Many aspiring authors never stop aspiring because they feel writing a book is too big a project. However, you can have a book written in no time flat if you begin with a short book—say under 100 pages or under 25,000 words. This is the perfect length for a month-long book-blogging project. And November is a great time to take on such a project, especially if you write nonfiction. You can take part in National Nonfiction Writing Month (NaNonFiWriMo), aka the Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) Challenge
Short, Quick, Inexpensive, and Easy to Produce
If you write two pages worth of copy per day—about 750 words, which is a bit longer than I normally recommend, you will end up with about 21,000 words by the end of November. That’s a nice little ebook or print-on-demand book that you churned out in just 30 days—and created a bit of a readership for in the process because you blogged it.
Often writers think a book project will break their bank account. Short books can be inexpensive to produce, though.
- You can use a free plugin like Anthologize to turn your posts into an ebook or PDF.
- You can import them into Pressbooks.com and use that to produce your final ebook and print-on-demand book.
- You can import your posts to Fastpencil.com, and pay a minimal fee to produce the ebook or print book.
Since these choices are free or inexpensive, you can earn back the expense in no time with back-of-the-room sales when you speak or on-line sales as you begin building platform as an author.
15 Short Book Forms to Blog in November
If you are wondering what type of short book to blog in during NaNonFiWriMo, here are 15 short nonfiction book forms from which to choose:
- a tip book
- a list book
- a “step” book
- a how-to book
- an anthology
- a book of recycled previously-written work (short articles, sample chapters, one chapter, ezine articles, recipes, status updates, etc.)
- a book of essays
- a book of exercises, meditations or things “to do”
- a one-big-idea book (manifesto)
- a book of quotations (possibly your own)
- a Q&A book
- a problem-solution book
- a benefit book
- workbook
- a cookbook
You can always wait until April, during National Book Blogging Month, to blog a short book, but why not blog two short books a year? After all, they’re short! Take the WNFIN Challenge…blog a short book now. Start tomorrow. Find out how to participate here.
Image credit: ptnphoto / 123RF Stock Photo
Yes! Good and helpful info.
This is the very first time I hear about FastPencil. Seems to be an interesting concept. I’d love to hear from other people who had used the service and to see how it compares to CreateSpace and Gumroad.
AWESOME information! I am excited to get started!
It’s very easy to use and great for blogs. It offers design. All you need is a cover. You can produce a ebook or pbook.
Great information Nina. I’m interested in learning more about a benefit book. Maybe I’ll write one in the future.
I’ll write more about this some time, Stephanie. A benefit book is one where you simply highlight the benefits of something. Rather than Q&A or problems and solution, list 10 benefits and revolve your chapters around them.
This is great way to get started. I’ve had my website since 1997 and haven’t really done anything with it, mostly experiment. This year I have approached NaNoWriMo differently because I lost my job in August, still haven’t found work. However, a recruiter asked what my dream job was and I said writer. Now I’m ready to think of it as a business instead of a wishful dream. Thanks for what you’ve written and given me the inspiration to dive in headfirst. I have about 7500 words as of yesterday and Photoshopped a cover.
I also have a podcast @ http://thescholarsroom which I could turn into a how-to book even have a .com for that idea as well. Just not sure what approach or idea to go with, yet! Thanks!
Dan,
Sounds like you are on your way to a book and a business! Good for you. I’m glad this month can give you the jump start you need.
What’s great about both NaNoWriMo and NaNonFiWriMo is that it gives writers a set goal and deadline to work off of. It’s easy to keep procrastinating. But joining a movement like this and becoming part of a community will help to give you the ongoing encouragement that’s needed.
Exactly right, Lee! Thanks for your comment.