You saw in Chapter 1 some of the ways to arrive at a subject you want to write about. The important word in the previous sentence is want. Unless writing is your livelihood and you are presented with the topic to write a book for which you will be paid, it is important that you are enthused about the theme of your book.

Choosing the Subject

From the inception of an idea to putting down the first words to the day you receive the final galleys, you may be living with this book for several years. So, the project had better be important to you and something you “want” to do or else you might not have the stamina or desire to make it to the finish.

You have already been told that you should be familiar with the subject of your book at the outset. Otherwise, you may not know where to begin the research or how to critically assess your sources. While you need not be an authority at first, by the time you reach the last page, you will have attained a degree of expertise in the field.

Choosing the Right Genre

Now that you have a subject with which you are familiar, it would be a good idea if you could determine the genre in which it fits. In Chapter 3, you saw some of the major genres and were informed that there are also numerous small and niche categories for all sorts of nonfiction books.

But if you can't seem to find the right genre, don't put your project on hold. You can make this decision later, although in some cases you do need to know at the beginning. For example, suppose you decide to write about the Watergate scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Nixon but you're not sure if you want to emphasize the characters and the drama or unearth new information, leaving you in a quandary as to whether it will be general nonfiction, creative nonfiction, or scholarly. In such a case, you won't be able to delay because if it's to be a scholarly book, the rigors of research must be observed and the writing style and tone is much different than general or creative nonfiction.