Once upon a time–OK, about a month ago–an expert wanted to write a book to buttress her credibility, attract right-fit clients, and help those who couldn’t afford her consulting fee.

This is a more than reasonable desired outcome for an author working on prescriptive non-fiction, would you not agree?

This was how she described her target readers—those right-fit clients. And what she wanted them to walk away with once they read her book:

“I help passionate nonprofit and community leaders clarify their big idea and create change in their corner of the world. This is why people will want to read my books, and put my framework for action into great use in their organizations and communities!”

Super. Nice and clear. Concise.

She had a long list of books she wanted to write. Like many entrepreneurs, she was super creative and interested in a lot of different subjects. She wanted to know which of these ideas she should write about first:

1. A series of fiction books that follow various women going through major events in the U.S.
2. A collection of women’s short stories about lessons they learned from their mothers (and grandmothers & other women of significance in their lives)
3. A funny how-to book on writing nonprofit grants for newbies to the field
4. A Children’s book about gospel songs
5. A how-to book for grassroots organizations that want to impact their corner of the world
6. An inspiring young adult novel for pre-teen and teen girls

Can you easily identify topics that will serve her intended purpose and audience? Which will not?

I bet you can. Because it’s always easier when you’re looking at someone else’s choices, as opposed to your own

If you’ve been talking about writing a book that matters for a long time, this may well be the reason you’ve been procrastinating, namely, you don’t know which of your topics is the most obvious choice to spend your precious time on.

Now, humans don’t like taking risks. It’s far easier to do nothing than it is to suffer uncertainty. That’s just how our brains are wired.

So how about we minimize risk by making some key decisions—the very decisions that keep other experts from starting or finishing their books—so you can begin your project with grounded confidence?

So you know you’re NOT about to waste your time on a book that doesn’t get read or serve your objective.

If you ask me, there’s no better judge of a sound book idea than traditional publishing houses. They’re all about book ideas that appeal to a proven target market, namely the specific audience you want to influence with your book.

Traditional houses make money selling books. Any book they decide to publish has got to sell itself, with some major help from the author. So they won’t publish a book, no matter how well-intentioned, or how well-written, unless they know exactly who will buy it, and why.

Look at your myriad book ideas the way they do, and you’ll spot your winning candidate from a mile away.

When a traditional house evaluates your idea, which is spelled out in the form of a book proposal, they keep 4 questions in mind at all times:

• What is your book about?
• Why does it need to be written now?
• Why does it need to be written by you?
• Who is going to buy it?

Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same things. Maybe the inability to answer these questions is what’s kept you from taking action. Although, likely, you’re asking these questions in a slightly different way:

• Who cares about my story?
• Why would anyone listen to me?
• It’s all been written about before, so what can I add?
• Am I the only one that cares about this stuff?

We’re going to confront these questions head on, the way traditional publishing houses do.

Who is going to buy this book? That there is the million dollar question. The answer requires you to identify your reader, and know what they want.

When you do, you can choose a topic that’s relevant to them.

If you’re writing a book to impact lives, establish credibility in your field, and build your business, then you’d equate your readers with your Avatar. Those people you currently serve.

Notice that this is not about what you feel like giving readers as the expert, what you’ve got lying around in some hard drive: this is about what READERS want. What they’re actively searching for.

Give these target readers what they want, and you’ll not only have a compelling book, but a successful business.

Answer the following questions:

1. How would you describe your reader?
2. What does your reader want most of all?
3. How would your reader describe their core problem, that which gets in the way of what they want?
4. What do you think prevents them from successfully solving this core problem? What belief (how they think) or practice (what they do) you’ll help them correct?

If you can’t easily answer these questions, replace the word “reader” with clients, customers, or Avatar.

Now, let’s come back to you. What do you have in common with your reader and their problem? What makes you the expert to listen to? What’s your current positioning here?

If you’re hesitating. If you’re not sure about this stuff. The topic you’re flirting with may be the wrong one to take on. Your readers may question your authority, right alongside you. Which means they won’t read your book from cover to cover.

And that’s kind of a waste of your time if you’re after the outcome I think you’re after.