Guidelines for Writing a Non-Fiction Book

To the person interested in writing his or her first book, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, the goal can seem daunting. The writer has to decide what to write about, how to organize it, and how to write it. These guidelines will show the writer how to break the goal down into obtainable tasks. If the writer follows these guidelines, the goal may not seem so insurmountable. I know because I’ve done it, twice.

I will break the goal of writing a book into three tasks—choosing your subject, outlining your book, and committing your thoughts to paper. I would appreciate any feedback from other authors on how this guide can be improved. Also, let me know if this guide was helpful to you. You can either comment here or email me at don@donbradleyministries.org.

Choosing the Subject

· The first thing in writing a non-fiction book is to decide what you’re going to write about. I suggest that you write about something for which you have a passion, or at least advance knowledge. You will find that it is much easier to write about what you love. The research is more thorough, the writing is easier, and the book comes together quicker. I love Christian living and Prophecy so those are the things I write about.

· If you write on a subject for which you have advance knowledge, then it is important that you become a subject matter expert (SME) on the topic. Writing from this perspective may mean that you will have to do more thorough research. It is essential for the integrity of any non-fiction book that thorough research is done. The topic should be covered as thoroughly as possible. Talk to those in the field of study, read books on the matter, and research it on the Internet.

· Not only is choosing your subject important, but so is choosing an area of focus. Unless you are writing an encyclopedia on the topic, it may be too involved in writing on a subject from every angle. For instance, if you want to write on birds, it may be better to concentrate on a specific genus of bird rather than on birds in general, since there are hundreds of different species of birds on earth. You could even limit your topic to types of birds in the U.S. or in a specific region of the country. Likewise, if you are going to write on computers, pick an angle, such as Computer Languages, Computer Programming, Choosing and Buying a Personal Computer, etc.

· Not only is choosing your subject matter important, but it is also important for you to choose your audience, preferably while you’re researching your book. If you choose your audience early on, then you will know what level of research is necessary. Books targeted at younger readers require less technical detail than those written to adults or others in the field. More elementary words are used for younger readers, as well.

Outlining the Book

Once you’ve gotten the information you need for the book, what do you do next? This is where organizing your book comes into play. I have a confession to make here: I usually outline my book before I start writing so I’ll know the direction I’m going in. If this works for you, then do it. It also helps with the research because then you’ll know what supplemental information you’ll need.

When I outline my books, I do so similar to writing a research paper. Research papers, like essays, are divided into three main parts—introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction could include the Foreword, Introduction from the Author, as well as the first chapter. It is important that the first chapter does two things. First, it should introduce your reader to your subject and your perspective. Next, it should capture your reader’s attention. If the first chapter (or even the first page) fails to do this, they are not likely to read further.

The body of the book is where the meat is. It is here that the writer makes his or her argument, present their findings, or express their point of view. When I write, I present my information logically. (But that is how I’m wired.) Information in a book could be presented logically, chronologically, methodically, or using some other system. When I wrote my book, For Such a Time as This , I wrote part one from the perspective of moving a person from that status of a non-believer or a new believer to a maturing believer. Part Two was written from a chronological standpoint since it dealt with biblical eschatology. What is important is that the writer not jump all over the place and thus confusing the reader.

It is not important that the book contain a conclusion, per se. It depends on the writer, the subject, and the type of book being written. Sometimes, a writer provides an Afterword to add something that didn’t fit in the body or provide an update on the subject that come about after the book was written.

Writing the Book

There are a couple of things I want to say about writing the book. First, it is important that the writer spend time each day, if possible, contributing something to the book. Professional writers spend hours working on their books but I know that that is not always possible for a novice writer. But there are things a novice writer can do. For instance, the writer should keep a notepad with him or her in order to write down ideas that can be added to the book later.

I also recommend that the writer provide as much supplemental information as possible. This would include charts, graphs, graphics, artwork, and photos. These can help the reader to visually see what the writer is trying to describe or explain. When I wrote For Such a Time as This , I created a graphic called, the Sin Target, to illustrate the concept of sin from Romans 3. Some writers also include text boxes inside their text to break up the page. Always cite your references; otherwise, you could be accused of plagiarism. You can either use footnotes or endnotes. There is no staunch rule for either; it depends on the preference of the writer. Many word processing software contain a way for you to cite your references. I know Microsoft Office Word 2007 not only allows you to cite your references, but even creates a Works Cited or Bibliography page for you.

I confess that this is not exhaustive but it should provide enough information to get the new writer started. I will update this later with new or more detailed information.