Proof! You’ve Already Written a book!

If you are interested in writing non-fiction, one of the best ways you can get started is to segment your knowledge into manageable pieces. Articles are excellent resources, not only to use in promoting yourself and your future book, but also for creating that book material in an easy-to-manage way.

Here are five steps to write a book using a compilation of articles:

Step 1

Write down a broad topic or area of expertise you are well-versed in. It can be something you have taught in a workshop, your occupation, or something people are always asking you about.

Step 2

Make an outline of 12 to 16 specific things you would like people to know about that topic. If you are often asked the same question from people you meet at live events or online, use the answers you give them as some of the outlined points.

Step 3

Choose one item on your outline and write at least four to five paragraphs about it. Write an introduction to the concept, some how-to points, step-by-steps (such as this entry in this book), or general tips about that item.

Step 4

You will likely come across some things you need to research further to give adequate information. Make a note of what you need to research and change the color of the type to easily find that section in the future. Another tip is to insert three * (like this: ***) in the area where you need to research a topic further. Then you can do a Find -> Replace in your word processing program to easily locate these areas. Do not do any  research right now—stay on a roll with writing and handle all your research at one time once the writing is complete.

Step 5

Once you have written a few paragraphs to a few pages on each individual item on your outline, put them in the order that makes the most sense to you and read through them from start to finish. Congratulations! You have compiled a book!

Still struggling with finishing that book and don’t have a bunch of pre-written articles to pull together? Join our Community Support Dojo and get the resources, training, and support you need at The Book Ninja Academy!