Three Tips to Find a Unique Angle for Your Business Book Idea

You’ve built a successful career, and you’re ready to turn your vision of publishing your business book into a reality. First, you’ll need to figure out how to stand out from the other authorpreneurs out there—and with more titles being published every day, this is easier said than done. The best way to set yourself apart from the crowd is to determine what makes your book special…in other words, to identify your unique business book idea.

Get to know your audience and the business book market

The smart approach to writing a business book starts with understanding your audience and your market. For example:

• What is your target audience looking for in their next read: professional guidance, innovative ideas, or something else?
• How are your ideal readers finding their business books?
• How long should your book be based on consumer preferences and how many pages do you need to communicate your message?
• In the saturated business book market, are there too many titles with topics similar to yours?

Having a firm grasp of what your audience wants and needs will help you tailor your book so your message truly resonates with readers. Gaining insight into the current book market helps you identify your book idea so your work doesn’t get lost in a sea of similar titles.

This knowledge will also help you identify one of the most important aspects of your book: your ultimate purpose.

Focus on your purpose

In the business world, most thought leaders are considered either painkillers or vitamins. Although the definitions vary a bit, here’s the gist:

• Painkillers solve their clients’ problems.
• Vitamins nourish their clients and help them grow.

With these definitions in mind, ask yourself: Is my business book idea a painkiller or a vitamin for my readers? Once you’ve answered this question, you’ll be one step closer to identifying your book’s main purpose.

Your next step will be to build an outline for your book based on that main goal. If you’re a painkiller writing a business book to alleviate your readers’ challenges, you might choose to focus on your specific industry and its trends. Conversely, if you’re a vitamin creating a guide to help your readers flourish, your book might explain lessons you’ve learned that can benefit your audience in the long run.

Whichever you choose to focus on, be sure to stick with it throughout your book and support your message with your own authentic voice and experiences.

Draw from your own experience

No one else in the world has lived the life you have, so sharing your personal journey is what should mold your one-of-a-kind business book idea. Your book can be an exploration—and even a celebration—of how your career path guided you to become the thought leader you are today.

Here are a few ways you can draw from personal experience and emphasize your ideas throughout your book:

• Recount compelling stories or anecdotes that taught you lessons over the years.
• Share quotes from songs, movies, or other business authors that inspired or motivated you.
• Include resources such as worksheets or guides that you created to support your message and add value for your readers.
• Ask your business mentor to write a forward for your book that reinforces your credibility and experience.

The more of yourself, your personality, and your lived experiences you incorporate into your book, the more compelling it’ll be and the more it’ll stand out to your target audience when you publish and promote it.

Bonus tip: Support your business book idea with creative marketing efforts

Once you’ve written and published your business book, you can underline its individuality with a creative book marketing campaign. Sure, you can promote your publication on LinkedIn, optimize your online book listings, and create a captivating author website—but those are marketing tactics that virtually all business authors use.

In addition to the more common book marketing trends, have some fun and get creative! Hold a book launch party, organize speaking engagements, and find podcasts that will feature you as a guest. The possibilities are endless, and the sky’s the limit for your book sales!

Get expert support developing your business book idea

We thrive on amplifying business authors’ voices so their books stand out in the crowd—and on bookshelves. We can support you at every step of your writing, publishing, and book marketing journey with ghostwriting, manuscript evaluation, editing, design, and promotional services. You’re a thought leader in your industry, and we’re the experts in self-publishing.

Let’s talk about telling your professional story. We’ll follow up with a brief email to hear more about your unique business book idea and how we can help make it a reality.