Based on the nonfiction submissions I get for freelance editing and those I receive at CrossRiver Media Group, it seems as though a lot of people are writing nonfiction these days.
People read fiction for varying reasons, though entertainment leads the list.
However, I doubt most people read nonfiction for its entertainment value. I read it because I want to learn something (but one of the most entertaining nonfiction books I’ve ever read is Randy Ingermanson’s How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method.)
Why will your readers want to buy and read your book?
If you’re a pantser, you might find yourself getting lost while writing the draft. Not lost as in “it’s flowing out me so furiously that I lost myself in the writing,” but as in “I’m lost, I don’t know what to write next.” This is where first determining your structure and organization before you start writing will help keep you clacking away at those keys when you sit down to write.
6 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Nonfiction
Self-editing nonfiction starts in the same manner as fiction, with examining big picture items. But most certainly, the big picture items are different.
Aside from your line edit, the order in which you examine each of these elements is entirely up to you. (For a full understanding of what self-editing actually is, read A Checklist of 10 Basic Steps for Self-editing Fiction.)
1. Let it rest a month or so, then read it through.
After completing your draft, step away from your story for a month (or at least a week). Give yourself enough time to forget all those little details your brain thinks it included. Then read the whole thing through from the perspective of a reader reading it for the first time. Take notes on things you notice. (Gee, this sounds familiar.)
2. Structure
How is your book laid out?
- Is the structure of your book appropriate for its purpose (i.e. entertain, inform, stimulate, persuade)?
- In chapters only, or is your topic conducive to parts as well?
- Are there sections to each chapter?
3. Organization
- Is there logic to your organization?
- Do chapter openings hook the reader?
- Do chapters end well and transition well to the next?
What is the reader going to learn/glean from reading your book? This is what’s called the “takeaway” value of your book.
- Are the audience and takeaway apparent?
For Example
In my book Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Sexual Abuse Victims, it would not have made sense or been helpful to the reader to start the book with a chapter about divorce. The topic lent itself to a “from the very beginning, day-by-day” approach. Thus, for organization, I started with the shock a mother experiences when she learns her child has been abused, and then organized each following chapter in an order that the events played out.
When it came to structure, each chapter started with a bit of my story to introduce the topic of the chapter and connect with the reader in a way that said “I know you’re hurting. I’ve been there, too.” Then came a devotional reading, action steps, and a prayer.
Your book may not lend itself to this type of structure and organization, but as you self-edit, ask yourself if you’ve chosen what’s best for the topic and reader engagement.
4. Flow
- Does each chapter topic flow naturally from one to the other?
- Does each paragraph flow smoothly one to the other with appropriate transitions?
Realize in self-editing nonfiction that structure, organization, and flow are almost as tightly knit as bone is to marrow. Jotting down the main idea of each part and chapter will help you determine if your organization and flow is correct.
5. Research/Charts/Images
- Have you correctly cited all your sources?
- Have you logged all your sources? I learned the hard way to copy/paste URLs immediately. I’ve wanted to reread a web page later on and couldn’t find it anymore.
- Have you requested and acquired all necessary copyright permissions?
- Are your charts/images relevant, accurate, and readable?
- Are anecdotes and examples understandable, interesting, and relevant?
6. Finally, after you’ve made revisions that fix the big picture issues, it’s time to line edit.
Read line by line ensuring you’ve…
- Used just the right word to communicate what’s needed
- That modifiers are in the right place
- That pronouns have the correct antecedents
- That you’ve used correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
I find self-editing nonfiction less complicated than editing fiction. There just doesn’t seem to be as many elements to examine.
If you’re a pantser, how have you handled the structure, organization, and flow of your book while writing the draft?
Leave your comments below.