What’s the Big Idea?
April 23, 2008
The nonfiction publishing world is ruled by the Big Idea: the concise, single-sentence statement of a book’s theme—and why it’s important. Once in book form, the Big Idea must grab bookstore browsers, convert them to buyers, then satisfy them as readers.
But all this starts farther up the food chain. Authors hoping to sell manuscripts to publishers must have crystalline statements of their Big Ideas (and increasingly, either celebrity status or a “platform” through which they can reach a substantial audience).
I’m pitching a book to a new publisher, so lately I’ve been struggling to articulate my Big Idea. That’s forcing me to dig down to the work’s true underpinnings. But along the way it raised a peripheral, far more fundamental issue: What’s the Big Idea of my life?
That question stopped me cold.
Somehow I’ve never articulated the Big Idea of my own life. To tell the truth, it took me longer than most to figure out that one creates rather than finds meaning in one’s life. We can hardly expect to wake up one day and intellectually fix upon a purpose for living. Purpose evolves over time and by doing, not merely thinking.
Yet it seems to me we could all use a Big Idea for our lives. It needn’t be world-changing. But neither should it be small.
The best thing that’s happened for me since starting Soul Shelter is that community members have been inspiring me with the Big Ideas of their own lives.
In Michigan, for instance, Spiritual River blogger Patrick has dedicated himself to helping addicts recover. At age 32, he’s created more meaning in his life than most 50-plus Deferred Life Plan multimillionaires.
Chris, a world citizen in action, has dedicated himself to advocating nonconformity. J.D., who recently quit his job to write full time, is resolved to inspiring others to eliminate debt and achieve prosperity. And Mark, my blogging partner, is committed to pursuing truth and beauty through literature. His latest post, The Heroic Journey is, at heart, about pursuing your own Big Idea.
Patrick, Chris, J. D., and Mark share a common value: making a lot of money is not part of their Big Idea. “Making a lot of money” is a boring, uninspired notion. In fact, it’s a Little Idea (you can take it from me; I’m no armchair philosopher on this particular topic). Money helps, but it falls short in inspiring behavior that transcends short-term self-interest. Remember the difference between pull and drive? Our Big Ideas should pull us.
So what’s my Big Idea? I’ve been moving toward it for years, and it’s high time I declared it:
Through teaching and writing, to help others start their own ventures—particularly ones that span national borders.
There, I feel better already. Wish me luck with my Big Idea. In coming months I’ll share steps I’m taking to live it.
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