The Ultimate Guide To Writing Non-Fiction Books

Writing non-fiction is a popular way to share your knowledge with the world. It’s also a great way to make money and give you a creative outlet.

In this post, we’re going to cover all the steps involved in writing a book. We’ll start by discussing what you need to know before you begin writing and provide some tips for getting started on your first draft. Then, we’ll show you how to revise and edit your manuscript until it’s ready for publishing!

If you’re looking for more information on how to write books, check out our other blog posts:

Takeaways
1. Effective Idea Generation: Learn methods for generating unique and compelling ideas for your non-fiction book.
2. Structuring Your Book: Understand how to create a clear and engaging structure that guides readers through your content.
3. Research Techniques: Discover research strategies to gather accurate and valuable information for your non-fiction work.
4. Crafting Compelling Content: Master the art of writing engaging and informative prose that captivates your audience.
5. Editing and Refining: Learn how to edit, revise, and polish your manuscript to ensure a high-quality final product.
6. Effective Marketing Strategies: Explore marketing tactics to promote and distribute your non-fiction book successfully.
7. Connecting with Readers: Understand how to establish a strong connection with your readers and address their needs.
8. Navigating Publishing Options: Gain insights into traditional and self-publishing routes for non-fiction authors.
9. Overcoming Writer’s Block: Learn strategies to overcome writer’s block and maintain consistent progress.
10. Author Branding: Discover the importance of creating an author brand and building your online presence.

Do Your Research

Whether you’re writing a book about the history of your hometown or an account of your family’s lives, research is the cornerstone of good writing. It’s important to understand the difference between primary and secondary research and how each one can be used to support your project.

Primary research is data gathered by researchers who ask questions, collect information, and analyze it for a specific purpose. Secondary research refers to previously gathered data that has been analyzed and published elsewhere but may still be useful for informing new work. 

For example: if you were writing a book about an obscure topic like “the history of bus transportation in Switzerland,” you’d need to conduct some primary research by interviewing people who were involved in the industry at that period so that they could share their memories with you first-hand (and hopefully tell some great stories). 

However, if someone had already written about this topic and published their findings somewhere else whether on paper or online you could use those sources as secondary sources instead!

Once you’ve chosen some topics for your nonfiction book idea (and done any necessary initial research), make sure that every fact presented within each chapter gives accurate information before including it in your manuscript draft. 

This will ensure credibility while also keeping readers engaged throughout every chapter because they’ll know exactly what kind of information they’ll find there without having any surprises come out later on down the road; which brings us back around again: cite everything!

Building a solid foundation for your non-fiction book is crucial. Our guide on Book Writing Guides & Tools provides essential resources and advice for every aspiring author.

The Reader Is Always Right

You will be the person writing the book, but it’s important to remember that your reader is always right. The only person who has to read your book is the one who buys it, and that person is probably not you. Your readers are going to be the ones who benefit from what you’ve written, so make sure they understand everything as clearly as possible!

The reader comes first in every step of non-fiction writing: choosing what to write about; organizing your thoughts; making sure there aren’t any gaps in logic (we’ll cover this topic soon). 

If anything doesn’t make sense or feels incomplete or confusing, then go back and fix it because if someone reads a sentence in your book and thinks “what?” then they’re probably going out of their way not to finish reading whatever else follows after that point.

Write Straight Forward

In the context of non-fiction, you want to be as direct and clear as possible. This is why the most important thing you can do in your writing is to eliminate unnecessary words. You don’t need to use passive voice or long sentences; instead, write in an active voice and use short sentences with simple language.

Besides that, some other things will help you:

• Use active verbs so readers know what’s going on
• Avoid jargon or slang that might confuse someone who isn’t familiar with it (e.g., “The client asked us to design a new logo,” vs “Our client asked us to design them a new logo.”)
• Don’t repeat yourself unnecessarily (“He went outside then he went inside again”)

Crafting a book that resonates with readers requires strategic planning. Discover 11 Ways to Write a Book That Sells and enhance your writing skills for a successful non-fiction book.

A Good Cover Attracts Readers

A good cover attracts readers. Don’t skimp on this part of the process, because you want to make sure that your book looks professional and interesting from the get-go. There are a few things to pay attention to:

Make sure your image is relevant to the content of your book (and copyright-free). You don’t want a picture of a mountain range in your book about dog training.

Use an easy-to-read font that doesn’t distract from what you have written in the title or subtitle. Times New Roman may be okay for an email, but probably not great for a cover image! As long as it is readable and not distracting, any font will do just fine!

The color scheme can be very important when trying to grab people’s attention; however, it depends on what genre you’re writing in – if it’s nonfiction then keeps it simple with some color contrast between title/subtitle/image, etc.

But if it’s fiction then uses bright colors which attract eyes naturally so that reader immediately realizes that there’s something special about this book (and grabs it off the shelf without hesitation).

Know Your Audience

To write a book, you need to know who your audience is. This might seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget that not everyone has the same interests as you do. If you are writing a book about how great it is to eat spaghetti every day for lunch, this will probably only appeal to people who love spaghetti.

If you want your audience to buy your book (and I’m guessing here that if this article has been helpful so far, then yes – we do), then there are some questions that we should all be asking:

• What do they like? What don’t they like?
• Are they looking for something specific in their reading material? For example: do they want an entertaining read or something more substantial?

Are there any particular subjects or industries (e.g., technology) that would make them more likely prospects as buyers of your work product than others with similar demographics but different interests or expertise levels (e.g., children vs adults)?

Don’t let procrastination hold you back from writing your non-fiction masterpiece. Learn how to Start Writing a Book in the Next 48 Hours and kickstart your writing journey today.

Put Yourself On The Page

One of the best ways to put yourself on the page is by writing in a conversational style. This means that you should use examples and anecdotes from your own life as much as possible.

When you’re writing non-fiction books, you must make the book relatable for your reader. When they can relate to what you have written, they feel more connected with what you are saying. 

For example: if I were telling someone about how I lost weight using exercise and diet changes, I might share a story about how after eating dinner one night (a cheeseburger), I felt so sick that I couldn’t even pick up my coffee cup off of my desk without throwing up. 

Then again later on in the book where there’s another section about changing unhealthy habits for good ones, by bringing up this same scenario but instead adding something like “I still remember how grossed out I felt when eating those hamburgers! 

That was an eye opener for me…and now look at me! Healthy and fit as ever! You can do it too! Just keep pushing forward with whatever goal or dream of yours; never give up on yourself no matter what obstacles may get in your way!”

Be Passionate About Writing, Not Just About The Topic

The difference between writing with a passion and being passionate about the topic might seem negligible, but it’s crucial to your success as an author.

Writing with a passion means you’re writing for the money, or because you want to be famous, or because you want to change people’s lives in some way. While these are all admirable goals that could lead your book to success, if they are not backed by a true passion for the subject matter itself, then you will likely not last long in this business.

Being passionate about the topic means that there’s something deeper driving you a true love for what you’re communicating through your words and ideas. This is a much stronger foundation for becoming an author than any of those other reasons alone could ever be (and I speak from experience).

Start With A Basic Plan

Before you start writing, it’s important to have a plan. Your plan will set the framework for how your book is organized and what it will contain. 

A non-fiction book is typically divided into sections or chapters. Each chapter consists of three to seven subtopics (or “headings”), each with its purpose and content. 

The structure of these sections should be similar across all books on your topic so that readers can easily navigate through the content without getting confused or distracted by different styles and voices.

The basic idea behind creating a plan is to create a map that shows how all the pieces fit together each other so that you know exactly where they go when it comes time to write them down!

Embark on your writing journey with confidence using the 12-Step Book Writing Guide. Each step is carefully crafted to lead you towards completing your non-fiction book.

Develop A Solid Outline Before You Write Anything Down

You must develop a solid outline before you write anything down.

I know this from experience. I’ve written non-fiction books on topics that I knew nothing about and had to research as I went along, without any sort of plan or outline. It was an excruciatingly painful process and took much longer than it should have taken. 

By the time my book was done, I had lost all interest in it because my interest level was so low during the writing process that there was no way for me to make it entertaining or exciting for anyone else!

If you’re like me and need more structure in your life while writing your book (or blog post), then please consider using one of these systems:

The Snowflake Method – This is what I use when writing fiction novels (and sometimes short stories). 

It’s where each chapter starts with just one sentence, which gets expanded into a paragraph or even several paragraphs of description that help flesh out characters and settings before moving on to dialogue between characters who are interacting with one another within this world being created by our imaginations as writers.”

Google Docs – This has been my favorite tool lately because most writers work from home but still have deadlines/deadlines/deadlines looming over their heads all day long.”

Concentrate On The Big Picture And Keep It Simple When Tackling A Complicated Topic

If you’re writing a non-fiction book, your first step should be to concentrate on the big picture. You’ll want to distill the main points into a sentence or two and then expand on these ideas using supporting information. Your goal is to give readers enough information so that they can understand your topic, but not too much so that they become bored.

The right words are just as important as which ones you use (and how many). Choose words carefully when describing what the reader needs to know for them to understand what’s going on in your story or article. 

Avoid jargon whenever possible; instead, use descriptive language that paints a picture for the reader without overcomplicating things with unnecessary details. When quoting someone else’s work, explain who said it and why it matters this will help readers follow along with what you’re saying without getting bogged down by extra details or confusing terminology

Use Quotes To Bring To Life What You Are Writing About

Quotes are another great way to bring your writing to life. They can help you make your ideas more memorable, interesting, and persuasive.

If you’ve read any of my books, you’ll know that I use quotes a lot. They’re so effective because they’re like invitations into someone else’s mind they allow readers to get inside the heads of others and see things from their perspective. 

Quotes don’t just work well in nonfiction; they can also be useful if you’re writing fiction too! If a character says something particularly memorable or insightful, take note: maybe it’s worth including in your story as part of its plotline or theme.

Ready to make an impact with your non-fiction book? Get a head start on success by exploring The Upcoming Guide to Start Pre-Selling Your Book and learn how to effectively market and sell your work before it’s even published.

Conclusion

Writing non-fiction is a great way to share your passion with the world. It gives you a platform from which to educate others on topics that interest them. 

However, writing non-fiction can be daunting for some writers because it’s such a specialized form of writing. But it doesn’t have to be! By following the tips in this article, you’ll soon be on your way toward writing an amazing book that will help people all over the world!

Further Reading

If you’re eager to explore more about writing non-fiction books, here are some additional resources to enhance your knowledge and skills:

The Complete Guide to Writing Non-Fiction: An in-depth resource covering various aspects of non-fiction writing, from idea generation to publication.

Write Non-Fiction – The Creative Penn: Discover valuable insights and tips for crafting engaging non-fiction works from one of the industry’s leading authors.

How to Write Nonfiction – Kindlepreneur: Kindlepreneur provides a comprehensive guide to structuring, writing, and marketing your non-fiction book effectively.

FAQs

How do I get started with writing non-fiction?

Getting started with non-fiction writing involves selecting a compelling topic, conducting research, and outlining your content. Begin by identifying your expertise and the value you want to offer readers.

What is the key to creating engaging non-fiction content?

Engaging non-fiction content is built on clarity, relevance, and a strong connection with your target audience. Focus on delivering valuable information in a well-structured and relatable manner.

How can I ensure the credibility of my non-fiction book?

Credibility in non-fiction comes from thorough research, proper citations, and a transparent writing style. Always verify your sources and provide accurate, well-researched information.

What are some effective ways to market my non-fiction book?

Marketing your non-fiction book involves utilizing platforms like social media, author websites, and book-related communities. Creating a strong online presence and offering valuable content can help you connect with potential readers.

How do I handle the editing and proofreading process for my non-fiction book?

Editing and proofreading are critical steps to ensure the quality of your non-fiction book. Consider hiring a professional editor or seeking feedback from beta readers to catch errors, improve clarity, and enhance overall readability.