How to Start Writing Your First Nonfiction Book
/
Writing a nonfiction book begins with an idea. The author identifies a problem that needs solving, a story that must be told or an issue that is begging for exposure. A light bulb goes on and suddenly you realize, “I could write a book about this!” Then what?
As a book-writing coach I’m often contacted by first-time authors who don’t know how to start writing their book. Budding writers get stalled for many reasons, and it sometimes happens before a single word is put on the page. They don’t want to get off on the wrong foot, fearing it will poison their entire effort. Or they are brimming with a plethora of possibilities but they struggle to pick the right one and run with it.
Here are 6 tips to help you get started writing your first nonfiction book:
1. Write Your First Sentence
There’s only one way to go wrong at the beginning of your first book: not writing at all. The most important thing is to start. However imperfect your first words may appear, the fact that those words exist is what matters most. You don’t have to show them to anyone. You will certainly revise those words during a rewrite. You might delete them completely. Perfection is not the point. The goal is to start.
Today you can write your first sentence. Tomorrow turn that sentence into a paragraph. Stop thinking about your book and start writing it. Next week is not a better time to begin. Don’t wait for vacation to have that huge block of free time you think you need to start your book. Writing requires momentum more than inspiration, and there’s only one way to get momentum going: by writing.
2. Count Words Not Minutes
I have a friend who is a successful painter. He treats his artistic career like a 9-to-5 job. Neil sits down to work, and he stays in his seat for eight hours, no matter what. Some days he paints very little. He just stares at his canvas. Neil doesn’t mind if nothing gets done. He puts in his time, and tomorrow might be more productive. His paintings have been shown in some of the most prestigious galleries in New York City; his work sells for thousands of dollars. Each piece will get finished as long as he sits at his desk everyday for eight hours. Neil counts minutes, and it works.
But first time authors can struggle to find the time to write. They are often juggling a full-time job and family responsibilities. I once coached a psychologist on his first book. He and his wife had just moved to a new city. He had opened a new practice and taken a second job at a college, all while they prepared for the imminent arrival of twin boys. I told him to count words because he didn’t have minutes to spare. Even if he wrote fifty words in a day, it was a step closer to finishing his book.
If you start writing your nonfiction book by counting the number of words you produce, you’ll feel progress every day. You’ll stay inspired. Eventually, a routine will appear. You will notice when and where to find the minutes you need to complete the words that you’re counting. Don’t let your schedule get in the way of starting your book. Count words not minutes.
3. Write for a Designated Reader
In the Netflix series Designated Survivor, Kiefer Sutherland is selected to become President of the United States should tragedy strike and wipe out the entire line of succession. Of course, that is exactly what happens during the State of the Union address. America ends up with Kiefer’s character, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as the unlikely Commander-In-Chief. He saves the day because he was selected in advance. A “Designated Reader” can do the same for your book.
The temptation with a nonfiction book is to write for the world. Many authors, not just first-timers, think that their book will benefit everyone who reads it. That might even be true. But the problem is that “everyone” will not pick up your book. Only a select few will even hear about the publication. Then they must decide if it is interesting enough to purchase. Finally, they have to actually read it from cover to cover. “Everyone” is not going to do that. But “someone” will. Write for that person.
The idea is to designate a real human being to represent the amalgam of individuals that might find your work interesting and beneficial. This makes beginning your book less daunting because you’re not trying to reach the mysterious multitudes, just the barista at your favourite coffee shop. You don’t have to know this person well. You can simply imagine what their life might be like and build a profile of their needs and challenges so that you can write your book for their unique benefit.
The added bonus of your Designated Reader is that this focus can help you land a publishing deal down the line. The last thing a potential publisher wants to hear from a nonfiction author is that their book will appeal to “everyone.” Publishers know that only “someones” buy books. Start writing with that one reader in mind.
4. Don’t Let Facts Get in the Way
I’m probably going to get into trouble for this tip. I can hear the complaints already, “With all the fake news out there, why would a successful book coach counsel such blatant disregard for the truth?” The answer is very simple—it works.
New authors often get stuck in the research phase of their book. They spend months, even years, developing resources to beef up the factuality of their first publication. Feeling the need to boost their own credibility, they overdo the investigation to the point that it stalls their writing before it even starts. Don’t worry about lawsuits or angry tweets about the inaccuracies in your book before you’ve even started writing it. Your interview on CNN is still a few years away. There’s lots of time to get your facts straight before Wolf Blitzer starts asking you tough questions on live TV.
If you think something is true, then write as if you’re correct. You can go back later when you need a breather and verify your assumption. It’s a great way to take a break from writing, and it will give you new insights to expand upon. Fact checking is an essential step in the latter stages of a nonfiction book. For now, writing without concern for veracity keeps the creativity going. It will also force you to conduct deeper research later on to prove your point if you’re really committed to it. When you’re starting to write your book, don’t let the facts slow you down. You need to write. You can always research later and revise accordingly.
5. Stick to the Same Structure in Every Chapter
When I sat down to write my first book, I had no idea how to begin. So I copied a format from a motivational speech I’d given hundreds of times on the same subject as the book. It worked great for the first chapter. Then I was stuck again. So I repeated the very same format in every chapter. Fast forward a few years and Shifting Sands had sold over one hundred thousand copies. Not bad for a first book.
I began every chapter with a quote that touched on the subject matter. Then I told a story from my journey across the Sahara Desert that formed the foundation of the book itself. Next, I wrote a lesson I’d learned from that particular experience and linked it to real life. Finally, I divided the rest of the chapter into three subheadings that dove deeper into ways of applying the self-help and leadership lessons.
It was a pretty simple format. But it freed me from having to figure out how to organize every subsequent chapter. My creativity actually increased the more I built a container to operate within. It seems counter-intuitive but it works. Most art operates that way. Visual artists, such as painters, use a canvas. My friend Neil makes paintings that can be as small as six inches wide. Everything has to fit in that tiny space. The work must be contained within that boundary.
Your chapter structure can be anything you like. But whatever it is—stick to it. Once the words are flowing and the chapters are piling up, you might decide to tweak your organizing system. You can change the format later if it feels stiff or formulaic. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. But even then, make sure all chapters follow the repeating configuration that you eventually settle upon.
6. Write a Book Proposal
The first five tips are designed to get your writing started. They are all focused on helping real words get typed up, words that could someday be part of your book. This final tip heads in another direction, but it could make all the difference.
Unlike novels, which must be written in their entirety, nonfiction books are purchased by publishers from a book proposal. Developing that document could be exactly how you should begin your book journey, even if you have already decided to self-publish your work. Self-publishing is easy, cost effective, and can produce a quality of publication that rivals the big publishing houses in New York and Toronto. The majority of the authors I coach end up self-publishing their books. But many of them also write book proposals in the early stages of their project.
A nonfiction book proposal forces the author to make decisions about their book before they write it. You need to know the title, the subtitle, what the chapters are about, and—most importantly—who the audience is for your book. You must research your competition and compare your effort to similar books already in circulation. You must describe what makes your book unique, and how it will fill a need for your readers. You have to create a marketing plan that demonstrates how you, the author, will promote your own book. It’s a big job, but the benefits are substantial.
I will often give authors feedback on a book proposal much like an agent or publisher would so that they can improve their approach as they get started. When your proposal is finished, you will have battle-tested your idea. You’ll know where the weak points and strong points are. There won’t be a lot of guesswork about what the book will look like when it’s finished. All that remains is the writing itself.
My favourite reason for writing a proposal brings us back to the beginning of this blog post. All nonfiction book proposals must include several fully finished sample chapters. So you see, to complete your book proposal, you still have to start writing words, sentences, and paragraphs. There’s no way around it. Starting to write a book means just that—start writing.
Steve Donahue is a professional speaker, book coach, and the author of two bestselling nonfiction books. His works have sold over 100,000 copies and have been translated into Korean, Turkish, Russian and Greek. Steve helps new and experienced authors turn their book ideas into well-crafted publications that delight readers and inspire change. To learn more, visit his website at MyBookCoach.ca.
