Introduction
If you have any hope of your book becoming popular and selling, it needs to look like a professional book. Like one that could easily be found on any shelf in any bookstore. The content should also look and sound professional, like someone put a lot of thought into making your book. But even if you’ve finished your book, you need to continue to refine its look and content. It’s a never-ending process, especially if you’re new to writing and publishing. So if you really want your nonfiction book to stand out, you need to avoid these common mistakes.
Error 1: Missing sections: Includes all the standard sections of a book. This includes the title page, copyright page, table of contents, etc. Readers expect your book to look like a real, professional book.
Mistake 2: Overcrowding: Use proper margins. Making your margins too small will make your book difficult and unpleasant to read. Use an easy-to-read font for your text.
Error 3: Bad cover: Change your cover if it doesn’t work. Feel free to hire a professional cover designer for a few hundred dollars.
Error 4: Not Enough Review: Find all typos and grammatical errors in the book. Don’t be afraid to hire a professional proofreader. A professional can find errors that you have missed hundreds of times.
Error 5: Missing ISBN: Include an ISBN number and barcode on the back cover. Include the ISBN number on your copyright page. No retailer will sell your book without one.
Error 6: Inadequate structure: Your writing and content must have the appropriate structure. Each chapter and each paragraph should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your book should progress in such a way that the reader can easily follow along. If not, the reader will get confused and quickly tire of reading your book.
Error 7: Not Providing Solutions: Never forget that your reader is reading your book because they want to find a way to solve their own problems. He can explain how he overcame his problems or how he made his business a success. But the reader is more interested in how your problems and his solutions can help you. Always keeping the reader in mind is what will make your book a success.
Error 8: make it too long: Keep your nonfiction book on the shorter side. If it’s too long, the reader will feel overwhelmed and lost in your book. Readers are in a hurry to apply your lessons and solutions to their problems. Go straight to the point.
Mistake 9: Not writing from the heart: Don’t make the mistake of creating a generic book with content that has been written about hundreds of times before. Make sure your content is written straight from your heart, from your own personal experiences and insights. This will make your book different from all the others that came before yours.
Mistake 10: Forgetting the reader: Make sure your content inspires and motivates your readers to improve their own lives. You should write your book to help your readers, not to make a lot of money. Produce a book that truly and honestly wants to help readers improve their lives, and your book will be popular. The reader’s needs should come before your own. If readers perceive any dishonesty on your part, they won’t read your book.
