Strolling down aisles at Target, you inevitably end up in the books section. Specifically, the kids book section. As you flip through the colorful, and the not so colorful pages:

You chuckle at the wit,

You smile at the message,

You pause at the impact,

You get a skip in your step as a brilliant idea enters your mind about the perfect idea for a children’s book. It’s unique, it serves a purpose and as a mom you know you could have used this book with your kids.

Okay. Maybe your inspiration for your book didn’t quite come like this orchestrated serendipitous moment, but one can dream right?

In this week’s Tip Tuesday lets go over the steps you should take once inspiration hits!

STEP 1: DOCUMENT IT

It may seem obvious, but make sure to document your idea. You can write it down, or make a voice note on your phone. Make sure you are able to capture your idea in its rawest form. As you are documenting the idea, don’t forget to take note of all the specifics of your inspiration. In the Target example above, I would make sure to write down the book or books I was looking at, maybe even take a snap of the picture. I would probably note if something was happening in my life that it resonated with

STEP 2: LET IT SIMMER

It’s really tempting to go head first with your inspiration. You might want to flesh out the idea, even start working on a manuscript. But I would urge you take a step back and let the idea sit. Instead spend your time placing yourself in similar situations so inspiration can hit again. Try and gather as many ideas as you can. And yes, I’m suggesting a Target Run!

STEP 3: EVALUATE YOUR IDEA

For each of your inspirations take a second to answer the following basic questions:

Who is it for?

Why is it needed? 

What is trying to achieve?

How is it unique? 

That last one is one of the most important steps. Make sure to do market research. Look high and low for a book that exists that has the same answers for the first three questions.

You may or may not find a comparable. If you don’t, you know you have something truly unique on your hands!

If you do find a comparable, your job is to figure out how you can make your version unique or improved!

I hope that left you inspired! Don’t forget to tune in on Tuesdays on my Instagram as we discuss all questions and concerns related to Author-hood!