Questions tagged [non-fiction]

Non-fiction is a form of prose writing that factually describes real events and people, sometimes offering additional commentary. This tag should be used for any questions relating to non-fiction, including non-fiction formatting and technique, non-fiction critiques, and the publishing of non-fiction.

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For nonfiction books, do you translate or transliterate names, brands, etc. that aren't in a Romanized language?

For nonfiction book translations where the target language does not use the Roman alphabet (e.g. Russian, Indonesian, Mandarin Chinese, etc.), if a particular name, brand, band or song title is ...
L.Davis's user avatar
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1 answer
611 views

Stories about people who went from rags-to-riches-to-rags and stayed there? [closed]

I need suggestions for stories I can read to get inspiration on how to tackle a nonfiction rags-to-riches-to-rags story with an uplifting ending. It's easy to find rags-to-riches stories, but I'm ...
RJo's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
742 views

New CreateSpace books appearing on Amazon from book resellers?

Here's the general question: How does a book published via CreateSpace end up being sold blindingly fast by other booksellers? I edited two self-help books, one targeted to small businesses and the ...
RJo's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
208 views

What is the "acid test" for a nonfiction anthology?

I'm asking this on Writing.SE because I'm doing a short presentation on "What is an anthology," and I'm not sure how to answer the question "Why is X an anthology and Y is not?" Merriam Webster ...
RJo's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
6k views

Is there a term for a fiction piece that goes after the prologue but before the epilogue?

I'm writing a long non-fiction text that describes a fictional setting. I came up with a fiction piece for that setting, to include as further illustration. I decided it would work best if I split it ...
Randall Stevens's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

True Crime writing research: Where do you even begin?

I am in the beginning stages of writing my first book, and it is a true crime novel about something that happened down the street from my own home. My question is to anyone else who has written a non ...
Cassandra Kievits's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
63 views

A fair deal for purchasing a true story

My cousin is an extraordinary little girl from an extraordinary family. She was featured last Christmas on NBC Nightly News. I have discussed with her about writing a book about their story because ...
Thom's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
135 views

Strategy, tactics, and resources to refine the niche and title for a self-help book

Am trying to do due diligence to find the niche for a self-help book. I "get" the general idea of whether to piggyback or avoid popular titles, being exquisitely specific about your reader, and ...
RJo's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
583 views

Is it plagiarism to use something from a nonfiction work and put it into fiction?

I was reading about this Japanese dance style written by a man who taught it. He said that the style was uniquely Japanese and few outsiders could really dance in the style properly. He said that he ...
Keobooks's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
100 views

Getting started writing non-fiction

My cousin is an inspirational little girl whose overcoming physical handicaps to help others. She was just featured on NBC Nightly News a couple of weeks ago. It just occurred to me that a book about ...
Thom's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
280 views

In English non-fiction, should I try to place the important parts at the beginning of the sentence?

Main question There is a claim that I heard from a few persons (none of which were native speakers of English), which goes as follows: In English non-fictional writing, the most important aspects ...
Wrzlprmft's user avatar
  • 403
1 vote
8 answers
262 views

How to make travel stories interesting?

I have some good, true travel stories. Things that involve guns, explosions, and all kinds of other good stuff. I want to write them down, but I'm having trouble envisioning how to present the ...
Ken - Enough about Monica's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
49 views

Which year to cite reference as?

In a nonfiction snippet I'm writing about metrology, specifically the term micron being used in reference to the unit multiple micrometre (AmE: micrometer) I need to cite Resolution 7 of the 13th ...
SarahofGaia's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
435 views

Two perspectives in a non-fiction book

My daughter and I thought it was a good idea to write a book about our experiences throughout her casting for a movie that she did. Her view on the journey and My view as her mother. Not sure how to ...
Tammy's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
398 views

Presenting Fiction as Non-Fiction

I am toying writing a book involving layered stories: There is Manuscript A, written by a character, which is an ostensibly real account/diary of an incident she experienced. In the fictional ...
socrates's user avatar
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2 answers
574 views

What are appropriate uses of rhetorical questions?

When I speak or teach, I often use rhetorical questions to prompt people to think. I find it helps frame my arguments and clarify how I am setting up the points I am making. I recently tried this in ...
Stan Shunpike's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
552 views

Is it necessary for an article about a problem to address solutions as well?

I am writing an article which deals with some of the problems of the city. Since I have a word limit, is it necessary that I have to include the solutions of the problems too? Is it advisable? Or can ...
EduHawk's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Where are the six honest serving men?

A lifetime ago I learned about Rudyard Kipling's 5W1H framework: I have six honest serving men They taught me all I knew I call them What and Where and When And How and Why and Who (from ...
user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
266 views

technical subjects - non-fiction vs fiction

This is a question I tried to ask in Novelizing non-fiction, is it worth it? But was un-clear and maybe too generic. Let’s say I am a scuba diving expert and I could write a non-fiction book about ...
Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
122 views

Novelizing non-fiction, is it worth it?

There are a few lifestyle subjects where I feel I need to write non-fiction books. The problem is that in these fields, most of what is published is 101 intro manuals, while my takes to the field ...
Reed -SE is a Fish on Dry Land's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
129 views

Structuring and audience in non-fiction

I wrote a first draft of a non-fiction, and an established professional writer and editor in my subject area gave me a good review, but said I should edit for structure and flow. Given this great ...
Tom's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
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What is a productive response to a negative review?

I see basically three possible responses: (a) Write a rebuttal ranting that this person is a jerk and his criticisms are totally unfair and that he isn't worthy to be spit upon by a great author like ...
Jay's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
104 views

Writing nonfiction for mass audience

A friend of mine has spent many years developing several treatment methods for certain psychological disorders. She believes individuals with these disorders would benefit if she could write a ...
Stan Shunpike's user avatar
11 votes
9 answers
1k views

Are 'how-to write fiction' books full of it?

I built and sold a business during my first decade of adulthood. During that period, I read a lot of business books published by the popular press. However, I didn't begin to succeed until I ...
Hal's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
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Books on writing successful non-fiction [closed]

I am interested in getting acquainted with how to write a good non-fiction book, and thus am asking for credible, high-quality books on what you might call "writing successful non-fiction as a first-...
user avatar
-5 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the difference between a novel and a documentary [non-fiction]? [closed]

Some people write books about serious things and real things in life. If a book is written like that, how can you tell if it is a novel or a documentary [non-fiction]? .
samie kacks's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
835 views

[Words in brackets in print and online]

Unfortunately I can't find a reference now, but many times I'll read an article either in print or online, and I'll see a certain word or phrase in brackets []. Here's a bad ex. The man walked up the ...
CSharper's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
212 views

How do I write an article about the negative effects of a topic and my experiences with that topic?

Ok let's pretend I'm writing about abuse (or bullying or another topic( and my experience with it (I don't want to state the real topic here). I want to write a psychological and scientific article/...
Elsa's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
207 views

How important is a BISAC Category?

I'm preparing my book for print-on-demand distribution with CreateSpace. As part of the process, I'm being asked to select a BISAC Category for my book. My book is a non-fiction book which covers a ...
Questioner's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
45 views

What is the Normal Process for Gathering Permissions for Quotation Collections

I am contemplating gathering a collection of quotations from a single writer, similar to The Quotable [C.S.] Lewis by Wayne Martindale [Tyndale]. Most of the writers works remain under copyright, ...
Mere Inkling's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
193 views

Why do page headers seldom include chapter/section numbers?

In many of my course books, the header of each page includes a page number, and the name of the current chapter and section. Only in a few of the books the headers include the chapter and section ...
gibson's user avatar
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1 vote
5 answers
183 views

Non-fictional ideology in a fictional culture

One of the themes in my book is Good vs Evil. I have chosen to portray the south African Idealogy of Ubuntu in a fictional culture in my book. Actual text from my book: Ubuntu literally means '...
user8727's user avatar
  • 384
4 votes
1 answer
741 views

Nonfiction: Need signed releases and/or pay subjects I am interviewing?

I am interested in writing a nonfiction book on social media. The book will be primarily practical advice based on my experience. However, I'm planning to personally interview some industry ...
Tom Penketh's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is there a standard for what should be included in an index?

I have a non-fiction book that I want to create an index for. Is there any standard for what items should be included in an index? Some things are obvious like names and proper nouns. But, is there ...
Questioner's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are the ethics of using real-world house addresses in historical fiction?

I am editing a novel manuscript for a client of mine. It's a historical fiction set in 1948, so not that long ago. The main character lives in a house above a cafe that I believe is fictional within ...
Jerenda's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
2k views

What concrete steps do you take to write for a specific reading level?

People throw around reading levels when it comes to writing: "5th grade level," "10th grade level," "college level," etc. What concrete steps do you take to write for a specific reading level? Is ...
empty's user avatar
  • 459
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

Writing non-fiction in three perspectives?

I've been writing a work of non-fiction, specifically a motivational/psychology piece. It's my first book. The book is written primarily in second and third person, but also first when I feel the ...
newlogic's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
354 views

How do you determine whether you know enough to write on a topic?

I guess that title sounds very abstract and "meta." But it points to a real issue that has interfered with my desire to get published and paid as a writer. For background, I have been a writer in ...
user3582869's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
25k views

Do acknowledgements have to come after the table of contents?

I am preparing a non-fiction book for self publication via Amazon, Print on Demand, and other online services. Currently, my book has the following sections: Title page Copyright Dedication ...
Questioner's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Where can I find examples of nonfiction book proposals?

I am looking for complete examples of nonfiction book proposals. Preferably, these would be proposals that resulted in actual published works. I've already read Larsen's book, and it does have some ...
Mark Richman's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
330 views

Should I use contractions on a non-fiction work? [duplicate]

It is many things, as we’ll see in Chapter TBD, but at its heart, it is just software. I heard it was bad to use contractions, but it seems a bit wordy to say: as we will see.
Shamoon's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
361 views

Using emails in an autobiography

I am writing about my life experiences and I want to use email correspondence between myself and another to tell part of the story. I have not used real names in my work and have altered the emails ...
Sarah's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
13k views

Do I need permission from people I am writing about if I am writing about a true story that was reported in the media?

I am writing a factual book, that will [hopefully] primarily detail real events that have happened in the past, that are related to the subject of the book. The real events have all been reported in ...
Charles's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
1k views

What does one call author blurbs at the bottom of journalistic articles?

Sometimes journalistic articles have a brief about-the-author sort of blurb at the end, frequently italicized, of a general form resembling: J. Random Hacker is a dog groomer for the United States ...
chaos's user avatar
  • 113
4 votes
5 answers
122 views

Pulling an idea through in spite of the need to correct details

First, this question is not quite about writer's block or dealing with self-criticism. I find myself often in the following situation: I want to write a short piece of non-fiction and have plenty of ...
yrodro's user avatar
  • 141
7 votes
1 answer
13k views

Permission requirements from people in my memoir

I am writing a memoir about my abusive childhood. Do I need permission from everyone I write about? My abuser is deceased, but my brothers are part of the story and I don't know where one of them is ...
Bianca's user avatar
  • 71
2 votes
1 answer
9k views

Writing a newspaper article summary

First of all, I'd like to apologize in advance for my horrible English, but it's not my primary language and I still can't help but make some blunders. I have been assigned to write a newspaper ...
Maciej Stachowski's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
271 views

How does one involve people in writing non-fiction?

I haven't written anything serious in a while, but I would like to get back into writing non-fiction. In particular, I want to write about "big ideas" that interest me; however, I realize that ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
115 views

Is it possible my book could be taken off-line for sale if there is a cease and desist letter?

I have written a true story on my experience with some individuals and major corporations. The book has factual proof throughout story. I am afraid that they may get angry and send cease and desist ...
Mary's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
353 views

Critique: Make excerpt more visual/flow better

I have this excerpt I'm not sure is fluid and visual enough: Peter came out of the café rubbing his tummy. The chipmunk had a smile on the face and seemed content. Not too far behind him was ...
Jerry's user avatar
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