Creativity Now, 2nd Edition

Test a prototype

THE PRINCIPLE

You don’t need a finished version to get valuable input

If you’re creating something complex, it can be devastating to put in all of the work only to discover through testing or audience reaction that it has serious flaws. In many cases it’s possible to avoid this by creating a prototype or virtual version, or a version that is unfinished but complete enough to get feedback.

For example, in the case of non-fiction books, publishers don’t need to see a complete manuscript in order to decide whether or not to commission the work. Usually they prefer to see a proposal that contains the table of contents, a brief summary of each chapter, and one or two sample chapters, as well as information about competing titles ...