How to Write Non-Fiction: Why write a non-fiction book?
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
—Stephen King, On Writing
Writing a book is hard work. You need a reason to carry you through the tough times.
Why do you care about this subject so much that you want to invest the time, emotional energy, and maybe money in order to write it?
What will keep you going through the process of writing, publishing, and marketing?
What is your why?
Here are some reasons people write non-fiction books.
(1) You’ve been through a particular experience, and you want to help other people going through the same thing
A lot of non-fiction books start this way.
I wrote Career Change because I was miserable in my job and I wanted to figure out how to move into something new. Even years later, that book continues to help others discover what they really want to do.
Sometimes the book that burns on your heart can be the most powerful, as it represents your self-growth manifested in book form. My midlife memoir, Pilgrimage, is a book of my heart. I share my experience of solo walking three ancient pilgrimage routes, but I also explore the rollercoaster of personal change at midlife, while in the midst of social changes resulting from the pandemic. I had to write it, regardless of its sales potential, and it continues to help others who feel untethered in difficult times.
“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”
—Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic
(2) You want to build authority, credibility, and expert status in a particular field
Perhaps you want to write a book to demonstrate authority and thought leadership, to augment your business and open doors to professional speaking and other business or media opportunities.
This is the ‘book as business card’ approach. The point of the book is not necessarily to make money in itself, but to lead people to your other products and services.
(3) You want to make non-fiction book sales the basis of your income
Although it’s unlikely that you will make a million with your first book and retire in launch week, some authors do make a full-time living writing only non-fiction.
It usually involves writing (or co-writing) multiple books in a series, so you make more income per customer. It might also involve bulk sales, and other multiple streams of income, covered in Part 3.
(4) You have an audience already and you’re writing to help them
I started out writing non-fiction books for authors to share what I learned about writing craft and running an author business. Over time, I attracted an audience, and so I continued to write books to help them in the same niche. As I learned new things, I shared them in my books.
The Successful Author Mindset came out of a blog post on the rollercoaster of the writing life. It attracted so many comments and resonated so deeply, I expanded it into a book.
(5) You’re deeply fascinated with a topic and want to produce a book on it
These are the type of non-fiction books that can go on to win literary prizes, and they can consume the author for a long time. One example would be The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
Of course, you don’t have to aim so high!
I first learned about the concept of the ‘Shadow’ in Jungian psychology back when I was at university in the ’90s. Over two decades later, after much research and soul-searching, I finally finished Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words, about how writers can channel their most authentic selves to make their work stand out.
What’s your why?
Whatever the reason behind your desire to write a non-fiction book, I absolutely believe that you should go ahead and write it.
After all, the book you write could change your life — as it has done for me — and hopefully, you’ll help other people and maybe even make some money along the way.
What is your definition of success?
Your reasons for writing will also relate to your definition of success, which is important to clarify up front. Otherwise, how will you know when you’ve achieved it?
Try to be specific and make it measurable. For example, if you want authority and influence in your field, how will you measure that? Is it the number of speaking events booked, the number of podcasts you appear on, or the number of consulting sessions sold?
What about an income goal?
For some people, making an extra $200 a month might be a fantastic achievement. Others might aim for $5,000 a month from multiple streams of income based around the book.
One person’s idea of success is rarely the same as another’s, so be specific about how you will measure your achievements — for this book, and for your non-fiction career as an author.
“Writing a book is a tremendous experience. It pays off intellectually. It clarifies your thinking. It builds credibility. It is a living engine of marketing and idea spreading, working every day to deliver your message with authority. You should write one.”
—Seth Godin, “Advice for authors,” Seth’s Blog
Questions:
• Why are you writing a non-fiction book? What are the reasons that will carry you through the tough times? What is your why?
• What is your definition of success?
• How will you know when you have achieved success? How will you measure it?
Resources:
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft — Stephen King
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear — Elizabeth Gilbert
• Seth Godin’s advice for authors — https://seths.blog/2006/08/advice_for_auth/
