How to Organize Your Nonfiction
Book
By Patricia L. Fry
Do you want to create the next best seller, but don't know where to begin?
Here's a guide to help you jumpstart your first book:
1. Come up with a good idea. Find out what has been written on this
subject. How successful are these books? Can you develop a fresh slant?
2. Determine your audience. Who are you writing for? Avoid focusing
so narrowly that you eliminate a portion of your readers.
3. Gather material for your book. Can you locate enough fresh
information to justify a book on this subject? Compile a list of expert
sources. To make your book one of a kind, call upon your own experiences.
4. Develop a book proposal. A good book proposal will reveal whether
or not you actually have a valid book idea. Can you describe your book
adequately in one or two paragraphs? Can you create a detailed chapter outline?
Have you thought about how this book will be marketed? What is the scope of
competition for this book? The process of writing a book proposal is a good
first step in writing the book whether you self-publish or are searching for a
traditional publisher. For help in writing a book proposal refer to The Author's
Toolkit by Mary Embree.
5. Write the book. The two main things that keep someone from
becoming an author are procrastination and lack of time. Procrastination is
often cured once you've started the process by developing a book proposal. If
you can't find the time to write, make some changes. Give up TV. Stay up two
hours later at night or get up two hours earlier in the morning
If you dream of becoming an author, it doesn't matter what steps you take or
in which order. What matters is that you start the process of writing and stick
with it.
—Patricia Fry is the author of A Writer's Guide to Magazine
Articles for Book Promotion and Profit and Over 75 Good Ideas for
Promoting Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com
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