The Right Fit: Choosing a Book Format

Author: Christabell Ndive

Once you’ve moved your initial idea from “blank page” towards a book project, you may now be wondering what kind of book that project should become. There are various options to choose from, which serve different purposes and audiences. So, how do you decide on the right fit for your work?

The previous post of our three-part podcast series, Publishing Pathways: An inside look at authors’ book journeys, followed Rosalynd Southern’s experience of publishing a book for the first time.

In this episode of Publishing Pathways, Professor George Geroulakos, editor of Mastering Endovascular Techniques: Tips and Tricks in Endovascular Surgery (2024), reflects on his experience of writing and publishing a textbook, and shares advice on choosing a format that fits your book’s intended purpose and audience.

Read on for a summary of the key takeaways from the conversation. You can also listen to the full podcast linked: here

Think about the audience you are writing for
 

"The first thing we have to think of is the audience. Who is going to buy this book?"

The starting point when writing a book is to hold a clear sense of your prospective audience in mind, as Professor George Geroulakos highlights. For his book project, trainees in vascular surgery and newly qualified consultants were his primary audience. Considering the needs of these readers, and the level of knowledge that already existed in the field, he was able to identify what was missing and how the book could be useful to them. This shaped the writing approach, as the book needed to be practical, accessible, and easier for readers at undergraduate and postgraduate education levels to digest. Professor George Geroulakos explains,
 

"I’m not addressing the book to Senior Consultants, so the way we approached it is a little bit different to make it user-friendly for people who may not be very familiar with the condition. To introduce them to the condition, tell them the treatment options, and which tools they should use to achieve the best results. Including, a large number of references for those who want to learn more about the condition."

Choosing the right type of book begins with these connected questions: who are you writing for, and what do those readers need from the book. Once you understand who the book is for and what those readers need, it becomes easier to write in a way that can deliver that information most effectively.

Choose a format that serves your audience

Once you have identified your intended audience, you will need to decide on the type of book that will best serve them. For Professor George Geroulakos, the decision was closely tied to who the book was intended to support. The aim was to reach those in higher education, so he chose to write a textbook, a format designed to support learners. He explains:
 

"The crucial point is to identify prospective readership the format is linked inseparably to the readership."

This is an important distinction, because each format serves a distinct purpose and audience. A textbook is intended for use in educational settings, usually providing readers with a structured overview of a subject and helps build their knowledge and understanding. By contrast, a professional book is aimed at those already working in a field and supports more advanced training or applied understanding.

Choosing the right format is therefore not simply a matter of preference. It is a practical decision shaped by the book’s purpose, content, and readership.

Create impact by filling the knowledge gap
 

"You need to identify a gap or a deficiency in what exists so far and cover it. That is what will make your book unique. And will attract the interest of the audience.”

For a book to have an impact, it needs to offer something useful and distinct to readers. For Professor George Geroulakos, this meant identifying what was missing from the existing literature and developing a resource that could help address that need. His textbook Mastering Endovascular Techniques: Tips and Tricks in Endovascular Surgery (2024), brings together international expertise, with 196 authors contributing to a comprehensive volume of almost 800 pages. It covers every aspect of endovascular procedures for the management of endovascular disease, giving readers a detailed resource they can return to as they build their knowledge and practice.
 

"We all agreed that Springer did an excellent job in the presentation of the book. I think part of the great success it had to our target audience can be attributed to the very good job our publisher has done in presenting the book in a very friendly way to our prospective audience."

Since publication in 2024, the book has received over 130,000 downloads, which is a great success for a relatively smaller specialist area of medicine. This response can be attributed to how well the book targeted its immediate field and became a valuable reference for readers looking for comprehensive guidance within the discipline. Find out more on how to get your book seen.

Listen to the full episode

Professor George Geroulakos’s experience shows that choosing a book format is not simply a decision about how your research will be packaged. When the purpose, audience and format work together, a book is better placed to become a useful resource for the readers it was created to serve. The response to his book demonstrates the impact of getting that decision right.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about George’s experience or click on the image below. You can also explore the rest of the Publishing Pathways series for more perspectives from authors at different stages of their journey.
 

This is the second episode of our three-part series with authors sharing their publishing experiences. In the next post, another book author will share tips on how they successfully promoted their book and the impact this visibility has had on the community – including winning multiple awards.

Are you considering turning your research into a book? Visit our book publishing pages and explore our Author Services and Resources Hub. You’ll find guidance, tools, and expert support to help you take the next step in your publishing journey. 

Related content

• Where to Start? Your First Book
• Publishing a Book: Understanding the Options
• How to Promote Your Book Through Networking and Sharing
• Promote Your Book: Social Media Strategies for Authors

Featured Guest 

Professor George Geroulakos is the Director of the 2nd Department of Vascular Surgery at the Mediterraneo Hospital in Athens, Em. Professor in Vascular Surgery at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Visiting Professor at the Imperial College in London. He is the principal editor of 4 international books in Vascular Surgery and has published 280 articles on vascular disease listed in Pub Med.