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Two Things Nonfiction Authors Get Wrong
Before I start this article, I just want to add the caveat that I generally edit nonfiction books in the self-help or business realm. Things like How to Take Care of Yourself to Take Better Care of Others or Managing Your Busy Remote Team. This article is aimed at authors writing nonfiction books in that self-help-like genre, rather than historical nonfiction or memoirs or that type of thing (though the tips may be helpful there too).
There are two things that I find most often come up when I edit nonfiction books. As someone who has something to teach others, nonfiction authors write their books with the best of intentions. They have a catchy title and subtitle, they know what they’re going to talk about, and they write the whole book…only to have me (or some other editor) tell them they still have work to do.
So, what’s the #1 problem with the nonfiction books I’ve edited? They don’t stick to the topic. Which leads to the #2 biggest problem with the nonfiction books I’ve edited…they haven’t identified their target audience.
Not Sticking to the Topic
Most of the authors I’ve worked with just want to help people. Their hearts are in the right place. They know where their expertise lies, and they know there are readers who want the information they have, so they write a book.
I find that even the most organized writer, though, sometimes veers off topic partway through the book. They often start out strong, telling the reader what the book is going to be about, but somewhere along the way, “other things they also know about” seem important too. So they add those ideas to the book. Which turns into a tangent that has nothing to do with the original idea. And then I come along and have to rein them back in by reminding them that the second half of chapter two (or even the second half of the book!) has nothing to do with what the book is supposed to be about.
It’s not that the new information isn’t interesting! It’s just that it doesn’t belong in this book.
Here’s an example: Let’s say the book is called Living Well While Working Remotely. The intention of the book is to talk about self-care and healthy habits while working at home. While talking about the benefits of more time to take care of yourself while working remotely, the author tells a story about a previous in-office job and how terrible their boss was and how poor the working conditions were, which then leads to how much they disliked some of their coworkers.
Unfortunately, this particular anecdote isn’t about “living well while working remotely.” It might be proof of how great it is to work remotely, but it’s not providing the reader with what they picked up the book for.
This happens more often than not in the books I edit. One thing leads to another, and soon the original topic has been left behind for a tangent that, while perhaps interesting, isn’t what the reader of this particular book signed up for.
You must always remember the topic of the book you are writing. The reason this is so important is that, with the title and subtitle of the book, the blurb, and even the chapter titles, you’ve made a promise to the reader that your book will be about something specific. When it veers off topic, it leaves readers trying to decide if they are willing to keep reading until it gets back to the topic that made them pick up the book in the first place.
So, how does this happen so easily with nonfiction, particularly with self-help authors? The biggest reason I find is that they haven’t clearly identified their target audience. Or, if they have, they forget who the audience is, that target reader, when they are writing the book.
Not Knowing the Target Reader
Every book has a target reader. Some topics have a broader section of readers than others, but in general, a writer should be able to determine who is going to read this book and why.
In my example above, for instance, the target reader of Living Well While Working Remotely is someone who is already a remote working, who wants to learn how to better take care of themselves or to practice healthy habits while working at home, where it’s not always easy to turn work off.
Keeping that target reader in mind, it’s easy to see why going off on tangents about how working in an office can be awful, due to bad bosses and terrible coworkers, isn’t going to keep the interest of this reader, who is already working at home. They likely don’t need to be convinced that remote working is better.
Instead, they want information on self-care, health, fitness, and other things related to living well while they are working at home.
It’s always to the benefit of the reader to meet their expectations. But what if you haven’t even figured out who you’re writing for?
If you don’t know who you’re writing for, it’s easy to write a book about “everything you know” rather than everything you know that will help solve a problem for this person.
By identifying your target reader, you’ll automatically stay on topic, solving both of the biggest issues at once!
So, how do you go about identifying your target reader? By nailing down specifically who this book is for.
Consider the following:
- What is your book about, and who would benefit most from reading it?
- Who is likely to read the title of your book and the back cover copy and decide they need to read this?
- What problems are you solving with this book, and who has this problem?
Answer all these questions on paper (or a document). (Hint: “Everyone” is not an acceptable answer…if that’s who you think your target reader is, you need to narrow the focus of your book.) Really get detailed and specific!
For example, in this instance, just saying that your book is for someone working remotely isn’t enough. It’s specifically for a person, already working remotely, who is struggling with self-care, mental or physical health, and/or fitness, as well as separating work life and personal life.
Knowing these details about your target reader means you can speak directly to that person as you write. This will dictate which examples you use, what topics you include, and how you present these topics.
As you write, if you still find the target reader too general, you may wish to add more detail. Maybe your target reader is a single person, or a mom, or just someone in the tech industry. By adding more specifics about the target reader, you further clarify what the applicable topics are, as well as what examples would be most beneficial to that particular reader. And this will help keep you on topic as you write the book.
Putting it All Together
Write down your title, subtitle, and any keywords relevant to your topic and then, under that, make a detailed note about who your target reader is. Put that in a prominent place as you write and revisit it often.
Often as you write, particularly when you find yourself wanting to tell a story or give an example or offer advice, stop and read your note. Is your story/example/advice on topic for this reader? Is it relevant to your target reader? If not, can you make it on-topic and relevant? If not, it shouldn’t be in this book. I say it like that because that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be in another book or article or in some other format. It just doesn’t belong in this particular book, because you have identified what this book is about and who it is for.
Notice, too, that I asked if you could make this story/example/advice on-topic and relevant? It’s often possible to adjust something to make it relevant to your topic and target reader. In the example above about the terrible boss and coworkers at your previously awful job, maybe you used that experience to make the decision to get a job that allowed you to work remotely. Did you make that decision because you realized your health, physical or mental, was suffering and that, in order to be your best self, you needed to work for yourself or work from home…only to discover that self-care didn’t come as automatically as you thought it would, and that’s why you decided to change your life and write a book about your experiences?
See what I did there? I took an anecdote that was off-topic and not relevant for your target reader, and I brought it back around so that it fit both of those criteria. Reminding your target reader of the benefit of more time for self-care, but also reminding them that they have to make a conscious choice to do so and take the necessary steps…you’ve made it on-topic for this particular book and relevant to this particular reader.
To summarize, the two things many nonfiction authors get wrong are not sticking to the topic of the book and not knowing the target reader. Once you have narrowed down the topic and identified your target reader, keeping those two things in mind while writing everything from the chapter titles, to the examples you use, and the advice you give, will ensure that the reader who picks up this particular book is getting what they paid for.
Work with me!
Whether preparing to self-publish or to start the submission process, I’m here to help! You can Request a Quote today. If I think we might be a good fit, I’ll provide a 3- to 5-page sample edit of your manuscript to show you what I can do for you!