Every writer, regardless of their genre, hopes to write books that become bestsellers after publishing. But these hopes are usually dashed when the books don’t perform well.
Nonfiction writing isn’t a walk in the park. From the planning to the publishing and promotion stage, many creative and strategic processes are involved.
It can be quite challenging but rest assured, you can write a best-selling nonfiction.
So, if you are writing a nonfiction book already and hope to write one that will become a bestseller, this article is for you.
In this article, you will find a step-by-step guide on how to write a best-selling nonfiction book.
What Does ‘Nonfiction’ Entail?
Before diving into the steps, it’s important to understand what nonfiction writing covers and what it doesn’t.
Nonfiction is majorly a genre of writing based on facts and realities. Nonfiction books focus on biological and historical events. The genre is not make-believe like fiction is; rather, it is based on real experiences. It covers a broad range of sub-categories, from autobiographies to memoirs and self-help books.
Thus, a nonfiction book covers not only real-life events but also covers practical solutions to real-life situations.
A nonfiction book can cover any topic of interest. It could be a technical book on wild animals or anything that happened or exists. Aside from books, you’ll find nonfiction writing in blogs, newspapers, websites, magazines, and social media platforms.
What Makes a Best-Selling Nonfiction?
Publishing a bestseller is not just about fame and money but more about the impact and influence your book has on society.
So, what makes a best-selling nonfiction is its originality. Any writer who dreams of becoming a bestselling author needs to publish a book that is authentic.
The second point that makes a nonfiction book is the depths the book carries. And, of course, your book must be relatable. It has to offer fresh ideas and opinions to any situation your readers find themselves in.
How to Write a Best-Selling Nonfiction Book
Writing a bestseller doesn’t happen instantly. But your book can attain the bestseller status if you put in the required effort.
Take this as a guide to successfully writing and publishing your book this year.
- Map out your book’s outline: Mapping out your outline gives you a clear direction to your destination. It prevents you from getting anxious about what to write and what not to include in your book. Before mapping out your outline, ensure you know whom you’re writing for.Your book will hardly get any publicity if you don’t know whom you’re writing for and address their pain points since nonfiction is all about facts.
- Don’t be in haste: We understand the eagerness to publish your book and start selling. But quality is what you need to make your dream come true. Therefore, the process shouldn’t be rushed. Take a cue from some bestsellers. It could take one or two years or more for them to write and publish their book. Set out some time to write at least one chapter daily or in two days.
Nonfiction requires excellent research, and that takes time.
- Hire a professional designer: The saying, ‘First impression matters’, is true when it comes to becoming a best-selling author. When you’ve led your audience to buy your book, the first thing they see is your book’s cover. So, you need an attention-grabbing cover design that will make your book irresistible to readers. Hire a professional designer and get your book rolling to the top level of becoming a bestseller.
- Edit and proofread your book: While it is good for you to self-edit, it could be very exhausting to go over your manuscript again. There will be things you’ll miss out on as the writer, which a more qualified person, an editor, would recognise. Hire a professional editor and proofreader to do a perfect job for you.
- Have a marketing plan: Do you plan to publish your book on Amazon? That’s fine, but not enough. A marketing plan helps your audience find, buy, and refer others to buy the book. A marketing plan would also focus on the appropriate keywords, articles, or nuggets from your book, increasing your book’s publicity.
These five steps should be modified and expanded to suit your publishing goals.
You can write a best-selling nonfiction book as long as you put in the work.
Need help writing your nonfiction book?
Reach out to us today at hello@sabiwriters.com to begin your journey of becoming a bestselling author.