GenresNon-fiction
How-To & Practical
A skill, taught in order, so the reader can do it.
A how-to book teaches a skill in an order a learner can use. That sounds obvious, and a surprising number of practical books are written in the order the author happened to learn the skill, which is rarely the order a stranger needs. Start from what the reader is trying to make, fix, cook, build, or understand. Tell them what to gather, what to do first, what going wrong looks like, and how to tell that they have done it right.
Expertise is the reason they bought the book, so don't hide it behind cheerfulness, and don't bury it in jargon that only makes sense if they already have the skill. Pictures and examples are part of the writing when the skill is physical. Safety matters, especially with tools, food, and anything a person might do to their house. Be opinionated where taste is involved, and be plain where the facts are not a matter of taste. A reader halfway through a job, with dirty hands, should be able to find the next step without rereading your introduction.
The kinds of book inside it
Craft & making
Making something by hand is the promise, so the steps, materials, and likely mistakes need to be described by someone who has made the thing.
Home
Domestic jobs and improvements should be explained with realistic tools, realistic houses, and a clear sense of when to call in a professional.
Outdoors
The skill is practised outside, where conditions change, so the advice has to include weather, safety, and the difference between a diagram and a hillside.
Technical
A technical skill needs accurate steps and a willingness to say which version of the tool you are talking about, because instructions rot quickly.
When you want a first sketch, Storywell can draft a contents list in this vein. You are still the one who writes the book. Compose an idea.