A non-fiction book is usually easier to write than writing fiction. This is because you can create the entire structure before you start actually writing – and that means writing is simply a case of putting flesh on the bones.
Investing time in the planning makes the development easy. It gives you a strong foundation to build on.
Chapter plan
Assuming you’ve done your research and established your purpose and audience for your book, the next step is to look at what each chapter will be about.
Most business books have around 12 chapters, but fewer or more can work, as long as each chapter has a clear focus. If you find you have more than 15, it’s probably worth reviewing your list of subjects to see if there are two chapters that are related and could become one.
Don’t get into details at this stage – a list of subjects, or short descriptions, is enough.
Chapter ‘recipe’
Look at any recipe book and every dish has a structured set of instructions – a name, maybe a short description, a picture, how many people it serves, a list of ingredients, the method, the cooking time and temperature. Some recipe book feature some narrative about how the recipe was created. Every recipe structure is not identical, but every recipe book has one.
This is how you need to approach your book. If you create a structure that every chapter will fit, it will be easier for you to gather the required content. And will create a nice comfortable structure that will keep your reader engaged, with no surprises that encourage them to put the book down (because they probably won’t pick it up again).
Consider quotations, stories, case studies, models, theories, key facts, a summary, action points, etc.
Chapter development
Once you have a structure, now you can develop each chapter with the required elements. So, if every chapter starts with a quotation, you need a relevant quotation for each chapter.
Once you’ve gathered all the information, writing is simply a case of adding the meat to the bones.
