How to publish non-fiction in 3 easy steps
Standard guidelines used for fiction do not necessarily apply to non-fiction, which is more factual and objective. I present some advice for non-fiction based on my experience with a book on shamanism, to be published by Llewellyn in April 2022. Although this is a specialist text, the advice here is general. The same principles apply for both traditional and self-publishing.
Three key steps I used to produce my book can be used for your own work:
Understanding what a publisher is looking for, and what the readers would like.
Using organizing principles to design the structure of the book.
Optimizing text quality, readability, and style.
What Publishers and Readers Want?
Publishers are always eager to receive submissions for subjects they are interested in. These, and submission guidelines and contacts, are available on publisher websites. Here are the Llewellyn author submission guidelines. Use publisher sites and online searches to identify a list of publishers you could submit your work to.
The required length of submissions is generally over 50,000 words, with 80,000 words being a “standard” length for a book. This equates to some 180 to 200 pages, depending on the font used and if the work contains images. My original submission was double this length, so I had to precis the text and remove content (which can form the basis of a second book).
You are expected to know why readers would want to buy your book, and details of existing works for your subject area and how your book differs from these.
So what do readers want? In general books that are relevant to them and are interesting and simple to read. It is important to pitch books at a level that does not exclude those new to a subject, which narrows your target audience.
I started with an intention to produce a book aimed at people who were new or experienced but assumed readers would be interested in working for other people as practitioners. Although this will apply to a subset of the audience, it excludes the majority of people who want to focus on their own development rather than becoming practitioners, and who want to read about rituals that they can do on their own.
If your work is accepted, the publisher will give you detailed guidance on how to revise your work to improve it. My Editor gave me guidance on how to make my book more accessible to solitary practitioners, by providing step-by-step instructions a reader can follow, with examples of the experiences of others that give them some idea of what they may expect. For the latter, it is important not to set expectations too high so that readers feel discouraged if they cannot replicate the experiences shown in examples, but to try to achieve a correct balance.
The final book was therefore not the book I originally set put to write; I had to think about how rituals typically used by an experienced practitioner for a client could be adapted for use by relative novices to the subject. The end result is I believe a better work that will be of more use to a wider range of people.
Organizing Principles
Organizing principles help to structure your work and make it easier for you to avoid rambling text. One principle could be used for the book as a whole, and one or more principles for different sections. It helps to have a standard structure for chapters to provide consistency.
Readers are often aware of organizing principles, even at a subconscious level, and so find it easier to read your book if it follows a structure that they are familiar with. Conversely, readers will also know, again often subconsciously, that there is something “wrong” with a piece of work where an organizing principle has not been used (or has been used incorrectly). An exception is stream of consciousness writing, which follows a character’s thought processes and has less structure.
For fiction, the Hero’s journey is often used as a template for both stories and screenplays. This is not as applicable for non-fiction unless you are using the arc of one individual in examples. For non-fiction, some of the main organizing principles used are description, chronology (sequence), “cause and effect”, “problem and solution”, “compare and contrast”, process (“how to” or “step-by-step”), principles (organization by concept or theme) and argument (taking a position and then supporting that position).
Another more complex example is PDSA, which is an acronym for plan-do-study-act (also known as the Deming cycle). The basic strength of this approach is it allows for iterative improvement, and so could easily be applied to areas such as coaching, or another application area where you are defining a model to be used by other people. Other cyclic principles can also be used, perhaps borrowing on ideas from traditions such as the Medicine Wheel.
I introduced my subject from first principles, gradually building on previous material to show how more complex rituals can be undertaken using combinations of simpler individual rituals, and guidance about how to structure intentions for such work from first principles. My sections were concerned with basic, shamanic healing, nature, and some intermediate topics. This used the process organization principle.
Within this overall structure I used a standard structure for individual chapters, comprising an overview of the topic, a key ritual, how to perform his ritual, other rituals that can also be done in that context, and some tips relevant to the topic. Introductions and conclusions can be used for the work as a whole and also for individual chapters.
A good starting point is to list the table of contents in a text document (or spreadsheet) and look at how your ideas on section contents relate to an overall structure, and how individual chapters are structured to be consistent.
Text Quality and Readability
Two considerations here are using technical writing tools and your writing style.
Word processing applications allow you to assess text quality and readability. In Microsoft Word you can use the Review top menu to access the Editor option in the proofing section (at the top left of the screen). Selecting all of your text and clicking this option produces two forms:
The Editor sidebar, which contains suggestions for corrections in spelling and grammar, and refinements related to clarity, conciseness, formality, punctuation, and vocabulary.
The Readability statistics pop-up containing counts, averages, and readability metrics.
The suggestions and spellchecker in Word can be used to make technical corrections to your text. The readability metrics can be used to improve the text from the perspective of the target audience. For the latter, the metrics are particularly important:
Flesch Reading Ease
Flesch-Kincaid Grade level
Passive Sentences
See this link for a description of Flesch-Kincaid readability tests, which indicate how difficult text is to understand.
The Flesch reading ease is a score interpreted between zero and 100, with higher scores indicating material that is easier to read (reflecting lower US school level grades) and lower scores indicating text that is more difficult to read. A score above 60 is a good target to aim for.
The Flesch-Kincaid grade level presents a score as a US grade level to allow text readability to be judged. This score cannot be directly equated with the Flesch reading index (due to different weighting factors used in the two calculations). A Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 10 is a good target to aim for.
The passive sentences score measures passive voice, which refers to text where a person or things has its state changed, as opposed to active voice where the subject plays an active role in the sentence. Although passive voice is not always incorrect, it is generally good to try to minimize the passive sentences score.
My book submission had a Flesch Reading Ease of 68.3, a Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of 7.5 and a Passive Sentence score of 21.8%.
Your writing style is personal to you. I enjoy reading text that is easy to read, and not too verbose or academic in tone. A good example is Ernest Hemingway, known for his simple, direct, and objective writing style. There is a web application using Hemingway’s name that can help you to write better: https://hemingwayapp.com. The more you write the more your writing style emerges. If helps to read widely, note what books, articles, or blog posts you like, and try to learn from these how you may improve your own writing.
Writing coaches, workshops, and computer applications can help to some extent to improve the mechanics of your writing, but style is something that is essentially unique to you.
A key piece of advice with fiction is “show don’t tell” which can also be used for non-fiction by including narrative examples in your work. In my book I included examples of experiences of rituals described, based on feedback from attendees of workshops held over a five-year period.
If you intend to use examples of people’s experiences in this way, you need to get their signed consent using a standard consent or release form (even if their identified are disguised with pseudonyms). This could contain text similar to the following consent form that I used:
I understand that [author’s name] (the Author) is preparing, writing, and will publish a work on the subject of [subject], which is currently titled [title] (the Work). In order to assist the Author in the preparation of the Work, I have agreed that my recollections of personal experiences may be recorded and transcripts of these recordings and other materials (the Materials) may be used in connection with the Work.
I grant and assign to the Author and his licensees, successors, and assigns the following rights in connection with the Materials for use as part of the Work or advertising, packaging, or promotional materials for the Work, in any and all editions, versions, media, and countries.
The right to quote or paraphrase all or any portion of the Materials, and to generally use and publish the Materials, including my experiences, recollections, incidents, remarks, dialogue, actions, and information, as well as any photographs or documents I may give to the Author.
The right to use my name, image, and biographical data (subject to the conditions below).
The right to develop, produce, distribute, advertise, promote, or otherwise exploit the Work as a book or any other Work in any manner that the Author or his/her assigns deems appropriate. I understand and acknowledge that the Author or his/her assigns will be the sole owner of all copyright and other rights in and to the Work.
In order to enable the Author to develop the Work in any manner that the Author may deem best, I release and discharge the Author and his/her licensees, successors, and assigns, from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action that I may have against them by reason of anything contained in the Work, or any of the above uses, including any claims based on the right of privacy, the right of publicity, copyright, libel, defamation, or any other right.
In consideration of the above, the Author has agreed to provide me with one free copy of the Work in its first edition upon publication. I acknowledge and agree that I am not entitled to receive any other form of payment from the Author and/or his/her licensees, successors, and assigns.
I understand that I can choose to have my real first name published, or a pseudonym used.
[I am happy for my real name to be used / this pseudonym is to be used].
I do not want the following details of descriptions to be used in the Work [details].
Specific identifying details or descriptions to be used may typically include a person’s occupation, nationality, family details, or personal history that is not relevant to the example concerned.
I hope this post is of help to you if you are writing non-fiction. Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions that I can help you with. I wish you good luck with your writing!