“Unveiling the Common Pitfalls: 7 Surprising Mistakes That Can Derail Your Nonfiction Book!”
Creating a worthwhile book is not as simple as it sounds… Have you ever sat down at your computer, fingers hovering over the keys, wondering why the words just won’t come? It’s as if the pressure to produce something spectacular paralyzes the creativity flow! Well, you’re not alone. Many aspiring writers grapple with the fundamental question: how do you craft a nonfiction book that resonates with your audience? In this piece, I share my personal journey of transformation—from a chaotic collection of healing drafts to a structured manuscript brimming with insights. So, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let’s dive deep into the often turbulent waters of writing and discovery. You might just find the inspiration you need to start or rekindle your own writing journey. Curious to learn more? LEARN MORE
Creating a worthwhile book is not as simple as you might think
You need to write your book the right way to start with, but how do you write a nonfiction book? Start with knowing your audience, your message, and your teaching points or takeaways. I didn’t.
I started my book as a healing draft about my days teaching economics. That healing draft ended with me ranting about the end of my teaching career. I wrote this in a writing community that was big on accountability, but didn’t have set times to write together.
The writing process was painful. I had been severely depressed for three years, after I became disabled. Nothing wrong with getting that out of the way. It was time to move on.
I needed to do more, and I needed a community that had established times to write together.
No place to write
Sometime in 2021, I started taking advantage of another community, Bookcamp, so I could write more often — develop a writing habit.
In January 2022, someone at Bookcamp said in conversation, “I just don’t get inflation.”
I said, “I can explain that!”
So, that was the first glimmer of my audience. And an inspiration for the book I had to write.
It took another year to find the right place to write that book. I started going to writing sprints on BookCamp and, after a while, got in the habit of writing every day. I’m the first to admit that I’m not disciplined — it was necessary, when I was teaching, to attend school three times a week to get my teaching and academic activities taken care of.
I found sprints via a BookCamp lead to AJ Harper and her book Write a Must Read, and joined the community for weekday writing sprints in November. I showed up at 4pm every weekday and still do — to write. By January 31, 2023, a miracle — 35,000 words and a rough draft.
Some friends agreed to read and react, so I got a lot of helpful comments. Everyone thought it was worth pursuing further. In April 2023, I sent it to an editor, Melissa Haskins, who specializes in dissertations on economics and related topics. She went…
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