It's absolutely critical that you:

Understand why you're writing the book
Be able to succinctly express what it will say
Know who will want to read it
Be familiar with what other books approximate yours
Have ideas for how you're going to market and
. . .promote it, and . . .
Are clear on how it'll be researched, organized, and
. . .written

Here are 15 questions that book authors need to ask themselves, debate, and re-debate before they put pen to paper…or cursor to screen. (For amplification on each question, see Chapter 4 of Comrades in Ink: How to Work with a Co-Author to Make Your Book a Reality.)

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR IDEA WILL FLY

Before starting work, ask yourself:

1. Am I really, really excited about doing this? Is my stamina equal to my desire?

2. Do I have the resources—time, talent, access, and money—to write this? Do I have a realistic shot at getting the data I need? The funding required? The time to do what needs to be done? Do I have the writing skill?

3. Can I succinctly describe what the book will say and who will buy it? Can I articulate the premise clearly in a single, interesting sentence? Can I describe exactly who will want to read this book?

4. Is the idea original…or, at least, have an original slant? Is it also a slant that someone else (actually, many thousands of someone elses) is likely to care about?

5. Does my idea have enough depth for a book? Should I be writing a magazine article instead? Or, perhaps first?

6. Is there reason to believe a large number of buyers would shell out, say, $15 (paperback) to $25 (hardback) for the privilege of reading this book? What's the evidence of that?

7. Will my idea stand the test of time? Am I on, ahead, or behind the trend line?

8. Do I have the right focus? Is my idea too general or too specific? Do I know my target audience? Am I sure I'm appealing to that audience, not to just my ego or to my friends/relatives?

9. Is the book commercially viable? Will the cost of production equate to the commercial value?

10. Will this book mesh with my literary goals? Sounds high-falutin' but it's worth thinking about.

11. Am I absolutely clear about what type of book I'm writing? Academic or popular? Theoretical or practical? First-person or third-person? Fact-heavy or essays/commentary? Am I sure about this?

12. What kind of publisher will I seek? Do I think this book will be a good fit with a big-league (trade) publisher, a smaller house, or self-publication?

13. What books do I know which approximate mine? Why is mine going to be better or different?

14. What's my timeframe? Does writing a book mesh with my schedule? With my travel plans? With my family life? With my academic/consulting load?