10 Steps to Writing a Nonfiction Book

Updated October 2026

I first wrote this guide after publishing my first book. Five books later, the steps haven’t changed much, but the tools sure have. So here’s the refreshed version: ten steps to write a nonfiction book, with the tools I actually use in 2026.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

1. Understand why you want to write a book

Determine your objective and goals before you write a word. Ask yourself: What is the objective of writing a book on this subject? How can my book solve a problem? Which niche market will I address? What steps do I need to take to reach my objective?

What is the objective?

Your objective should be one sentence that includes your ideas and values. Here’s the one I wrote for my first book, Time to Refresh:

I want to write and publish a book that encourages and inspires women to move forward after being laid off, fired, or pushed to the sideline.

What are the goals?

Goals are the steps you take to accomplish your objective. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Here’s what mine looked like for that first book (yes, I really did cut back on television):

• Specific – I will write one book this year.
• Measurable – I will spend at least two hours per day working on the book.
• Achievable – I can achieve this if I cut back on my television time.
• Relevant – I need to write my book to inspire other people and begin a new writing career.
• Timely – I will finish writing my book in six months.

2. Know your ideal reader

Before you begin writing, identify your target audience. Picture one reader, not a crowd. A few questions to get you started:

• Who is my reader, and what season of life is she in?
• What problem keeps her up at night?
• What pain points would lead her to pick up my book?
• What does she want to feel, know, or do when she finishes the last page?

3. Brainstorm ideas

Set aside time to brainstorm before you start writing. Explore questions like:

• What’s my book about?
• Has this story been told before? If so, what can I share that is new?
• What’s the structure for my nonfiction book?
• What stories should I include to bring my book to life?
• Who should I interview?

Then create a mind map: your central idea in the middle, subtopics branching out. A notebook works. A wall full of Post-it Notes works (and looks impressive when family walks by). I like to keep my ideas digital so I can write on the go, so I use MindMeister, a web-based mind mapping tool with easy templates. Here’s one of my boards.

4. Create an outline

Take what came out of your mind map and organize it in a logical order. For each chapter, write a one-line job description: what this chapter does for the reader. Then list the questions your reader would ask, and the questions she should ask. Those lists will guide your research and show you what’s missing (and what doesn’t belong in this book at all).

Microsoft Word works fine for outlining. I use Scrivener to keep my notes, research, and chapters in one place, and I still think it’s worth learning. If you’d rather outline on paper first, a simple spiral notebook is honestly all you need. (I may own more journals and notebooks than one person should admit to.)

5. Do research before you start writing

Gather research related to your outline’s questions and main points. Collect as much as you need, but don’t overdo it. Research is a wonderful place to hide from writing. Keep track of your sources by recording:

• The title of each book, article, or website
• Publication dates and publisher
• Page numbers and URLs
• Names and titles of people you interview

A 2026 note: AI tools can speed up research, summarize sources, and help you find what you’re looking for faster. Use them for that if you like. But check every fact against the original source before it goes in your book, and never let a tool write the book for you. Your reader came for your story and your voice, and no machine has lived your life.

6. Write the first draft

Prepare to write

Using your outline and research notes, write each chapter of your book. Do not edit during this phase. Just write. Take one chapter at a time, and decide up front whether you’re writing in first person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (she/he/they).

During the writing process

Use a timer during your writing sessions. Write for 25, 30, or 45 minutes, then reward yourself with a break. Maybe you have four 45-minute sessions in you on Monday and one 30-minute session on Tuesday morning. That’s fine. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t devote the same amount of time every day. Just write. I like a visual timer sitting on the desk where I can see the time draining away. It keeps me off my phone, which is where writing sessions go to die.

Book structure

Decide which components you want to include in your book:

• Foreword – Written by someone other than the author.
• Dedication – The names of one or two special people who inspire and support you.
• Author bio – A short biography for the back cover and a longer one for the book itself.
• Introduction – A brief message about what led you to write the book.
• Overview – A “How to Use This Book” or “What You Will Learn” page that summarizes what the reader can expect.
• Chapters – Each chapter should be easy to read and should tell your story.
• Summary – The last chapter should summarize your key points, inspire readers, or give them direction on what to do next.
• Glossary – Only if your book contains a lot of jargon or acronyms.
• Source page – The sources you cite throughout the book: titles, author names, page numbers.

7. Rewrite

Once you have your first draft completed (good job, truly), it’s time to review, edit, and rewrite. Look for opportunities to strengthen points, add examples, and remove text that isn’t earning its place. I use Grammarly and ProWritingAid in this phase.

Grammarly is my everyday tool for grammar and proofreading, in emails, blog posts, and book chapters alike. ProWritingAid goes deeper: before I send a draft to my editor, I run it through ProWritingAid to catch overused words, repeated words, and sentences that run on too long. Its readability reports show me how easy or difficult the text is for readers.

8. Edit

After self-editing, hire a professional. Software catches typos. A human editor catches the chapter that doesn’t belong. The types of editors:

• Developmental editor. Provides a structural edit to ensure the text flows well, makes logical points, and answers expected questions. Works with you during the writing phase.
• Copy or line editor. Conducts a word-by-word review to correct grammar, spelling, typos, and consistency, after you’ve rewritten and self-edited.
• Proofreader. The final set of eyes before print, making sure the book is truly ready for publication.

9. Book design and formatting

Interior layout

This is the step that has changed the most since I first wrote this guide. These days I format my books in Atticus, an all-in-one writing and formatting tool built for self-published authors. It turns your manuscript into a professional print and ebook layout without a design degree. Whatever tool you use, keep the text easy to read with a standard serif font: Garamond, Baskerville, Century Schoolbook, Times New Roman, or Palatino Linotype.

Book cover

Either hire a professional designer on Fiverr or design the cover yourself with Canva. Either way, your cover needs:

• Bold, easy-to-read fonts that survive being shrunk to a thumbnail (most readers will meet your cover as a tiny image on a phone)
• High-quality images
• An attractive color palette

10. Publish

Decide how you want to publish your book. Your main choices in 2026:

• Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Amazon’s self-publishing platform for ebook and paperback. Free to use, and your book reaches the biggest bookstore in the world. I published The GLOW Journal this way.
• Print on demand through IngramSpark. IngramSpark prints your book on request and distributes to Amazon, bookstores, and libraries worldwide. I used IngramSpark for Time to Reset, and many authors use it alongside KDP to reach stores Amazon doesn’t.
• Hybrid publishing. You hire a company to produce, publish, print, and distribute your book. Vet them carefully, because the good ones are worth it and the bad ones are expensive.
• Offset printing. Large quantities at a low wholesale cost, but you store and distribute the books yourself. Think garage full of boxes.

A few things worth keeping on your desk

These are the kinds of tools I reach for again and again, all on Amazon:

• Writing for the Soul by Jerry Jenkins – I’m a graduate of the Jerry Jenkins Christian Writers Guild apprentice program, and his craft wisdom shaped how I write.
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser – The classic on writing nonfiction clearly. If you only buy one craft book, buy this one.
• A visual timer – For the timed writing sessions in step 6.
• A good journal – Every one of my books started as journal entries. Never underestimate paper.

And of course, you can find all five of my books on my Amazon author page.

About the author: Karen Brown Tyson is an award-winning author, writing coach, and communications professional. She is the author of the Time to devotional series (Time to Refresh, Time to Reset, and Time to Rejoice), Better After the Battle, and The GLOW Journal. Karen coaches first-time authors writing inspirational nonfiction.