Writing a non-fiction book can be quite a challenge. Unlike writing a fiction book, you have to be more circumspect with what you write about. This is because you just can’t come up with the contents of a non-fiction book out of the blue. Every word you say in your book should be backed up by facts and your resources should be trustworthy.
And if you are thinking of self-publishing a non-fiction book by yourself, you had better be prepared to work as hard as possible. This is because self-publishing, especially a non-fiction book can be very work intensive and will take up a lot of your time and resources.
So before you even think of self-publishing a non-fiction book of your very own, you should know a few things.
Here are 5 things you should know before you self-publish a non-fiction book:
- It’s going to take a lot of research work
If there is one thing you should know about self-publishing a non-fiction book of your own, it is the fact that you will have to do a lot of research work. This is not a fiction book that you can just make up on the go. To write a non-fiction book means to spend hours and hours in the library and online checking and double checking facts.
This is because readers are very picky about facts and it will reflect badly on you and your work if your research work is sloppy. So if you are going to write and self-publish a non-fiction book of your very own, you had better be prepared to do a lot of research work.
- Identify your target market
Before you even think of self-publishing your non-fiction book, you should identify your target market first. Although you should always choose your topic according to your knowledge and preference, it is still important that you think of how you are going to market your book.
So before you write your book, identify your target market and do research on how you can sell your book to them in the future. That way you can create an effective and efficient platform from where you can conduct your book marketing once you release your book.
- Choose a topic you are truly passionate and knowledgeable about
Aside from doing a lot of research work it is imperative that you are highly knowledgeable of your chosen topic. Remember that non-fiction books are based on facts, and one of your main objectives in writing a non-fiction book is to convince your readers that the contents of your book are legitimate and can be depended on.
So before you choose a topic, make sure that it is something that you have in-depth knowledge of. Don’t just choose a subject because it is trending or selling better. Choose a topic that you can back up with good research work and your own hard earned knowledge.
It is also important that you are passionate about your chosen topic. There will be times that you will be tempted to just stop because of the challenges involved. This is why you should be passionate about your chosen topic. Because it is this passion that will get you through the hard times.
- Expect to invest a lot of your time on the self-publishing process
The self-publishing process is quite different compared to its more traditional counterpart. This is because self-publishing your own book, entails you to do most of the work yourself. Not only that. You will also be expected to pay for a majority of the process.
You won’t have an established publishing house to fund the publishing process or a roster of publishing professionals to help you finish your book. But despite all these setbacks, self-publishing is still a great option because you are given full control of the entire publishing process. You will also keep all the rights to your book and no longer have to share the royalties for every book you sell.
- It will all be worth it in the end
After reading this, you might think twice about self-publishing a non-fiction book by yourself. But to be honest, it is all worth it. There is no sweeter or more uplifting feeling than to self-publish a book all by yourself.
It shows that you are willing to work hard and take risks. It shows that you believe in your skills and knowledge enough to push through with your self-publishing plans despite there being no guarantee that you will succeed.
All in all, self-publishing a book is not only a test of your skills as a writer, but also your character as a human being.