There comes a time in various people’s lives when they wish to sit down and write something. For many people changing careers, starting something new, or simply wanting to do something extra with their time, they will want to create a non-fiction book about a subject close to their heart. Often, these individuals would have had no formal training at writing, but still feel the urge to plough on.
Outline the Book
The subject has been chosen and the author has an in-depth knowledge about what he or she will write. The first step is to make a list outlining what will be in the book. Don’t worry about being too scattered in thought, just get the thoughts on paper. Think about what the most important topics are. If there are several that can be grouped together, they may make a good theme for a chapter.
- Outline what the main points will be; these will be the chapters
- List all the points and ideas of each chapter that has just been outlined
- Examine all the points and see if some of them can be divided into sub-points
- Write as many facts as possible for each of these sub-points
- Use note cards and keep the in a hard copy filing system; by doing so subjects can be moved about when necessary.
The Writing Stage
Once the complete outline is finished, write clear sentences for each thought or sub-point and if necessary, follow on with examples to make the reading and instruction clear. Write as if speaking and then read it out loud. If it doesn’t make sense, reword it so that it does. It’s important to have an individual voice and most importantly, it must be easy to understand. This is not the time to use cryptic or creative language.
Read it out loud and make sure it makes sense in every way. If not, then go back and re-write the section so that it does. It may be daunting, but re-read each chapter slowly and check for grammatical errors then give it to at least three other people to read though as well. When it’s returned, check it again and make sure there are no errors before sending it out to a publisher or printer.
- Write clearly (one section at a time) and follow with examples
- Read it out loud
- Check it thoroughly for errors
- Get a pair of fresh eyes to read it
Submission
Finally, it is time to send the outline and first chapter to agents and publishers. Although some writers make sure they’ve got a publisher set before they write, those just starting out will need samples of their work. Also, if the work is finished, the author already has a good solid idea of how to pitch the piece to the agent or editor who will be publishing it.
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