I received a copy of this ebook as part of Library Thing Early Reviewers. This book is an excellent resource for writing non-fiction which, as the book very accurately points out at the offset, is NOT easier than writing works of fiction. This book acknowledges many of the anxieties of writing (in any genre as well as some specific to non-fiction) and offers a nice encouragement to break through such mental blocks. The breakdown of steps does appear to make things less daunting. Advice is practical and does not drone on too much. There are some good prompts to get you going in a few different sub-sets of non-fiction and a continual emphasis on an examination of your motivations (be sure you really want to write the particular book you are writing and so not lose track of what drives). I personally will definitely be re-referring to this book in the coming years as I write my for my PhD and beyond into academia. ( )

Non-Fiction for Newbies
How to Write a Factual Book and Actually Kind of Enjoy It
Author Lauren Bingham

Lauren Bingham’s book is a very good guide for aspiring writers who are drawn to the world of nonfiction. She has a very friendly conversational style which makes for a very pleasant read.

She addresses all the essential questions:
What makes a “good” nonfiction book?
How do you stay on track while writing?
How can you create a book that truly adds value for readers?
What strategies can you use to inform, inspire, and engage your audience?

Nonfiction types covered are:
Biography
Autobiography and memoir
History
Travel
Self-Help
How-To
Philosophy
Insight/Analytical

The book is not just theory but also practical. Bingham provides interactive exercises and valuable resources to help new writers take their first steps into the world of nonfiction. Whether you’re interested in sharing your life story, exploring historical events, or providing practical advice, this book has you covered.

I would highly recommend the book.

I received Non-Fiction for Newbies: How to Write a Factual Book and Actually Kind of Enjoy It by Lauren Bingham to review for LibraryThing's Early Reviewers.

This book is complete with interactive exercises and resources that provide new writers with thoughts, considerations, goals, and practice for jumping into the world of nonfiction writing. It is short and approachable if you are a new writer, but a bit basic for seasoned writers. ( )

This book is a book that tells you how to write books. Non-fiction books, in particular, but it's definitely not a textbook on writing! It's not terribly long at 124 pages, but I do think it is well-organized (with categories of non-fiction such as auto- and biographies, memoirs, how-to/self-help, history, and travel all represented.) The common characteristics of each type of non-fiction text are described, along with formats and pitfalls common to each. The author provides a few different suggested methodologies for getting from the "idea" phase to the actual writing and publishing phases, and even provides a list of resources for such things. She also provides her own method/preferences, where applicable, and some exercises to help illustrate the various points she makes. I confess I did not do the exercises, however.
Having said all that, I don't really think I learned anything from this book- maybe because I didn't do the exercises? Or maybe because I research and write for a living and so am already quite familiar with much of the processes described. Or, it might be that this book is very much an elementary introduction/bird's eye view to factual writing, and not really anything that gets too much into the weeds/specificity. The most helpful sections for me, personally, were "how to recognize rabbit holes" - i.e., how to include what needs to be included without spending too much time or effort on extraneous details, and the resources section, along with the discussions on editing and publishing - your mileage may vary.
I would definitely recommend this book to novice writers or to people who want to write a book but are stuck with regard to how to get started. It is written in a conversational style that is easy to read and completely un-stuffy/"textbook-y" and I really appreciated that about it. Realize, though, that it's more about concrete ideas like structure, content, and process than it is about anything subjective like quality or effectiveness.
I would give this book a solid 4-stars.
I received an ARC and the preceding opinion is my own, given without compensation.
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A wonderful book on how to get started writing non-fiction books; tips on how to select the topic, what are the key factors to consider, and useful tips and methodologies to brush up on to ensure a chance at successful outcome. Thought-provoking and engaging narrative - dispels any notion that it's an easy endeavor for non-writers!
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