In my last blog post, we looked at whether you should have an introduction for your nonfiction book and the kind of thing that this might include, as well as the purpose of an introduction. In this week’s blog post, we are continuing with the same theme, but moving to look at how you would write an introduction and how to keep your readers interested enough to buy and read the whole book. We will look at how to introduce your topic, explain why your reader needs (or will enjoy) the book and set the tone for the rest of the book.
We will start with a quick review of what is needed in your introduction and how they can benefit your book. A nonfiction book doesn’t necessarily need an introduction – it’s entirely up to you. A good introduction will act as an extra draw for your book, encouraging readers to choose your book over all the others available on the same topic. However, there are a lot of situations where an introduction will not help your book. It probably won’t harm sales either, but it is unnecessary and takes extra time. For example, if you already know that you will have a lot of buyers, or are writing in a very specific niche, an introduction isn’t needed to generate sales.
Nevertheless, introductions can be a useful way of getting readers interested if you are less sure of your potential audience. If you do decide to have an introduction, you will want to make sure you are including the right things to strengthen your book. So, what purpose does an introduction serve? Primarily, it is there to explain why your book is important and how it can help the reader with a particular issue. You have a few pages to directly address the reader and convince them to buy your book.
There are a few different ways you can handle writing an introduction. You might decide to summarise the main points your book will cover, as well as why they matter and how the book will help. Alternatively, if your book is a memoir, you could start with a section from the middle of the book, then add to it to make an intriguing introduction.
Writing an Introduction
The first thing to remember is to keep your introduction short. If you are using it to pitch your book to potential buyers, the last thing you want is for them to lose interest before they even finish the introduction. As an absolute maximum, it should fit into the first three pages of your book in whatever font you have chosen. Realistically, you might do better with a shorter one, just a page or so. At the same time, you don’t want it too short. A single paragraph is fine if you are simply looking to get your reader’s attention; however, consider whether you actually need an introduction in this case. Look at other books in your niche to determine what is normal for it.
When you start writing your introduction, make sure you identify the problem or aim that your book is going to address. For example, if you are writing a self-help book, the introduction will outline what it will help with, such as how to succeed in exams. Alternatively, a memoir will more explain why it would be interesting. Be clear about what your book will address to make sure you are targeting the correct audience and they know what to expect.
After you have set out the problem your readers need to solve, explain how your book can help with this and what solution it offers. You want to assure them that you have a method that will help with whatever the issue is to convince them that your book is worth buying. To go back to the example of the self-help book for exams above, you would expect some details on how it would help you to achieve the grades you want. Some possible solutions to this might be a revision guide, tips on organising your notes and how to do some last-minute preparation.
Once you have discussed the solution that your book will give, start to explain why your readers should trust this. Explain who you are and why you are an authority on the topic. In addition, give details of why this topic is relevant to you – what are your personal experiences? If you have a particular reason to be invested in the project, now is the time to say. Try to make you and your book relatable to readers.
Of course, depending on your book, you might not need all this. Sometimes just a fun introduction is enough, or an extract if you are writing a memoir. Get people to read your introduction and see what they think – would they buy the book?
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you to write your introduction. In my next blog post, we will be looking at the different types of editing for nonfiction books, so come back in two weeks for that!
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