In the previous post, I wrote some tips on writing a vegan recipe book.
However, I realize that many of you may be thinking: “But I don’t want to write a vegan recipe book!”
Let’s say cooking or writing about food isn’t really your thing.
Not to worry!
If you don’t want to write about food, you don’t have to do it!
There are plenty of topics that are available to vegan authors.
In fact, you can write about whatever you like and are interested in, and still be able to weave in the message about veganism somewhere in your books, regardless whether this is fiction or non-fiction.
So what should you write about?
My basic answer is simple: Write about what you know and what interests you!
That’s it! I wouldn’t recommend writing about something that doesn’t interest you, simply because you think there’s enough demand in that topic.
I also wouldn’t recommend writing about something you don’t have experience with at all.
Now… that doesn’t mean that you need to be an expert on that topic. But you need to have a certain level of interest in the topic. You can find your information from different sources, including interviewing other experts in that field.
So the main considerations for choosing a topic are as follows:
- It’s best to choose a topic/niche that you have a good amount of personal experience and a high level of knowledge about – OR – a niche that you are willing to spend a lot of time to actively research, learn about, and get experience in. Hands-on experience is essential. It will give you an air of authenticity and authority that cannot be faked. This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert from the get-go. You can be learning along the way, trying out popular advice for yourself, and running your own experiments is a great way to build an audience.
- Choose a niche/topic that you are passionate about or that interests you. Choose something you’ll enjoy. You don’t have to create another recipe book if you don’t like to cook. There are plenty of ways to promote compassionate lifestyle while writing about other topics.
- You can choose any topic, really, that interests you, even one that’s completely unrelated to veganism and food, and still be able to educate people about these issues.
- Choose a topic that other people are interested in too. Don’t be afraid of the competition. Usually, competition is good. It means that there is interest, and that people are spending money in that niche.
- Think about your ideal reader. Who is he or she? What are their characteristics? What do they have in common? It’s best to choose your audience based on who you are, and imagine that you are talking to them as you are writing. This will make it easier for you to relate to them, and vice versa. It will make it easier for you to build your tribe.
Best Niches for Vegan Authors
From the activism point of view, just as there are three main reasons for going vegan (ethics/spirituality, health and environment), people who are already interested in these issues are more likely to become interested in the topic and taking the next step to veganism – making our job easier.
- Health and wellness, including nutrition, fitness, weight loss, conquering disease (personal stories).
- Spirituality and personal transformation. Advice on meditation, yoga, etc. Mix in discussions about participation in various forms of violence, with the most obvious being the violence on our plate.
- Yoga and meditation — despite the tradition of ahimza, most modern-day yogis are not vegan or even vegetarian.
- Fitness: yoga, weight lifting, swimming, tennis, running marathons, etc. Exercise plans, nutrition for athletes, etc.
- Gardening – how to garden without using any animal fertilizers, healthy plant-based dishes to prepare with the ingredients, etc. Advice on how to create an organic garden, what fertilizers to use, why manure is unnecessary, how to protect your crops from other creatures without the need to kill them (for example, snails).
- Fashion & makeup: educating about cruelty free choices. Natural cosmetics and makeup, hair products, etc.
- Home and interior design: educating about cruelty free choices.
- Pet care, dog training, and advice for pet owners and animal lovers. You can talk about various aspects of caring for the animals. In addition to that, you’ll discuss vegan topics, such as: Why we should be taking pets from animal shelters and not from breeders or shops that sell animals captured in the wild. Healthy vegan diet for dogs. Why do we eat pigs, wear cows, and love dogs? What if we tried to do the opposite? Etc.
- Parenting: games and activities, for example Easter activities that involve no eggs (and explain why), best places to visit (circus with animals versus no animals, zoos versus animal sanctuaries),
- Travel, travel with kids – recommended places to visit and activities. Why we should avoid SeaWorld, zoos, aquariums, etc. when going on vacations with kids. Fishing tours versus snorkeling tours, whale watching, nature watching.
- Simple living, simplifying your lifestyle, reducing environmental footprint,
- Traditions and celebrations: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Why did they evolve to be celebrated the certain way?
- Children’s books. Children’s non-fiction is probably one of the easiest books to write. I’m talking about simple books about animals, nature, nutrition, etc. with lots of quality pictures and interesting facts.
- Personal stories. You can write about something interesting that happened to you, how you healed disease, retired to Caribbean paradise, sailed around the world, home-schooled your five kids, etc., you can write about it telling people how you did what you did.
- Fiction: if you are up to it, you can choose any genre, any topic; you can always weave in a vegan hero, or vegan message in some way.
Other, not-so-obvious topics: any topic really is suitable, as long as you are interested in it and can find an audience.
So, have you been thinking about writing and publishing an eBook?
Let me know in the comments!
Let’s change the world together, sooner, rather than later,
Joanna
PS. If you ever thought about it, but have been postponing it, because you believe it requires too much time and you’re not sure where to start, I’m offering a course on “How to Write and Publish and eBook in 6 Weeks or Less” for an introductory price of just $97 (regular price $297) in which I’ll guide you through the entire process giving you lots of tips showing you the best shortcuts I know of on how to get published FAST.
Check it out HERE.
The course starts on Monday, April 27, and first 10 people who sign up will also get their eBook formatted for Kindle and other devices for FREE.
