
The opportunity of getting it right:
A tightly focused book becomes the answer for a specific audience. Those people find you. They buy in bulk for their teams. They hire you to speak. They become clients. The book is a business asset that compounds.
So before you start writing, ask yourself:
Can you describe your reader's exact problem in one sentence? Can you name the one action they'll take after reading? Can you explain why this perspective doesn't exist anywhere else?
If not, you're not ready to write yet. You need message clarity first.
You can also fill out a form for a 30-minute manuscript readiness diagnosis with absolutely no sales involved.
Drop a comment if you can describe your book in one sentence using this framework. Let's pressure-test whether it's actually differentiated or just another book the market doesn't need.