How to Know if You’re Ready to Write a Nonfiction Book

Writing a book is a huge undertaking, akin to running a marathon. Many writers I’ve worked with assume that the first step is to open a document and type “chapter 1”, only to feel instantly overwhelmed and unqualified. That would be like me going from three light gym workouts a week to running a marathon. Even a 5K isn’t happening on short notice! 

Much of that overwhelm, whether you’re talking about book writing or running, comes from trying to do something too big before you’re ready. So, when are you ready to start writing that book? Some of it depends on whether you plan to self-publish or seek traditional publishing, but either way, you need to cross these milestones first:

Milestones to Reach Before You’re Ready to Write Your Book

1. Write on your topic publicly in shorter formats.

Just like training for a longer race, you need to practice and grow your endurance in smaller increments first.

Start by writing blog posts and online articles on your topic. You can also write social media captions or Substack essays. Get into the rhythm of writing publicly on the topic you will write your book on. 

One reason to do this is that it will get you “warmed up” for writing longer chapters. A typical blog post or article is usually around 800-1200 words. A nonfiction book chapter is frequently closer to at least 3000 words. That will feel like a big jump as it is, but going from 1200-3000 is easier than 0-3000!

Another reason is that it helps us overcome, or at least ease, the fear of being vulnerable. It’s hard to write publicly. Many writers struggle with opening themselves up to criticism when they put their words out into the world. But if the purpose of writing your book is for others to read it, we need to wrestle with the fear of vulnerability and criticism.

Writing on your topic in shorter formats also helps you to hone your idea and see what resonates with readers. As you post publicly, you’ll get feedback and learn which concepts really connect with your readers and which ones fall flat. You’ll also get comments and questions that will help you think about your topic in new ways and expand and deepen your ideas.

You will also be gathering a group of readers who want to hear more from you. Those readers are potential buyers for your book.

2. Know who exactly your book is for and how it will help that reader.

As I have talked with acquisitions editors, publishers, and agents, one of the most frequently mentioned deficits they see in book proposals and queries is a well-defined target reader for their book. We want our books to reach everyone and leave no one out! But in trying to be inclusive, we don’t actually serve anyone well. 

As you refine your idea, take time to get very clear on who exactly will benefit from your book and how. What need does it address? How does it accomplish that? What transformation does it promise that reader? 

If you would like to dive deeper into this, check out my podcast episodes 141 and 142. You can also download “10 Questions to Ask to Uncover Who You’re Writing For and How You Serve Them”.

3. Learn how to get the word out about your book before and after it’s published.

Marketing. It makes many of us cringe, but it doesn’t need to. The point of writing for others is to honor God with our gift and to build up the Body of Christ. Marketing is just a way to make our words accessible to those who need them. 

Writing the book is only part of the process. We will waste all that effort if we don’t work to get that book into the hands of those it will most help. If you want to be traditionally published, that marketing plan will be included in your book proposal. Some options to learn about and develop are having a growing email list, being a guest on a podcast or other website, or public speaking on your topic. Consider what other ways you can connect with the ideal reader for your book. Even if you don’t have it all figured out yet, are you willing to learn and try?

Don’t let fear and overwhelm stop you

There is a lot that goes into writing a book, but getting these three milestones down will help you develop your writing skills and provide the focus and clarity that will make the whole process much less intimidating and overwhelming. Just as in training for a race, the more you practice and exercise in smaller chunks, the more you will build your confidence that you can go farther. 

And what is more satisfying than seeing the results after countless hours of work? As your audience responds and comments on your work, showing that they resonate with it and are helped by it, the more you will want to serve them and the less you will be hindered by fear and overwhelm. 

I encourage you to decide which milestone is next for you and start working toward meeting it. If you need help or encouragement along the way, take a look at the resources on my website: amylynnsimon.com