You have established your genre – now how will you book play out in terms of how you present the information. A lot of this is a choice you must make upfront.
Most non-fiction books fall into one of two broad categories.
1. A HOW-TO BOOK
The key to this book is:
You have done something/know something/learned something
You are going to share with your readers how you did it and perhaps how they can do it too
You can share this through your own personal story (memoir) or reveal it in a more step-by-step process that teaches the reader how to do something, such as how to be a better lover, leader, parent or dog owner.
To write a HOW TO book you have to be an expert in something, which means you have to have done it yourself. It helps if you are a professional expert in your chosen field.
It offers:
Solutions
Your personal story interwoven with the process
Imagine these fields:
Cookbook
Diet book
Sales book
Tax law for small business
Fitness guide
Personal finance
Workbook
E-course
Clear your clutter
2. A BIG IDEA BOOK
This book has one central blatant idea, solution, argument or angle. You tell the reader what it is right upfront at the beginning hook of the book (and usually in the title too). The book is then walking the borders of this idea and exploring it and proving it.
You do not have to be an expert to write one of these. You do need an great angle or Big Idea, for example:
Fat in the Head: It’s Not food That Makes you Fat It’s How you Think, Nina Frank and Natalie Uren
The Four Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich, Timothy Ferriss
LayGuide: How To Become the Ultimate Pick-Up Artist, Tony Clink
MEMOIRS will also fit into these above categories.
A memoir needs:
A big central idea
To tell or show the reader something you did or experienced
You link it to a bigger vision, solution or lesson (the Big Idea)
EXPERT NON-FICTION
You need to be an expert or professional practitioner of some sort to write this. You could be a sales expert, business or life coach, yoga teacher, car mechanic, businessman, or shaman. The difference here with a non-expert is important; you are sharing your story but you are also sharing processes, techniques, recommendations or solutions to the ‘layman’. This can be a workbook or straight non-fiction,
For example
The Dukan Diet, Dr Pierre Dukan
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay
EXPERT NON-FICTION (Business-to-business / Expert to professional)
This is when an expert in a particular field is writing for other professionals in the field. This may cover how to improve your professional expertise and develop your continued professional development (CPD).
For example
Hacking Marketing: Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative, Scott Brinker
Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses, Joe Pullizi
WRITING TASK
Where does your Big Idea start? It starts with your title.
I know that when I walk into a bookstore, or click onto Amazon, the very first thing I browse is the title. Perhaps also the cover image. The moment the title grabs my attention, I may then read a little further, turn the book over and read the back blurb. But if the title doesn't speak to me, I probably won’t spend a moment further on that book.
Do you find that is how you buy books too?
A title is stupidly the single biggest thing that sells a book. Crazy right? All that work you put into writing it and people actually do judge a book by its cover.
We want you to come up with a good one. But without totally freaking out about it yet. Trust us, it will get better by the end of this process.
You need a working title. Something that frames your idea and holds it all together. You may already feel attached to ONE favourite title already, but today you get to play around a bit.
Brainstorm 20 different titles for your book. Don't stop until you have 20. Chances are that down the line your publisher (or you) will not choose the one you currently feel is best. Having options is important. Get creative, serious, wacky, funny, and outrageous. Please make sure at least 5 titles are humorous.
You Can...
Check out upcoming retreat dates
Apply for a mentorship to write your book
Book a publishing chat
Join the online writing community
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