Do you have a non-fiction masterpiece inside you that you’re itching to write?
Unlike fiction writing where you get to make stuff up, non-fiction can feel a bit more challenging, because you need to make sure everything you say is right!
Well, maybe not everything…
Any book you write is from your own perspective, which leaves room for opinion as well as fact. And it’s this factor that makes your book unique because it includes your viewpoint on the facts and information you include.
Before you begin writing your non-fiction book, there are four areas to consider in your planning and they can come in any order.
Audience
Who are you writing the book for? Who do you expect to read it and what sort of people are they?
It’s important to be as specific as possible, because the more you understand your readers, the easier it will be to ensure the book works for them.
Consider things like age, hobbies, where they live, what they do for work, etc.
The aim here is to get so clear that you’re effectively writing the book with one specific person in mind (they don’t have to be real). This person is also known as an ‘avatar.’
Outcomes
Once you have your avatar, ask yourself this one question: What do I want them to learn from my book?
This question is critical to answer because it gives you clarity about the type of book you’re going to write.
I want them to have a beautifully organised home – so you’re writing a ‘how to’ guide.
I want them to be inspired by Queen Victoria’s story – then you’re writing a biography.
I want them to up-cycle rather than throwing reusable things away – then you’re writing a book on clever and creative ways to reuse household items; or perhaps one on the consequences of modern living and why society needs to change its behaviours.
And so on….
Style
Style for non-fiction comes in two parts: how your chapters are organised and how much of your personality and voice you want to include.
Think about whether you want your content to have humour or if needs to be serious, or you might want a combination of both. Do you want to break things up with sub-sections and sidebars? Will you include diagrams, illustrations or photos?
Keep in mind that nothing’s set in stone, so as you get into the writing you might well change your mind on the style. It’s just helpful to have a few ideas in mind when you get started.
Research and References
What are the what? where? and when? that you really need to know to write your book?
This is an important question to have answers to.
However, knowing what you don’t need in order to write is an even more important question!
Sometimes people can spend so much time researching that their book never gets finished! New facts, techniques or studies come out all the time and, if every time this happens you go back and update sections of your book, you’ll be there forever and a day!
So, of course, get your facts right but know when you have enough to just get your head down and get writing.
Once you have these four areas – audience, outcomes, style, and research – sussed, it’s time to get cracking!
If you have dreams of writing a book and need some expert help, visit contentalchemy.co.uk and take a look at Book-writing Gold, my academy to step you through every stage of becoming an author.
