Non-Fiction
Outlining a non-fiction book is similar to that of a novel, only with more structure. Non-fiction books still have a beginning, middle, and end, but they should be strategically planned. Whereas a novel should flow freely and meander into the unknown like a mysterious river, non-fiction should be soundly built like a house.
The foundation of your book is your idea, the purpose for writing in the first place. Perhaps you have experience on a topic, maybe you are an expert in your field, or you just want to share your concept in book form. That is the foundation that everything else will be built on. It should be the common thread that runs through your book. This book, for instance, is all about making a living as a writer. I can write on this subject because I am a full-time novelist, supporting my family of six solely from my book royalties.
Next, you need to frame up your project. Non-fiction books are topical, which means that the main points of your outline will probably be the table of contents for your book. And whereas a novel usually flows in chronological order, the non-fiction book should build toward a completed exposition of the information presented. Take this book for example, it wouldn’t make sense for it to start with marketing, even though marketing is a huge part of any writer’s work. The way you present yourself and your work to the world is important, but you have to be able to write the book first. You need to settle on your ideas for success, hone your craft, and then write the best book you can. At that point you should have a good idea of how you want to publish your book and then you can begin to market it. Each point builds on the next in a logical order, even though each chapter could stand on its own.
Non-fiction books should build much like any solid structure. It makes no sense to build the roof if you don’t have the walls in place. By the time you finished, it would be so heavy that it would take more work than it is worth just to lift the roof into place. So as you outline your book, make sure that the order of your main points makes sense and builds toward your conclusion.
Once you have the ideas for each chapter, then you can list out under each the main points you want to present. There is no right way to go about presenting the ideas of each chapter, but keep in mind that most people won’t be able to keep track of more than three main points. And examples are always useful to help people understand what you are trying to explain. For instance the outline of this chapter might look like this:
Honing Your Craft - using an outline
Art or Skill
Fiction - Big Rocks Example - Where and How
Non-Fiction - Construction Example - Audience
After The Outline
With non-fiction it is always important to keep the audience in mind. If you are writing a book for beginners in a complicated field, you’ll need many more examples and fewer facts and figures. You would need to explain the jargon that more experienced people in the field would already know. If you were writing something more complex, your audience should already know the basics and you can dive deeper into your topic, trusting that the reader won’t be overwhelmed and stop reading.
Always make sure that your case, be it the explanation of a new idea or the argument for a way of doing something, is complete as you finish your book. The outline should always include the ending so that you bring your readers to a point of resolution. Just like a litigator makes a closing argument, having a summary chapter or section to complete your book is great, driving home the purpose for writing it.
After The Outline
Don’t be surprised if your outline is too long. The outlining process is really just a brainstorming session for your book. Writing everything down will help you know exactly what you want to write. Some things won’t fit naturally, and it is okay to leave them behind. Every great sculpture starts with a large block of stone and it is the artist’s job to chip away everything that is unnecessary until only a masterwork is left. As a writer, knowing what to include and exclude is part of the art. And if you have more than one book’s worth of material, then you may have the start to your next book.
Once your outline is complete it is time to do the work of writing. Keep your notes close by, but take the act of writing seriously. Cut out any distractions that might keep you from being able to focus solely on the work at hand. If you’ve done the work of outlining your book then you should know where you are—and where you are going—at all times. Most people, especially new writers, spend too much time worrying over the text they’ve already written. They will go back and read over what they wrote the day before (or the hour before) and lose themselves in constant revisions. The best practice when it comes to writing is to get the writing done. Go back and make revisions once you’ve written the complete draft, but until you are finished don’t look back.
There will always be distractions. The work of writing is to push through and keep moving forward. The best advice I can give is to write every day, and this is especially true once you start a project. Keep working on it, make time to write every single day. Get up early, write on your lunch hour, make a little time before bed. Whatever works for you, do it, and be obsessive about it until you complete your book.
It’s not unusual for new ideas to strike while you are in the middle of another project. If you have trouble clearing your mind and focusing on your work in progress, take an hour or two and outline the new idea. Then you can file it all away until the time is right to take up the new project. You don’t have to worry about forgetting a great idea or concept, and you won’t have two ideas competing for the same space in your mind.
Remember that you are doing what many people only dream of doing. There may not be anything new under the sun, but the world hasn’t read your version, so keep writing. There is nothing quite as satisfying as finishing a book, and I really hope that you will have that experience in your life. Use your outline to keep on track, and write, write, write.
Chapter 4
Revisions & Editing
There are some jobs that writers have to do even though we may not enjoy them. Most writers don’t care for marketing—they would rather be writing—but it has been said that all of life is marketing. And even though some people think that once they have a publishing contract their publisher will do all the unsavory tasks for them, the truth is every writer must market their books and every writer must edit.
I will admit that editing is the least favorite of my tasks as a writer. Sometimes taking time between the writing and the revision process helps to give some writers a sense of distance and perspective, but I prefer to finish my revisions as quickly as possible. I am proud of my books, but I don’t enjoy lingering over them. In my experience it is best to get the book written, make your revisions, and then send it off to a seasoned editing professional. Unfortunately some authors write the book and then spend months or even years reworking the same material. If you have a plan for the revision and editing process, it will help you to avoid the danger of the never-ending edits and allow you to complete your book so that you can move on to the next one.
As an independently published writer, the quality of editing falls directly on my shoulders. That’s okay with me, it is part of the control over my stories that I value, but it can be daunting. There are really three types of editors and most good publishing companies employee all three: content editors, copy editors, and proofreaders.
Content editors are sometimes called acquisitions editors when they work for a publishing company because it is their job to find talented authors with compelling books which they then pitch to their companies in hopes that the book will be given a contract for publication. These editors are also story crafters or, in the case of non-fiction manuscripts, shapers. A content editor’s job is to develop the manuscript, giving notes and feedback to the author with suggested changes to make the book more commercially attractive. And while they may point out grammar or syntax problems, they mainly focus on the theme of the book.
Copy editors get the manuscript after the initial roun
ds of edits are complete. The copy editor’s job is to clean up the manuscript prior to printing. They focus on grammar, fact checking, and point of view, ensuring that the elements line up. For instance if a person’s hair color is blonde at the beginning of a book and then described as black near the end, the copy editor should catch it and bring it to the author’s attention.
Proofreaders go over a book once all the edits have been made. In traditional publishing, the proofreader reads the proof copy to ensure there are no mistakes before the manuscript is approved for major print runs. Now that the world of publishing is digital, proofreaders are used to catch errors before the book is released to the masses. And the roles of editors are in a state of flux since so many writers are working independently and the Internet has made contract editing from anywhere in the world simple and fast.
Here is my process. As soon as my book is done I do what I call my revisions. I’m not a grammar specialist, so my focus as I read back through my manuscript is to ensure that the story is all there. I sometimes add to action scenes, and give a little explanation in certain areas. I don’t worry over the issues that I pay my copy editor to fix. I’m paying them, so I don’t fret over the latest grammar rules. What I try to do with my revision is to get the manuscript in as good a shape as I can get it. That may seem like a tall order, but the truth is I know my limits. I could spend months working on a manuscript and still miss things. My mind is filling in the blanks. I know the story so well that of course it all makes sense to me. So I trust the professionals I hire to bridge the gap between my abilities as the author and the standards expected from the reading public. I also know that my goal is to get the book published as quickly as possible, so I do what I do best and then send the manuscript off to be edited.
I don’t use a content editor. While I fully agree that in many cases a story can be sharpened and honed by the use of a good editor, I don’t want someone else telling me to change something in my books. I’ve written enough novels, and sold enough books, to have confidence in myself as a storyteller. But there is nothing at all wrong with using one. In fact, if you are working on your first or second book, or if you just feel like a content editor takes your book to the next level, by all means use a content editor. If you plan to publish through a traditional publishing house, you won’t have a choice. Whatever the case, be sure that you find an editor that sees eye to eye with you about your story. The last thing you want is a content editor who doesn’t understand what you are trying to accomplish with your book. They may be experts at crafting books, but in the end the book is yours. It will have your name on it and carry your reputation with it. So make sure that you agree with the changes the editor is suggesting.
I met an author once who had published several mystery novels with a Christian publishing house. His editor insisted he change the crime committed by the antagonist because she feared it might offend readers. The author disagreed but didn't want to be labeled as a trouble maker. He was a new author after all and had gone to great lengths to get published. The requested change essentially required a complete rewrite of the story, but he removed the scene that the editor felt would be inappropriate. Once she reread the edited manuscript the editor felt that the story had lost its essence. After another round of suggested changes, followed by a second rewrite of the manuscript, the editor decided the scene should be added back in. Needless to say the author was beside himself and the final story was nothing like the original, but unfortunately he didn’t speak up at the beginning to defend his work.
It is not unusual for editors to leave one publishing house for another, or go independent themselves. I've heard stories of editors acquiring a book with great excitement only to change jobs and leave the author in the hands of another editor who didn't have any passion for the project at all. In some cases where traditional publishers are concerned you might not have a choice in what editor you work with, but always look for someone who truly believes in your story, and in you as the author. Content editors should be judged by their ability to make your story better. If they can’t do that, then you need to find someone else who can.
I like to work with copy editors that have a real passion for grammar. As an independent author I have the responsibility of finding my own editing professionals. It isn’t always easy, but I have learned to vet my editors as much as possible. I don’t like to use writers who are freelancing as editors. It isn’t that other writers can’t edit your work, but sometimes they fall prey to the temptation to compare your work with their own. If you’re a better writer they can be intimidated. If they feel they are superior they rarely do a thorough job. In my opinion it is better to work with people who simply have a passion for editing.
When I’m looking for editors I want to know if they enjoy my genre. Fantasy is different than non-fiction or even from science fiction. My editor needs to know more than grammar, they need to have a grasp of the essence of fantasy stories, including some of the old world usage of words and the way characters sometimes speak in fantasy stories. I also want to know that my editors are available and easy to reach. I don’t hire editors in other countries, or editors that have mistakes in their written communication with me. And finally, I want to know that my manuscript will be a priority. The last thing I want is to wait for weeks on end for my edits to come back to me. I don’t mind if the editor has other projects they are working on, but I insist on a timeline up front.
Once I get my manuscript back from the copy editor, I go over it once again. I give my editors permission to correct my mistakes rather than simply pointing them out, but there are always at least a few questions that the editor has about certain parts of the manuscript. For instance, if I describe a character's hair color two different ways, the editor usually wants to know which I want to change. Sometimes I use unusual spellings in my book and the editor may want to point this out to me. So reading back through and getting the manuscript clean is always necessary after it has been out for edits.
I use beta readers in lieu of proofreaders simply because it allows me to have a group of people reading through my manuscript for errors plus I can add other requirements to their role beyond simply proofreading, such as leaving a review of the book on Amazon. If you’re new to writing it can be hard to find beta readers, but once you develop a following it is a great way to finalize your manuscript. My beta readers send me a list of any errors they find, which they inevitably do. I correct the errors and then I feel confident that the book is ready for publication.
Let me point out that part of my process is to convert the manuscript into .mobi format for my beta readers. My audience is made up primarily of people reading on the various Kindle platforms and so I want to make sure that my book works in that format. It also makes the process convenient for my beta readers, and the easier I can make their task, the better.
Hiring editors can be difficult. If you’re like me, you tend to want to hire the first person to respond to your ad for help. But remember you are hiring someone to work for you. They need to be held accountable and able to prove their skills before you hire them. Don’t simply ask a friend to edit your book for you. They may be an English professor but the problem is they know you. That intimate knowledge tends to make an editor forgive. In their mind they may be doing you a favor, taking it easy on you. They don’t want to be negative and they certainly don’t want to crush your dreams. But no one on Earth is perfect and an editor’s job is to point out mistakes. You need to have a thick skin, develop your critical thinking skills, and own your work. Hire a professional who doesn’t know you, then make sure they are giving you good advice.
Sometimes a writer feels wounded when an editor suggests changes or implies that their book isn’t good. Don’t take that criticism personally. I hear people say, “But my book is my baby, I don’t want anyone to hurt it.” Well, the truth is that an editor needs to point out every weakness in your manuscript so that you can make your book (your baby) as strong as possible before you
send it out into the world where it will be judged and criticized by people who don’t care anything about you.
So where are these elusive editors and how does one find them? Well, it is much easier than you might think. There are large companies who specialize in connecting freelance workers with people who have jobs that need to be done. And even if you plan to traditionally publish your manuscript, I suggest you spend the money to get a good copy edit of your manuscript. You wouldn’t want literary agents or acquisitions editors rejecting your book because of an error in grammar. You can do a search online for editors, or you can go to freelance sites like upwork.com or freelancer.com. There are also companies that are focused more on the needs of writers. reedsy.com is a new company that is dedicated to connecting writers with editors and book/cover designers. You can also check the acknowledgements and copyright pages of your favorite books. It is common practice for authors to mention who helped create the book and many times you’ll be able to find those individuals online if they freelance.
Like with any other job you might hire a contractor for, do your homework first. You need to know the traits you want in your editing professional. Make sure they click with your personality and the way you like to work. Make sure they have credentials such as being well-versed in the Chicago Manual of Style. Read over their examples for errors, check out their past work experience, and let them edit a sample page. I once had a syntax error on my sample page and sent it to four editors. Only one caught the error and fixed it, so it was easy to make the decision to hire that editor.
Finally, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. As of this writing, I normally pay $1.50 per double-spaced page for copy editing. Proofreading will cost less, content editing will cost more, but don’t skimp when it comes to editing. A poorly edited manuscript will need to be edited again and instead of saving money, you’ll have wasted it. Whatever your goals are for your book, invest in a good editor to help you make it the best it can possibly be.
Writing For A Living Page 3