You find yourself sitting in front of your computer one day, ready to write that book that you have been thinking about writing for some time, when suddenly, you come face-to-face with one of the biggest questions… what is the ideal book length for this specific project? Although I am an advocate of writing a book without having a word count in mind, it is important to be aware of the general guidelines for each genre so that you know what the readers expect.

Here is a basic guide about ideal book length for fiction and non-fiction books.

Fiction

When thinking about writing fiction, you must consider four important book length categories: short story, novelette, novella, and novel.

A short story is usually about a single event and it is focused on creating a mood rather than explaining a plot. It is usually under 7,500 words.

A novelette is usually of romantic or sentimental nature. Novelettes are between 7,500 and 17,500 words in length.

A novella is shorter than a novel and usually does not contain chapters. Novellas were very popular in the 19^th and 20^th centuries and are usually between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Some famous examples are “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck.

A novel is usually long, involves different characters and it’s divided into chapters. Any book that contains more than 40,000 words is considered a novel. Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series fall under this category.

Now that we have discussed the previous four fiction categories, let’s look at the recommended book length for different types of fiction.

Western fiction usually runs between 50,000 and 80,000 words.

Young adult is usually anywhere between 50,000 to 70,000 words.

Romance novels are between 50,000 and 100,000 words.

History fiction can easily be around 100,000 words.

Women’s fiction can be as short as 75,000 but it can reach up to 120,000 words.

Crime and Thrillers tend to be a bit longer; they range from 75,000 to 130,000 words.

Science and Fantasy fiction are the most extensive of them all because of how intricate the settings and the plots are. They can be up to 180,000 words but most do not exceed the 150,000-word mark.

Non-fiction

Non-fiction does not have a word minimum or limit. The book length will depend on what topic is being discussed and how detailed it is. Popular non-fiction goes anywhere between 70,000 and 120,000 words. Other non-fiction such as Memoirs and Biographies tend to go between 70,000 and 100,000 words. But not all non-fiction is this long. There are many How-To books and Manuals that are as short as 7,500 words.

How Long Should a Book Be?

After briefly looking at the different genres and their suggested book length, it is easier to decide how long should a book be. I suggest for you to start writing your book without limitations and without worrying about having to fall within a range. It is important to keep in mind the word range for your genre but it should not be an influencing factor when you are writing.

In the unlikely event that you end up writing your first book as a novel with over 150,000 words, you can always reduce the book length during the editing process. You can also reconsider if the book should stay as a stand-alone book or if you should turn it into a series. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure that your story is of quality, avoid rambling, and provide your reader with a good story that is not rushed or too long.

Happy writing!

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1- Choose what type of nonfiction you will write

The very first step is to define exactly what you will be writing. Will you be writing about topics that are trending or will you be writing about topics that you already know? If you are writing about topics that are trending, doing a quick search on Amazon will help you identify some keywords that people are already looking for. This keyword search will help later when deciding what title to have for your book. If you decide to go with writing what you already know, then you already have an idea of what type of writing you will be doing based on your experience and expertise. You also need to identify your audience. Will this book be for adults, teenagers, business people, or will it be for any audience? Knowing your target audience will make the process of writing the book more effective. It will determine what language you will use (professional vs. casual) and how to present the information (brief vs. detailed).

2- Decide on the topic

Now that you have decided what type of nonfiction you will be writing, the next step is to decide on a specific topic. Define what kind of book you will be writing. Will it be a know-how-to book or will it be informational? This will help you define what topic or topics you want to cover. Do a niche search for nonfiction books on amazon by going to the best seller list and see what people are buying. Once you have chosen the topic that you will be writing about, do a quick search with that topic. Imagine that you are writing a book about vegetarian diet. Doing a quick search will provide you topics that people are already searching for such as “vegetarian diet for kidney disease” or “vegetarian diet for weight loss”. This will help you define your niche even further and make it more targeted. Keyword research will also help you decide on the title of your book. Make sure that your title includes those words people are already searching for.

Besides deciding on what topic you will be writing about, you also need to consider if you will need further research. If you already have experience on the topic, your research will be minimal to none. However, if you choose a topic that you are not familiar with, you will have to do research. Have a plan of action for your research. Decide what sources of information you will use (books, magazines, blogs, articles) and where to get them from (internet, library, your book collection). Do not get carried away with this task. Many people make the mistake of spending too much time researching that the writing of the book gets postponed for weeks.

3- Write down a simple outline

This is the part where you need to brainstorm about what the structure of your book will look like. Come up with an outline of what your chapters will be by choosing the topics you will be addressing throughout the book. Make sure that you have an introduction to the topic of your book; not every reader is familiar with the topic you are presenting. If you are going to write more advanced information and leave an introduction out, make sure that you let your reader know in advance that the book is not suitable for beginners.

If you are having a hard time coming up with an outline, read books that are in your niche. Analyze how their chapters are broken up to give you an idea on how to better organize your outline. Having a bulleted list of your main topics will make it easier for you to write each chapter in your book.

4- Set a writing schedule

It is important that you dedicate time to your writing and that you set up deadlines. If you do not set deadlines or goals for your project, it can take longer than what it should. Set deadlines will give you accountability so that you can finish tasks in a timely manner. Creating a to-do list will help with this task. Not only do you need to set up time for the writing process, but you should also set a time frame of when you want to finish your book by. This means that you need to come up with a time frame for your research, your first draft, your editing process, your cover creation and your launching date. Mapping this out will help you stick to your writing schedule.

Find a quiet and peaceful place for your writing, away from interruptions. Do not have electronics around you that can be of distraction like a TV or your cellphone . Create an atmosphere that is optimal for writing and try to set up a time out of each day to work on your project. Everybody is different. What may work for you may not work for others. Some people find that they can write better when they are listening to music; others must be in a completely quiet environment. Find what works better for your, develop an action plan of how much time you will spend and how often you will write, and stick to it.

5- Create the first draft

Now that you have gone through the first four steps, you are ready to start the biggest task… writing your first draft. Following the outline that you created on step four will make this step easier. At this point, do not be too concerned about grammatical errors or readability. This is not the time to be a perfectionist. Try to write down your ideas as they come to mind and do not break your writing flow by stopping to make corrections.

6- Edit your draft

After you have written your first draft, go back to read it in its entirety. This is the time to pay close attention to all the typos and you will have the opportunity to see how your thoughts flow throughout the book. It is important to look at your draft with a fresh set of eyes. This means that you shouldn’t jump into editing mode as soon as you are done writing your draft.

After you have edited your draft, have someone else read it and ask for feedback. This will give you a reader’s perspective. Make the necessary corrections and read it one more time. If you can, hire a professional editor. You can find one on websites like Fiverr or Upwork.

7- Create a cover page

Creating the cover page for your book will be one of the most important tasks to do. The reason being, your cover page is your first marketing tool. If your cover page is not attractive enough, readers will not even bother looking at it to learn more about your book. This is the reason why it is important to outsource this part of the process if you do not have previous experience designing cover pages. Cover page designers can also be find on Fiverr and Upwork.

8- Monetize

Once your book has been complete, I strongly suggest that you monetize it. At the end of the book, include a call to action such as subscribing to your list to receive quality content in the future. When you convert readers to subscribers, it gives you the opportunity to further promote your books or any other products that you sell. You can also include affiliate links for products that are related to your book.

Congratulations! Now you know how to write nonfiction. Keep in mind that not all nonfiction will be a success. There is a lot of research that needs to be done to identify what works and what doesn’t. With that in mind, be prepared to fail. You will have really good books and you will have those that do not perform. However, every book you write is a learning process. Learn from your mistakes and apply what works to your future writing. It is important to continue working and to never give up.

Happy writing!

The post HOW TO WRITE NONFICTION IN 8 SIMPLE STEPS appeared first on Project Online Publishing.

When thinking about publishing, one of the most common questions that come to mind is whether to publish fiction or nonfiction. To decide what is the best option for you, let’s look at what each one entails and how they differ.

Definition

Fiction is anything that is not real and it usually comes from someone’s imagination and ideas. The characters and their actions are the creation of the writer’s mind. Nonfiction, on the other hand, is factual and real. It requires research and provides information or a solution to a problem.

Writing Process

The writing process for fiction is lengthy. It requires, like I mentioned before, for the writer to imagine and create characters and their personalities (what they like, dislike, behaviors, interests), the setting, point of view, and the conflict or challenge the protagonist faces that will turn into the plot of the story. It can be said that writing fiction is not an easy process, since the writer must really think about how the whole story will unfold. It also requires hours and hours of writing that can turn into a very exhausting task.
Writing nonfiction is an easier and shorter process. Many times, authors focus on topics that they already have knowledge of, making it a more convenient and faster task. We all have knowledge in some areas that we can easily share with other people such as recipes, how to do something, or even hobbies. It is a matter of pouring knowledge into a piece of paper in an organized matter to provide a solution or help to a problem or to provide general information on a specific topic. Nonfiction books tend to be short and to the point.

Competition

When talking about competition, fiction and nonfiction can be totally different. Both will have competition, don’t get me wrong, but the demands of each market vary. For instance, fiction readers tend to be high consumers. They love to read multiple books to quench that thirst for a good story. Since the demand for this type of content is high, competition is fierce. It is difficult to break into the market and establish a name for yourself. However, it is not impossible. It takes for the writer to consistently create good, compelling stories to start building a following.

Nonfiction writers tend to have less competition if the topic they are writing about is in a specific niche. For instance, let’s say a writer decides to write a book about soccer coaching techniques. It is true that there may be many books out there about soccer coaching techniques. However, if the writer gets more specific like writing soccer coaching techniques for toddlers, competition will be less because it is a very specific topic that is targeted to a very specific audience. The key to lessen the competition is to do research and find a niche where there is a high demand but not enough supply.

Revenue

Many writers decide what to write based on how much money they can make out of it. Although people have different opinions about which one is more profitable, let me share with you what I have found out.

Fiction will take longer to generate revenue. If you do not have a following, it will take some time for you to establish yourself as a writer. However, due to the high demand for fiction, if you consistently publish fiction, a following will eventually come. Make sure you start building your list of readers so that you can promote your future books to them. How can you do this? You can start by providing something of value. Perhaps, another book you wrote for free, or the first chapter of your next book if you are writing a series. An author’s blog is also a great way to build your list.

Fiction readers tend to read a lot of books, since they provide great entertainment. All it takes is to analyze the best sellers page on Amazon to see that fiction sells more than nonfiction. However, you must be careful as to what genre you publish in and what platform you use. Romance is always a genre that people will have an interest in and it usually sells well in both, eBook and paperback format. However, there are exceptions like Erotica. This genre sells well as an eBook but paperback sales are very low. The reason, many readers prefer not to be seen in public reading books in this genre.

Nonfiction pays better in the short run due to lower competition. Readers also tend to pay a bit more for nonfiction when they are looking for a solution to a problem or when they want to learn something. However, this is usually a one-time occurrence. If you are to publish books about different topics, chances are, your audience will differ with each book, making it hard to sell multiple books to the same reader.

On the other hand, nonfiction allows for back-end sales through affiliate links or links to your own products. Let’s imagine you write a book about golfing techniques. At the end of the book you can have a call to action such as a subscription to your site in exchange for step-by-step golfing lessons, and an irresistible offer such as golfing equipment at a discounted price through affiliate links. This will further monetize your book, which will eventually result in more revenue.

Fiction or Nonfiction?

There is no right or wrong answer for this question. My suggestion is to start publishing in whichever is easier for you to write in and have a passion for. The more that you write, given that it is quality content, the more that you will be benefiting others -whether it is a solution to a problem or providing entertainment through a great story. The more quality content that you create, the more followers you will have, which in turn will result in more sales.

Let’s keep in mind that there is a lot of fiction books out there. To avoid getting lost in the sea of stories, you have to make sure that you offer your readers a unique experience through stories that will keep them engaged throughout the entire book. For nonfiction, keep in mind that a lot of information can now be reached with just a click of a button through search engines. You must provide your readers with high-quality content in an organized matter that will save the reader time and effort if they were to research it somewhere else.

The bottom line is, fiction and nonfiction can both be very profitable if you do your writing and marketing the right way. So, I do suggest that you venture into both. After all, why limit yourself to just one?

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