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Joe Neil

School Staff,
Kiel Area School District
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Tips for Writing a Non-Fiction Book

Writing a non-fiction book is a fantastic endeavor, and the desire and commitment necessary to execute a work of non-fiction are the most important elements in the process. If you are already certain you have these two things, you are likely ready to begin turning your book idea into a reality.

The following tips will help you as you journey through the development and writing of your non-fiction book. If you are having trouble getting started writing a book or essay, you can get the essay writer help.

Brainstorm titles:

As you are thinking about the subject matter for your book, make a list of potential titles and the subheadings that may work well with them. This stage of brainstorming will help you focus your idea and may lead you in a direction you hadn’t considered before. Complete this step even if you already have a title in mind for your book.



Write a short summary:

Once you have settled on a good focus as a result of your title brainstorming sessions, write a short summary (a paragraph to a page in length) that states the main purpose of your book and how that purpose will be addressed for your audience. Everything that will ultimately become your book will be written in support of the original intent you captured in this summary.

Critique your book’s potential:

With a good idea of the direction you are headed in, take a look at what you have so far and critique it from the view of your audience. Make sure the subject matter is important and that your book is going to do something to address your topic in a meaningful way. Whether your purpose is to teach your reader how to sew or your goal is to discuss fractals in nature, your book needs to have relevant and valuable information.

Pinpoint your reader:

Clearly identify who you aim to target with your book, including their demographics, interests, occupations, obstacles, family structures, etc… All of these things will help you direct your writing in a way that will benefit your particular audience, and you should revisit your summary to ensure that both elements work well together. At this stage, some writers actually compose a letter to their intended audience stating exactly how they will benefit from reading the future book.

Determine your own motivation:

Your purpose for writing a non-fiction book could be anything from a desire to help your audience with a particular aspect of their personal growth to a desire to help your supporters understand the cause behind your nonprofit organization to a desire to become famous and make money. Regardless of the reason, your unique motivation for writing your book should be clear to you, as it will shape the way your book is written in various ways throughout the process.

Clarify your plans:

As your book continues to develop, start thinking about how you would like it to eventually reach your audience. Although you are far from finishing it, decide on your publishing goals so that you can fully research the options you have available to get you there once your book is complete.

Back up your work:

As you finally get deep into the process of writing, make sure that all of your work is organized and backed up. Invest in an external hard drive or use a cloud service to keep at least one alternate copy of your work, in addition to the files you have on your computer. It would be devastating to lose your research, notes, and rough drafts without being able to recover them.

Useful resources:
How to get Essay writing help
How to Write a Great College Application Essay
How to improve your writing skills
Tips for improving your essay