50 book ideas for writing a book you can start today

Perhaps you haven't brought your book concepts to fruition because you fear that it entails secluding yourself, continually generating page after page, crafting a novel or short story that may never see completion. Alternatively, you might have been attempting to fulfill your writing craving by crafting book critiques. However, producing a book can encompass a broader spectrum—it's not confined to novels alone. There's an age-old adage advising us to write about what we understand, and you may possess more knowledge than you realize.

If you're not inherently inclined toward fiction, why not commence with non-fiction? It not only allows you to embark from a foundation of passion and familiarity, but it also aligns with market trends. Non-fiction enjoys a more extensive readership, whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing. More publishers specialize in non-fiction, more book purchasers invest in non-fiction literature, and it offers a smoother path to build a career by creating articles, conducting seminars, and marketing associated products. In comparison to novelists, non-fiction writers encounter somewhat fewer obstacles.

To provide you with a starting point, we've compiled a list of 50 book concepts, encompassing potential titles, prompts, genres, and subjects, where you might uncover inspiration for your next literary project.

Ideas for Creating a Book

Explore Intriguing Questions

Your everyday life teems with material for your creative endeavors. Pose these questions to pinpoint your next book idea:

1. What obstacles are you currently encountering?

   Share your experiences regarding your personal, professional, or creative challenges. Your narrative of overcoming adversity can help others feel less isolated. Delve into the objectives and impediments you've faced in your life, and elucidate your approaches to surmounting them.

2. What are you presently learning?

   Communicate what you're currently assimilating and how you're acquiring that knowledge, whether it relates to relationships, health practices, work efficiency, or athletic pursuits. Others may benefit from your insights.

3. What unfolds in your daily existence?

   Are you navigating a significant life transition? Does a weekly routine or an annual celebration hold special meaning for you? Don't disregard these aspects. At times, the most universally meaningful experiences emanate from the most individual and personal sources.

Observe Your Surroundings

Adopt the role of an explorer within your world and among the people inhabiting it. Inquire, observe, and embark on these pathways to uncover your most compelling book ideas:

4. Chronicle your family's history.

   Identify individuals within your family with untold stories that deserve narration. Uncover the narrative behind your family's evolution, including your own journey. A family history book provides an ideal platform for recounting your tale.

5. Examine your hometown's history.

   Investigate the narratives that elucidate your town's origins. Highlight noteworthy figures who have left their mark on your town's history, or include intriguing details about local landmarks and insider recommendations for beloved places.

6. Share your personal history.

   Ponder upon the pivotal factors in your personal origin story. Reflect on the events and relationships that have shaped your present identity.

7. Advocate for a meaningful cause.

   Have you engaged in volunteer work that has deepened your insight or perspective? Do you possess stories of how your involvement has transformed lives and made a positive impact? Spread the word!

8. Expound on noteworthy events.

   Perhaps you've attended numerous Pearl Jam concerts and can recollect the setlist and memories from each. Maybe you organized a speaker series at your educational institution or participated in a rally that left a lasting impression.

9. Narrate your travel experiences.

   Create a travel compendium that blends your writings and discoveries from journeys to distant lands with your own photographs.

Become Your Narrator

10. Conduct an experiment.

    Undertake a project or endeavor for a specified duration—30, 60, or 90 days—and document your experience.

11. Expound upon your favorite subjects.

    Delve into your favorite books, albums, songs, films, or artworks. Utilize each of these as catalysts for crafting an imaginative and relatable book.

12. Spotlight your most significant accomplishments.

    Scrutinize how you set your goals, the path leading to your achievements, and the individuals who supported your journey.

13. Disclose your most substantial setbacks.

    Explore the lessons learned from your failures and how you can aid others in coping with fear, failure, or recovery while fostering resilience.

14. Embark on an epic journey, then document it.

    Whether it's raising $20,000 for cancer research, conquering a formidable life obstacle, scaling a peak, or visiting all 50 states, your quest will be uniquely shaped by your perspective as an aspiring author, leading to meticulous record-keeping and a remarkable story to share.

Select a Non-Fiction Genre to Commence

15. Craft a groundbreaking concept book.

    These narratives revolve around pioneering notions, tools, or knowledge capable of reshaping the way people approach love, work, and life. Share a pivotal insight you possess with others.

16. Curate a compendium of lists.

    Convert your personal lists, such as gratitude inventories or favorite local eateries, into an imaginative book.

17. Produce an informative photo book.

    Pair your most captivating photographs with captivating captions or tales recounting the local geography, history, plant life, and wildlife.

18. Compile a series of correspondences.

    If you've engaged in enlightening exchanges (and your correspondent consents to sharing their story), immortalize your dialogue in a book.

19. Conceive an interview anthology.

    Assemble interviews with inspirational figures from your life, community, or professional field. Arrange these dialogues around a central theme or transform them into a collection of essays capable of altering perspectives.

Leverage Existing Content

20. Transform your blog posts into a book.

    If you've devoted time to crafting daily or weekly articles, you're well on your way. Identify a common thread or theme running through your posts, arrange them into chapters or sections, and elevate your narratives from the digital realm to the printed page.

21. Fabricate a book of postcards.

    Breathe new life into the art of physical correspondence by assembling a captivating coffee table book featuring received postcards or those you've collected.

22. Publish your love letters.

    While making love letters accessible to the public isn't everyone's choice, it can become a unique collaboration featuring poems, narratives, and reflections if both you and your beloved are in agreement. You can also explore creative writing by crafting a sequence of fictional love letters addressed to people, places, objects, or events you hold dear.

23. Transmute your journal entries into a book.

    The distinct journal pages of artists, writers, photographers, travelers, and introspective individuals constitute a fascinating literary genre. Sharing your personal reflections has the potential to inspire readers from all walks of life.

24. Share your culinary expertise.

    If your culinary creations consistently draw friends and family to your table, and you're passionate about specific ingredients, dietary trends, family traditions, or local and international cuisine, don't hesitate to divulge your treasured recipes.

Consult Amazon's Non-Fiction Bestseller Categories

Look to Amazon's best-selling non-fiction categories for possible book ideas that align with these genres:

Biography and Memoir Book Ideas

25. Relate the experience of acclimatizing to a new city.

    Many individuals can relate to the challenges associated with relocating to a different locale, whether it's a new city, state, or country. Chronicle the ups and downs of this transition to offer insights and guidance to others.

26. Share your top 25 best or worst date stories.

    If your history is marked by memorable or amusing dating experiences, don't hesitate to recount them.

27. Craft a biography of a family member.

    There's a high likelihood that someone within your family possesses a unique, inspiring, or impactful life story deserving of illumination. Whether it's a distant ancestor or a living relative who overcame formidable odds, embarked on an extraordinary journey, achieved remarkable success, or paved the way for others, their story warrants recognition.

Self-Help Book Ideas

28. Elaborate on the concept of intuitive eating.

    If you've made strides in adopting a healthier approach to food and eating, share your journey from start to finish.

29. Explore novel rules for dating.

    Approach popular subjects with a lighthearted, compassionate, or serious perspective. Depending on your area of expertise, you can incorporate research, personal anecdotes, observations, or interviews.

Religion and Spirituality Book Ideas

30. Create an inspirational gift book.

    Aggregate your favorite quotations and pair them with captivating photographs, illustrations, or designs to produce a motivational book.

31. Release a religious study or devotional guidebook.

    Share your knowledge of divine wisdom and traditions, encompassing classic teachings and lessons for personal growth.

32. Compile a religious memoir.

    Craft a memoir founded on personal experiences, discoveries, or transformations that led to your present religious beliefs.

Health, Fitness, and Nutrition Book Ideas

33. Inspire readers with ten life lessons centered around food.

    Whether you've achieved and maintained a healthy weight or have discerned the impact of different foods on your mood, sleep, or overall health, your success story can be beneficial to others.

34. Summarize your thirty-day experience adhering to a specific diet.

    Whether it's a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, low-sugar regimen, Mediterranean cuisine, or gluten-free eating, if you've explored it, now's the time to share your insights.

35. Assemble a research summary on effective exercise methods.

    Utilize your scientific perspective combined with your fitness expertise to create a comprehensive guidebook replete with training advice, health facts, and exercise motivation.

Politics and Social Science Book Ideas

36. Probe into public policy, ideologies, or politics.

    If you possess a penchant for debate and robust opinions on significant subjects, your persuasive book, supported by data and insights, can contribute to informed discourse.

37. Predict forthcoming political and cultural trends.

    This type of book demands extensive research. Leverage your authority as a demonstrated expert or impassioned professional to provide an unvarnished assessment of present and impending developments.

Cookbooks, Food, and Wine Book Ideas

38. Compile recipes from a family restaurant.

    Cultivate a love for cooking and divulge your cherished kitchen traditions, recipes, and food photography to an audience eager for more. (Please ensure you have the necessary permissions from the original chef.)

39. Produce a guide to local wineries, complete with photographs and reviews.

    Whether it's Malbec or Shiraz, Moscato or Chenin Blanc, your wine expertise and enthusiasm can be shared with others.

40. Elaborate on ten insights you've gleaned from the realm of culinary arts.

    What do you know about baking the perfect cake? Do you possess tips and tricks for southern barbecue? Write about your areas of expertise.

Business and Money Book Ideas

41. Relate your journey to debt freedom.

    Share the financial lessons you've learned, especially if you acquired them through challenging experiences. People of all ages are eager to discover how you accomplished it.

42. Chronicle the process of securing investments for a project.

    Whether you organized a groundbreaking fundraiser or composed a grant proposal that turned the tide, offer your valuable financial guidance to other project leaders.

43. Dispense advice on earning a livelihood through creative work.

    View it as your gift to the next generation of artists, writers, filmmakers, and photographers.

44. Offer tips on managing a large-scale business.

    Money is a driving force in the world of commerce. What's your secret to efficiently managing a thriving company?

45. Share insights derived from the failure of a startup.

    Dreams and realities often clash. If you had the opportunity to embark on that journey anew, what wisdom would you wish to possess?

Education and Teaching Book Ideas

46. Publish a curriculum you've devised for the classroom.

    If you've created engaging lesson plans that resonated with your students, delve into the units that captivated them. Detail your approach to successful projects, and craft a workbook, e-book, or even a magazine outlining your methodology.

Crafts, Hobbies, and Home Book Ideas

47. Develop a guide to impactful photography.

    In an era where everyone fancies themselves a photographer, your guidance on achieving exceptional images can be invaluable.

48. Fashion an instructional guide for knitting or sewing.

    If you possess the skills of a seasoned seamstress or knitter, share your project tips and expertise in a practical craft book.

49. Conceive a book on interior design.

    Harness your creative instincts by providing style counsel and highlighting favored trends, from Boho chic to French country to modern minimalism.

50. Encourage individuals to explore a new hobby.

    Beginner woodworking projects. Twelve diverse renditions of a single room. Introduction to jewelry crafting. Your creative talents and knowledge are a valuable resource for newcomers. Lead the way!

What Awaits You?

Now, all that remains is to choose a single book concept and commence the writing journey. Print-on-demand technology has streamlined the process, making it effortless to produce one copy or a thousand. Regardless of your next project idea, view it as precisely that: your next project, not your sole endeavor. If the initial book you create doesn't reflect the book you know resides within you, that's perfectly acceptable! This marks merely the initiation of your journey. After accomplishing one project, you'll possess the acumen to tackle subsequent ones, each taking on unique forms.

The vital step is initiating your voyage toward the book you aspire to craft. Begin by reading more books to refine your writing abilities, derive inspiration, and unearth fresh ideas. Subsequently, embark on your next project, understanding that the books you envisage in your future can manifest in myriad forms.