Why Write A Non-Fiction Book?

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” Stephen King, On Writing

Writing a book is hard work. You need a reason to carry you through the tough times.

Why do you care about this subject so much that you want to invest the time, emotional energy, and maybe money, in order to write it?

What will keep you going through the process of writing, publishing and marketing?

What is your why?

In this video and article, I go through why you might write a non-fiction book. Watch below or here on YouTube.

This is an excerpt from How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge into Words by Joanna Penn. Available in ebook, print, audiobook and workbook formats.

Here are some of the reasons why people write non-fiction books.

1. You have been through a particular experience, and you want to help other people going through the same thing

A lot of non-fiction books start this way. I wrote Career Change to change my own life, and it continues to help others discover what they really want to do even years later. Sometimes the book that burns on our heart can be the most powerful, our own self-growth manifested in book form.

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

2. You want to build authority, credibility and expert status in a particular field

You want a book to demonstrate authority and thought leadership, augment your business and open doors to speaking and other business or media opportunities. The point of the book is not necessarily to make money in itself but to drive people to your other offerings. This is the ‘book as business card' approach.

For example, my book, How to Make a Living with your Writing, drives people to my other books and courses. The aim of the book is to provide an introduction to that extended material.

3. You want to use non-fiction book sales as the basis of your income, so you want to write multiple books in a niche and dominate that market.

Although it’s unlikely that you will make a million and retire in launch week, some authors do make a full-time living writing only non-fiction.

4. You have an audience already and write to fulfil their needs, which often coincide with your own interests.

I started out writing non-fiction to learn what I needed to know myself about self-publishing and book marketing, and over time, I attracted an audience. Now I write books for that audience and ideas emerge from interacting with my community. For example, The Successful Author Mindset came from a blog post that resonated so much, I expanded it into a book.

5. Writing is how you work out what you think.

I often don’t know what I think about a subject until I write about it. The writing process is the way I turn my research into reality. I wrote How to Market a Book when I was learning about marketing and Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur as my writing career transitioned into a global business.

“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” Joan Didion

6. You are deeply fascinated with a topic and want to produce a book on it.

These are the type of non-fiction books that can go on to win literary prizes, books that may be commissioned and may consume the author for a long time. One example would be The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which won the Pulitzer Prize. Or Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari which I consider one of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read and I recommend to everyone.

Of course, they don’t have to be so epic. I’ve started researching the concept of the shadow for a book that may take me a while to write. I’ll get there eventually and in the meantime, I can indulge my love of research and fascination with the topic.

“Nobody is waiting with bated breath for another unknown author to put out another phoned-in book … The real reason to write a book is because there is something you have to explore that you think readers want to learn about, not because you think putting ‘author' on your LinkedIn profile is smart.” Ryan Holiday, author of Perennial Seller

What’s your why?

Whatever the reason behind your desire to write a non-fiction book, I absolutely believe that you should go ahead and write it. After all, the book you write could change your life – as it has done for me. And hopefully, you'll help other people and maybe even make some money along the way!

What is your definition of success?

Your reasons for writing will also relate to your definition of success, which is important to define up front. Otherwise, how will you know when you've achieved it?

You need to get specific here with measurable, time-based goals that will help you mark the journey. For example, how will you measure your goal of achieving authority status in your field? Is it the number of speaking events booked, the number of podcasts you appear on or connecting with a specific influencer in your niche?

What about an income goal?

For some people, making an extra $1000 a month would be a fantastic achievement. For others, you might be aiming for $10,000 a month from turning your book into multiple streams of income. One person's idea of success is rarely the same as another's.

So be specific about how you will measure success – for this book, and for your non-fiction career as an author.

“Writing a book is a tremendous experience. It pays off intellectually. It clarifies your thinking. It builds credibility. It is a living engine of marketing and idea spreading, working every day to deliver your message with authority. You should write one.” Seth Godin

This is an excerpt from How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge into Words by Joanna Penn. Available in ebook, print, audiobook and workbook formats.