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I started with writing non-fiction and it really did change my life. I'm actually working on rewriting my first book at the moment and I also devour non-fiction books so it definitely remains important to me. In this guest post Nina Amir, author of ‘How to Blog a Book' poses some provoking questions that anyone embarking on writing a non-fiction book should ask themselves.
Inspiration hits. The light bulb goes on. You’ve got a passion, and you pursue it. You see a need, and you fill it. There’s a question, and you answer it. You have a purpose, and you fulfill it.
These are all great reasons to begin writing a nonfiction book. And most writers, when struck by a good idea and the desire to write, simply begin writing. However, an even better reason exists to take a bit of time before you beginning writing to evaluate your idea—at least if you want your book to be successful.
Evaluate? I can hear you groaning. No one wants to evaluate anything, especially that book idea you are so psyched about.
If you simply want to write the book of your heart and you don’t care how many copies you sell, great. Go for it.
If you want to write a successful book, meaning one that sells to lots of readers or to a traditional publisher and to lots of readers, however, it behooves you to take the time to consider if your idea is a good one by industry standards.
To do this, I suggest you discover nine things about your book idea. Once you have this information, you’ll know if your book has a chance of success.
1. What Your Book Will be About and Why Would Someone Would Want to Read (Buy) It
You’d be amazed at how many writers cannot tell you in 50 words or less, or in 30 seconds or less, what their book is about. They also may not be able to list the benefits their book will provide to readers. Before beginning to write your nonfiction book, hone your topic and its angle. Figure out why someone would want to read your book rather than someone else’s book on the same topic. Write a pitch or elevator speech, a short statement that describes the essence of your book, and follow it with some bulleted points—the added value readers will take away from its pages. Think of this exercise like writing back cover copy. What might you say or write about your book that would make someone carry it to the register?
2. Who Wants to Read Your Book
Make sure you know your average reader—that one person you are writing for—as well as the size of your book’s market. Who wants to read your book, and where do you find them? How many of these people exist in the world? Are there enough of them to justify writing your book? This market research tells you if anyone is out there to read (buy) your book and helps you know for whom who you are writing.
3. Whether Your Book Will be Unique and Necessary
Make sure the book you plan on adding to the mix is not only unique compared to the other books in your niche or category but also necessary before you add one more title to the staggering number of books in print. Take a good hard look at what other authors have already written and published. Is what you want to write different—different enough to make someone purchase your book rather than an established title or a book by an established author? And is there a need for another book on the subject? If no books have been written on the subject, why? Is there a need for even one book on the topic?
4. If You Have Enough Content to Fill a Book
Sometimes writers think they have enough material for a book when really they only have enough for an article, or a couple of articles. Or they think they know what content they are going to include in the book, but when they finish the first draft, they discover they produced a manuscript that is scattered, rambling, misses the point, or leaves out essential information. Avoid these problems by mapping out your content first. Actually do a mind mapping exercise, which entails brainstorming while creating a large diagram of all your possible content and then organizing all these ideas into a table of contents or an outline. When you are done with this process you’ll know if you have enough content to fill a book, and you’ll know what content you plan to include in the pages of that book.
5. How You Would Describe Your Book’s Content
Bring your book to life with a short synopsis for each chapter. This accomplishes two things. First, when you couple this chapter-by-chapter synopsis with your table of contents, your pitch and list of benefits, you will have the best writing guide possible. Second, when you have finished the synopsis of all your chapters, and you have completed the previous four steps, you will suddenly have a clear picture of your book and feel ready to write your book. Why? Because it will seem real to you. If you can see it and it seems real, if your idea stood up to all the prior steps, it’s likely a viable book.
6. How You Will Ensure You and Your Book Succeed
Whether you self-publish or land a traditional publishing deal, you will need to promote your book. And promotion does not begin after the book lands in your hands as a finished product. It begins the moment that light bulb goes off in your head. Spend some time considering all the options you have to build awareness for yourself and your book as you begin the writing process as well as after you launch the book.
7. Why You Are the Best Person to Write This Book
Most nonfiction books are written by experts. Decide if you are the expert on your topic, how you will become the expert, or if you might need to bring in other experts (maybe a co-author, contributors or experts to interview). Also, does writing this book fulfill a sense of mission for you? If so, you might want to consider how to get that message across in the book and in your promotional efforts. Plus, in this step, it’s important to ask yourself if you have what’s called an “author’s platform.” Do you have a fan base or a large, loyal following of people who know you in relationship to the topic about which you plan to write? If not, you need to consider how you will begin building that built-in readership for your book.
8. If This is the Only Book You Will Write on This Topic
The more books you write, the more books you sell. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend a moment brainstorming other “spin-off” books on your topic. This is especially important if you want to create a business around your book or attract a traditional publisher. As an expert author, if you have more books, you can create more products and services to sell to readers. And publishers like to take on multiple-book authors.
9. How You Want to Publish Your Book
At this point, if you decided your book is marketable and has a chance of succeeding, you can begin writing your book—with one caveat. You need to know what publishing route you plan to take. If you plan on self-publishing, you can go ahead and write the whole book. If you plan on approaching traditional publishers, you only need to write 25-30 pages, or about two chapters, but you also need to write a book proposal, which includes all the information you just compiled. You then will submit the proposal to agents and publishers
Armed with this information, and assuming you discovered your idea is a viable one, you’re ready to take action on your inspiration. Turn your idea into a successful book.
Do you write non-fiction? What are some of the lessons you've learned along the way? Please do share in the comments below.
About the Author
Nina is the author of How to Blog a Book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books) as well as 10 more short books.
A sought after editor, proposal consultant, book and author coach, and blog-to-book coach, Nina’s clients’ books have sold upwards of 230,000 copies and landed deals with top publishers.
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1 2 3 … 10 Next »Very handy for me.
I have an idea for a non-fic book and hope to release next spring. Not started work on it yet, but hope to over the summer.
This is a very good check list to work to
Huge thanks :)
Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)
Matthew,
I'm glad you found the list useful. The "proposal process" is so very useful -- and imperative -- if you want to create a viable and marketable book. It's also useful to simple get a "big picture" view of your book.
Good luck with your project!
Nina
All very good points Nina. The biggest challenge I face as a non-fiction writer is the Internet. It has gotten to the point that anyone can sit down at a computer or whip out a phone and with a few key presses have access to loads of information on almost any subject. Finding a non-fiction topic to write about that people will be willing to PAY for is getting tougher by the day. Even magazines, my bread and butter for decades, are getting more difficult to get into.
It seems to me that today it is not so much what you write about as it is how you write. A good topic is important, but technical, strictly journalistic writing doesn't impress anyone anymore, now making a topic entertaining is taking on more importance. Once your readers develop a fondness for your style, they'll be back for more.
Allan,
I think that's true to some extent. I'd call it "authenticity." You have to find your authentic voice as well as your unique angle on the subject. When you can do that and writ about your topic from that point of view, you'll find a readership.
And here's the real key beyond that: Write often about your topic ON the Internet. Blog. Then they will find your content. That's how to get your self the type of platform that will sell books and articles to readers and to publishers.
Nina
Wow, Nina - Your followup advice seems so logical, so "Welll, duh!" but so many of us wouldn't necessarily make that logical leap. I def did a headsmack when I just read this, and now I'm going to figure out a way to blog my nonfic. Thanks!
I'd agree with Nina and also say that non-fiction books do need a bigger platform of potential buyers. Look at the recent success of Michael Hyatt's Platform, and also Chris Guillebeau's $100 Startup. Neither of these were earth-shattering books - useful, yes, but also successful because of their platform. Developing your style on a blog and then doing a book related to that audience is definitely important (and yes, I'll have some non-fiction coming in the next few months!)
I find this article very interesting and even though I've never thought about writing nonfiction with these steps I'll know what to do if I ever decided to.
I think one of the tops for this list is number 4 with knowing if you have enough to fill a book. It makes a great point about mind mapping first and getting all your ideas down so you know roughly how long it's going to be.
With all these tips in mind I have to ask, what's easier to write nonfiction or fiction?
Shaquanda,
I'm not sure which is easier to write! I've tried my hand at fiction. It's a lot of fun. I found it easier to some extent. But I need to go back and work on the craft. With nonfiction, I can simply write about what I know (or research a topic and write about it because it interests me or there is a market or a need for it). That said, you must have a platform for nonfiction; its enormously helpful to have one for fiction, but you don't HAVE to have one to get published traditionally. You do need one to sell books to readers--unless your books sells itself because it is just that good. So, maybe it take more work for nonfiction. Still not sure.
Nina
I find non-fiction easier than fiction to be honest. There are many more dimensions and skills to be learned in fiction - whereas in non-fiction, you spend more time on the expertise you are sharing. They both require different skills. Fiction takes me a lot longer!
I agree, Joanna. I have a novel sitting around waiting for help. It was fun to write, but it requires more finesse. My nonfiction really comes down to sharing expertise, just as you said. I have to write well, of course. But I simply need to get what I know onto paper. Now, in some cases, it also takes research, but this is just time consuming, not necessarily difficult.
I have published 2 books, and the third is in pre-press now. All are non-fiction.
I did all of this research listed above, so I stand behind it fully. The article is exactly the work my publisher had me do as I pitched the book. I had been thinking about doing a book for so long, it felt good to be working on it - even though it was all planning.
I think the fact that there are so many books in the genre I was writing gave me pause, but I was also concerned that I had a specific way of doing what I do, and I had been teaching it in workshops for 5 years. I took that technique and ended up with two books based upon it.
I think the hardest part comes when we begin to market the book. Publishers do very little to push the books these days. And getting press / buzz / interest / discussions going is harder and harder to do as the niche becomes smaller.
A friend of mine wrote a non-fiction book on starting a business online and he has been all over the country doing book signings and selling a hell of a lot of books. The niche is wide.
Photography books don't get that kind interest, and we don't get book signings and marketing events. (Although it would be fun... heh.)
Next book: Combining social media / blogs / photography for content creation: Going to widen the niche a bit.
Good for you! Sounds like you are doing a spin-off and that's always a good idea. And you know how to do the work. Never let a big market turn you off if you have a unique idea.
Combine your passion and your purpose and get inspired -- and achieve inspired results based on that research!
Nina
Great and timely post for me, Nina :-) I'm in the process of brainstorming a shorter ebook that would be on my blog for new subscribers. I'm really needing to evaluate all these points right now. As my blog deals with inspiration, hope and identity...I'm trying to go through my blogs and brainstorm what's my unique perspective on this subject(that's been written about alot!). Thanks for the tips..what a big help! If you have any more advice for me...feel free to share, I'd appreciate it!
Lorna,
Just be authentic. And go through your blog analytics and see what posts have gotten the most views. That will give you a good sense of what your readers like or resonate with. Then elaborate on one of those posts.
Or start blogging on one of those topics. You can even blog a short ebook -- compose the ebook you want to give away (or most of it) right on your blog and see what type of response you get. Then edit and revise that copy and add something unique to it -- something additional, like an extra chapter or a workbook element -- and use that as your ebook (if it was a popular series of posts).
Hope that helps.
Nina
Thanks so much Nina...I'll check out the posts that have got the most views. I really like your idea of blogging on one of those topics...sortof making an ebook while blogging ...awesome! Thanks so much:)
Many thanks for this post, Nina. It has helped me crystallize my thoughts on my non-fiction book idea, and I think I will be carefully studying your list as I go!
You are are welcome, Paris! Go achieve some inspired results!
Nina
One of the great things about doing this analysis: Say you discover you don't necessarily have enough to say to fill a book-length piece? You can still go ahead and write what you know, and publish as an e-book through Amazon Shorts, or even as just a regular ebook that's not very long. We have so many options these days!
That is exactly right, Mary! There are so many options these days. You can also publish a booklet, which is a very inexpensive printed book. Or a small POD book--also inexpensive. But if there is a market, you can move forward in some creative manner.
Plus, you can always decide to just blog the book and develop a small following if the book is your passion. You can then digitally publish and get a few sales from your fans, even if its a small fan base.
This is a wonderful post. I've been doing haphazard research on my NF idea for at least a year and stuffing it into a file. Now, the urge to actually start writing and interviewing is getting stronger and stronger. I'm a little hesitant to do blogposts about it though. I've been writing for years, more success with regional NF, and I teach some NF writing in leisure learning classes. I usually advise students and beginning writers not to worry that people are going to steal their work, yet, here I am super protective of this particular NF idea. I know a more experienced, faster writer with connections could come in and write this book before I even find my hook. There's only room out there for one book of this kind because it's a specialized how to/how it was done sort. I just really don't have a handle on my approach yet. I think this blogpost/your questions are going to help me alot. Thanks!
Remember, only you can write your book. No no one else can get into your head and put your words on paper. But if you are worried, keep it to yourself. I always think discoverability is a bigger issue than theft, though.
I'm glad the process is one that might help you, though.
And, of course, if you're feeling inspired, go through the process and then start writing!
Too good. I especially like your tips on "uniqueness". That's something really really important in a non-fiction book. Thanks for the wonderful post Nina.
Yes, it is important, Lena. Authenticity seems to be the buzz word these days. Authenticity turns into uniqueness as well. Unique angle and authenticity and your voice. Put all of that together.