cover sheet for creative nonfiction manuscript

Both could be successful books, but they’re different in important ways. On the other hand, they could write a business book, incorporating their experiences into the text but structuring it around business lessons they want to teach others. On the one hand, they could write a memoir focusing on human interest elements and a chronological narrative of their life. Consider an entrepreneur writing about their journey to the top.

The right genre can help you focus your project, and it isn’t always obvious. If someone were to shelve your book in the library, where would they place it? What books would make good neighbors? In addition to finding your big book idea, you need to place it within the proper genre. Think about possible directions or related subjects to cover. Why? What kind of book do you want to create? Even if you already have a clear vision, let yourself dwell in the idea space and brainstorm for a while. At some point, you need to start drafting your non-fiction masterpiece.

Just don’t let pre-writing drag on endlessly. Most writers find writing a book easier when they have some idea of what they want to say and to whom. The term “pre-writing” can be misleading since these early stages often include a fair amount of writing. But how do you get from a glimmering nugget of inspiration to a strong non-fiction book? You’ll need a dollop of insight, a smidgen of skill, and a lot of hard work.

While there’s no simple formula for writing non-fiction, all authors go through certain processes as they develop their manuscripts and publish their books.

Cover sheet for creative nonfiction manuscript