How to Write a Nonfiction Book

There are thousands of writers trying to get published in today’s market. Everyone is looking for a way in. Sometimes, documenting a real event or person in an entertaining way in a nonfiction book can get you the recognition you need to get your fiction work published. The guidelines below will help you to decide on a subject and begin the work of writing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look into funding. Start your project by looking around and finding foundations that will fund grants for the arts. If you find them and learn what subjects they focus on, it may help you to narrow your focus and find which subject would be something for which you can find funding.

2. Find accessible ideas. When working on a nonfiction book, you have to be able to get as much detailed information as you can find, which means that you want a subject to which you have full exposure. If it’s a person, make sure it’s someone well-documented, someone who can do plenty of interviews. If it’s an organization or an event, make sure it is something that had plenty of media coverage in both print and video. The worst kind of subject you can find is something that is fascinating and entertaining that can’t be verified or written about in great detail.

3. Do research. Read everything you can find about the subject. It doesn’t matter if you feel like it will apply to your work in particular or not, go ahead and read it. Once you have all the information internalized, it will be easier to sift through what is helpful and what is not. When doing research, check into all the various sources you can: internet, libraries, newspaper articles, etc.

4. Speak to those involved. Highlight all the names of the people involved in the subject as you’re doing your research. Once you have a database of names compiled, start making some calls and arranging interviews. Aside from helping to keep the timeline accurate by speaking to those involved, it also gives you quotes for the book and keeps the human interest angle in the work.

Tips & Warnings

• Find two or three trustworthy people to continually read the work as you finish it. This way, you'll get an immediate response to what you’re doing.
• Don’t become discourage if it doesn’t happen fast; there are book companies whose screening process is well over 6 months from the time you submit the book.