If you are contemplating a book directed to students (textbooks), scholars, laypeople well versed and interested in a specific subject, or to members of a profession such as doctors, lawyers, and psychologists, then you must become well acquainted with this genre. Not only are the requirements for authoring this kind of book unique, but the substantive material and the style also differs from writing other nonfiction books.

You must make certain you have the requisite credentials in the subject such as a PhD in history if you're writing a book about the Enlightenment, or that you are a psychiatrist or psychologist if you're writing a book directed to mental health therapists. Another option is to collaborate with someone possessing the necessary credentials who will serve as your coauthor.

However, if you are qualified, writing scholarly and professional books is afforded many opportunities through the university presses and numerous general publishers. A great deal sets this genre apart from other nonfiction books, beginning with writing and researching the book, which you'll learn in Chapter 7, through the submission process (to be explored in Chapter 23).