How to write a nonfiction book, stage by stage.
Ten stages, from "why am I writing this?" to choosing how to publish. Each stage tells you what to decide, what to make, and the mistakes that stall most first-time authors. Read it in order, or jump to where you are stuck.
- 10 stages, free to read
- 3,000+ books published by Scribe
What to do, in the order that works
Most stalled books are stalled because a stage was skipped, usually the first three. Each stage ends with what you should have in hand before moving on.
Decide why and who
What the book is for, and the one reader it is written for.
Read stage 1 → Stage 2Test your book idea
Turn a topic into a promise, and check it against the books already out there.
Read stage 2 → Stage 3Outline the book
Five nonfiction structures, sample tables of contents, and how to outline a chapter.
Read stage 3 → Stage 4Gather stories and research
Find the proof every chapter needs, and handle real people's stories with care.
Read stage 4 → Stage 5Set the length and the plan
How long the book should be, and a writing schedule built from your real week.
Read stage 5 → Stage 6Write the first draft
A chapter template and the drafting rules that keep you moving.
Read stage 6 → Stage 7Revise your draft
The order of revision passes, from structure down to sentences.
Read stage 7 → Stage 8Title and subtitle
What each one has to do, patterns that work, and how to test them.
Read stage 8 → Stage 9Introduction, conclusion and extras
The parts readers judge first, and the parts around the book.
Read stage 9 → Stage 10Choose how to publish
Traditional, self, hybrid and assisted publishing, compared honestly.
Read stage 10 →Build your outline while you read
The outline builder walks you through Stages 1 to 3: your reader, your promise, a structure, then a point, a story and a takeaway for every chapter. It saves in your browser, and you can copy, download or print the result.
Tools and companion guides
Find your title the way editors do
Brainstorm book titles with eight proven patterns, shortlist ten, pair each with a subtitle and test them on a thumbnail cover. A free worksheet that saves in your browser.
Read →How to write a nonfiction book proposal: sections, template and a worked example
What each part of a nonfiction book proposal must prove, a fill-in template for every section, a worked example, how to pick comp titles, mistakes to avoid.
Read →How to write a book introduction, with example openings and a template
How to write a nonfiction book introduction: the six parts in order, six original example openings by hook type, a worked outline, a template and mistakes.
Read →How to write a book description for a nonfiction book, with a template and examples
How to write a nonfiction book description: the five parts in order, Amazon's length and HTML rules, back cover vs online, a template and original examples.
Read →How to write an author bio for a nonfiction book, with templates and examples
What a nonfiction author bio is for, the versions you need, first or third person, a fill-in template for each, and weak and stronger examples side by side.
Read →Foreword vs preface vs introduction vs prologue
Who writes each one, where it goes in the book, how long it runs, and which a nonfiction book actually needs.
Read →How to write book acknowledgments
Who to thank, in what order, where the section goes, a fill-in template and 24 example lines by type.
Read →What an epigraph is in a book
Where it goes, how to format and credit it, chapter epigraphs, permission and fair use, and how to choose one.
Read →How to write a book copyright page
The copyright notice, rights statement, ISBNs, edition, credits and disclaimers, with a template, an example and where it goes.
Read →What an author's note is
What it covers, where it goes, how it differs from a preface, and a template with three short examples.
Read →How to start a book
Seven steps for your first week: the reader, a one-sentence promise, a test, chapters, stories, a writing time and the first pages.
Read →How to write a self-help book
Define the reader and the change, use your story in service of the lesson, structure the path and build chapters readers act on.
Read →Book layout
Trim sizes, Amazon KDP's margin rules, the parts of a page, chapter openings, and template vs software vs designer.
Read →How to write a book table of contents
What goes in it, chapter titles that sell the book, building it in Word or Google Docs, print vs ebook, a template and an example.
Read →Prologue examples
Six short prologues for memoir and nonfiction, the technique each one uses, and whether your book needs one.
Read →Afterword vs epilogue
What an afterword is, how it differs from an epilogue and a conclusion, whether you need one, and how to write it.
Read →What an appendix is in a book
What belongs in one, how it differs from notes, a glossary and resources, and how to label and place it.
Read →How to write a book dedication, with 35 examples by type
How to write a book dedication for a nonfiction book: where it goes, who it can be for, a fill-in formula, mistakes to avoid and 35 original examples by type.
Read →Can AI write a book? An honest answer for nonfiction authors
Where AI tools help a nonfiction author and where they hurt, what Amazon KDP and the US Copyright Office say about AI content, and how to choose a tool.
Read →Assisted self-publishing: what you pay for, what you keep, and how to vet a company
What assisted self-publishing is, how it differs from hybrid and vanity presses, what a package should include, how the money works, and what to ask first.
Read →Written by people who make books for a living
The Scribe Guide is made by Scribe Media, a book writing and publishing company in Austin, Texas that has published more than 3,000 books, including 23 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. Scribe sells writing and publishing services; this guide is for people who want to understand the work, whether they do it themselves or not. Read how the guide was written.
Common questions
What are the steps to writing a book?
For a nonfiction book, ten steps in this order: 1. decide why you are writing it and who it is for; 2. test the idea; 3. outline the book; 4. gather stories and research; 5. set the length and a writing plan; 6. write the first draft; 7. revise it; 8. choose the title and subtitle; 9. write the introduction, conclusion and the parts around the book; 10. choose how to publish. Each step has its own page in this guide, starting with stage 1.
How do you start writing a nonfiction book?
Not with chapter one. Start by deciding what the book is for and who it is for (Stage 1), then shape the idea into a promise you can say in one sentence (Stage 2), then outline (Stage 3). Writers who skip those steps tend to stall in the middle of the draft.
How long does it take to write a nonfiction book?
It depends on your hours and your pace. The Scribe Method, Scribe Media's free book on writing, puts a typical pace at about 250 words an hour, which means a 30,000-word first draft takes about four months at 250 words a day. Stage 5 shows how to build your own schedule.
Do I need to be a good writer to write a nonfiction book?
You need to be clear, not fancy. Nonfiction readers want an idea they can use, proved with stories and examples. Clear thinking in an outline does more for a book than polished sentences, and sentences can be fixed in revision.
Is this guide really free?
Yes. Every stage is free to read with no sign-up. The guide is made by Scribe Media, which sells book writing and publishing services, and says so. Where a paid service is a sensible next step, the guide says what it costs; most of the guide is about doing the work yourself.