Raw Materials for Book Projects
It’s not the capacity to think that we lack when we experience difficulty in writing, but rather, it’s the raw materials like ideas and information that are in short supply. Those things are usually found somewhere else. And that is what research seeks to accomplish.
But even if we think that we know stuff, no editor or publisher in his right mind will believe us. They still expect any writer, beginner or published, to produce a decent amount of research. From there, we could take the theory of relativity apart for all they care, but before that, the editor or publisher expects at least a reference to Einstein’s paper or some book from an equally brilliant physicist who attempted to disprove Einstein.
I’m reminded of an incident in college about a term paper I submitted. It didn’t have a single footnote. I didn’t think I needed any because I was conceited enough to think that I presented a brilliant paper and I did not need to reference other authors. Needless to say, I was wrong. The professor noticed it and it was really difficult to defend yourself from skepticism.
As a rule, a conservative writer who can follow the rules of the publishing industry makes editors and publishers comfortable. They are not looking for genius. They are looking for a publishable idea that will sell.
Anybody Can Write a Book 
Like the previous posts, this came from a myLot discussion. Read original post, Anybody Can Write a Book.
Continuation of preceding post.