The ability to write about anything real-world is not a job for the faint-hearted. Writing non-fiction requires grit, lots of research, and the ability to convey your thoughts in a clear, concise manner that is not boring.
Many non-fiction writers find their way into newspaper writing, business and lifestyle blogs and articles, and media company editors. We find that many aspiring non-fiction authors cannot blossom in their careers due to mistakes and challenges, especially in the early stages.
This article will highlight problems non-fiction authors face while writing and making a living out of their careers.
8 Problems Non-fiction Authors Face in Their Career
As an aspiring non-fiction writer, you must also understand the challenges you will encounter in your writing journey.
- Marketing and Business Planning
This problem is not only common to non-fiction writers but fiction writers as well. It has led to the sinking of careers even before they take off. The common notion is to do what you love, and the rest will work.
As an author, you must put as much effort into your marketing as your writing. You can create marketing strategies and business plans. Reach readers through google ads and social media platforms.
- Using Too Many ‘Clever’ Words
Using a few expert words in your writing is a great way to prove to the readers of your knowledge of the subject. Do not take it too far, as it quickly becomes a menace, making it hard for readers to understand.
Remember, you want readers to stay on your site as long as possible, keep coming back for more, and share your content with friends.
For instance, not everybody will grasp all the jargon if you write about finance or medicine. So, you can create a small section where you explain in simple words all the tricky words. While keeping in mind that you need to find your voice of authenticity without trying too hard to prove yourself or please your readers.
- Poor Execution of Thoughts to Words
Author coaches associate this problem with a lack of vocabulary wealth on the author’s part. Incorrect use of vocabulary in your non-fiction content will cause readers to undermine your work and probably your wealth of expertise in the area. That’s why writing is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Many investment experts, for instance, have significantly failed in articulating their thoughts regarding book writing. However, they can improve by reading a Guide to writing non-fiction. They need to become students of grammar, experts and other writers related to their niche. These will guarantee more success in their work, providing a seamless flow to their chain of thoughts that makes it easy for readers to understand.
- Lack of a Niche
Trying your hand at any topic may not be the very best idea. It gets your readers confused about what you are an expert on. To penetrate the competitive writing market, you must find a niche by which readers identify.
Examples of niches are how-to guides content, business, lifestyle, nutrition and diet, sports, politics, and skin care. You can choose investment banking, debt financing, or real estate to further the business niche. Please remember that choosing a niche you are passionate about helps you stay motivated at all times.
Conduct in-depth research on all your topics to ensure you provide your readers with insightful information.
- Lack of Unifying Transition Phrases
The ability to unify different thoughts through how you transition from one idea to the other is a divine one. However, many non-fiction writers fail to unify various topics when writing, thus disrupting the reader’s thought process.
Transitioning should not be hard for a great non-fiction author; it can be a sentence or a paragraph that allows you to relate the previous topic or section to the next. It will give the readers a flow during their reading.
Author coaches often advise authors to re-read their content to correct transitional mistakes. If a topic is not coherent with the previous one, simply cut it and place it before or after a more related topic. It is also advisable for authors to ask their colleagues to go through their work before publishing to unify the chain of thoughts written.
- A Contradictory Genre Chain of Logic
As a writer, it would be suicide to disregard what society thinks of a particular topic. It does not mean that you should not have a different opinion. It only means that as an author, you should be careful when expressing a different view from that of the majority.
- Overwhelming Information
If you choose a general niche, you may face a lot of important information that may confuse your writing.
For instance, the business niche is too broad, and one topic is dependent on a lot of other topics whose information is quite a lot yet important. It also happens to readers who research a particular topic and end up off-topic after following the trail.
You can avoid this by choosing a deeper sub-topic to write exhaustively on. It will also help readers understand the bigger picture and the different pillars used.
- Lack of Motivation
Lack of motivation is heavier on non-fiction authors than fiction authors. It could be because fiction authors are masters of creativity while non-fiction authors are subject to real-life situations. It can, however, be solved by picking a niche you are most passionate about, well versed in, and have more knowledge to offer. It may not necessarily be your career, although writing based on your career education and experience is highly recommended.
Final Thoughts
A writing career, whether fiction or non-fiction, is rewarding. Like every other career, you are bound to face challenges. You should always be ready to read and improve your craft.
