BOOK TYPE & STRUCTURENon-fiction books have no hard and fast rules. You can literally lay out and structure a non-fiction book any way you like. You could have 52 pages with a mantra on each page, 21 chapters, 100 chapters, 7 steps, a collection of stories, one half as theory and one half as a journal. It is absolutely endless what you can do.

This unlimited range of options is one thing that can get non-fiction authors completely stuck and numb as to where to start. I do not want this to be you. Instead, I’m sharing with you two of the easiest structures so you can get started.

YOUR book tYPE & STRUCTURE

1. How-To structure

HOW-TO STRUCTUREExcellent for you if:

· You are using a program/course with clients already and you want to turn it into a book

· You are writing a guide or a step-by-step book

· You have a systematic/formulaic approach to your work

· What you want to write builds upon each other eg. foundation, step 1, step 2, step 3 etc

· You want to write a curriculum

· You have an objective to write a book that then becomes a course

2. principles structure

PRINCIPLES STRUCTUREExcellent for you if:

· You have a lot of disparate ideas that all sit under one topic

· You don’t think in a systemised, step-by-step way

· You like the idea of different sections of a book and could see your ‘pieces’ of work going in different sections eg. Part I, Part II, Part III

· You could imagine writing your book as a collection of musings, anecdotes, stories, movements, pieces

mapping out how-to ideas

If you like the how-to structure this means you connect with writing a book that is fairly linear in its approach. You might incorporate steps, a formula, a system, a framework, a guide. Jot down your ideas for these how-to steps in the table below.

Write your book topic from yesterday’s worksheet:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

*NOTE: It doesn’t have to be 8 Steps – it could be just 4 or 5 or whatever works for you

*NOTE: If a table is too restrictive, write down your ideas in this space below:

mapping out principles ideas

If you like the principles structure this means you connect with different ideas that sit under one topic. NOTE: There will still be a flow for ‘principles’ but the best thing to do first is to get all of the different ideas down in front of you. Jot down all the principles ideas you have in the table below.

Write your book topic from yesterday’s worksheet:

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea

* If a table is too restrictive, write down your ideas in this space below:

extra notes

Who Is Emma?

Emma Franklin Bell has been working for herself and running her own businesses since 2002. Her latest focus is as the founder and creator of Manuscript Mastery® – the book writing program that takes business women from idea to completed 20,000+ word first-draft in 8 weeks.

Emma is the author of 3 self-published books, 2 podcasts, and several successful online programs.

Emma has bought and sold businesses, managed teams and traversed industries from the performing arts to marketing, to online business to managing millions of dollars’ worth of property in her family real estate business.

Emma holds a BA Communication, Diplomas in Marketing & Public Speaking as well as the Cert IV TAE and is a licensed Real Estate Agent in NSW.

Emma is passionate about women making money, business success, creative fulfillment and living an intuitive life.

©2019 Emma Franklin Bell. This document is not to be copied, distributed or shared without written permission of the author.