Why write booklets:
There has never been a better time to write. Whether you are planning a paper and ink publication that you can sell locally or an e-booklet that can be read around the globe, most of us have the tools and skills necessary to inform, entertain and inspire.
As an added benefit, putting what you know down in writing helps you to see whether there are areas that you want to research further or whether there are gaps in your argument that you could ponder on and resolve to your own satisfaction.
Choose your topic:
Start with a subject you feel you know something about. Imagine you are going to explain this topic to someone who is interested, but who knows nothing about it. They will want to know what you know, but they will also want to feel that you are writing from a strong position and can support your viewpoint with facts. With your chosen subject in mind, work through the following suggested steps and see what you come up with.
Introduction:
What is this topic? Why is it important for the reader to find out more about it? What use might they make of the information? This section can be just a few paragraphs long, but setting the scene clearly focuses your own mind as well as letting the reader know what is expected of them.
Historical background:
This follows on from the introduction but begins to set the scene in more detail. If you are writing about modern car maintenance for example, you might briefly outline how things used to be done. If your topic is cooking with spices you might explore the great distances the spices traveled and how expensive they were in the past. This section makes readers feel they know the background to the topic, and means that when they get to the main content you are working from shared ground. This makes for a much more successful learning experience.
Main content:
You will probably need to subdivide this part according to the scope of your work, but be logical about it. Keep asking yourself what message you want to get across, and how each new piece of information builds on the part before. For example, if your booklet is about simple cooking, you will need to explain basic techniques before you reach advanced methods. If your topic is ‘academic’ in its focus, provide references in the form of footnotes or endnotes to allow the interested reader to follow up in more depth.
Write down what you feel to be true at the first draft, but be prepared to rewrite heavily when you come to polish the text. I often find I get part way through then have to write myself a note to (check this) or (is this what I mean, get that book back and look it up!). Do whatever you need to, but make sure these notes to yourself are clearly identified so you know you planned on checking your facts later in the process.
Summary:
Most topics benefit from a short section at the end that reprise the main points. Its almost the reverse of the introduction, you started the booklet by explaining why the topic was worthy of study, now you are refreshing the memory of the reader as to the key messages.
Remember that you have already provided all the explanations, this part is just a brief overview and need not be long. You might also suggest some further reading or the next step in this part
Cite your sources:
Nobody ever deliberately plagiarizes when they start writing, but it’s frighteningly easy to do. The simple rule is that if you know you got an idea from a particular source, say so. This can be as simple as saying ‘Freud popularized the idea of the super-ego’ but it can look much more professional if you also include a bibliography and add a little more information in end or footnotes to support your text, in which case you might include the relevant book title, chapter and page number.
This is an area where you often have to do a first draft and then check your own material. I frequently find that my first draft footnotes are full of notes like this: (check source! Do I really mean this author?). This is fine, remember that part of your reason for writing is to check and refresh your own knowledge.
Re-read and Rewrite:
Go back and read the entire thing again. At each point ask yourself if the text is clear for the intended audience? Is the language consistent? Ask ‘so what?’ whenever you make a statement of fact. Do you need to explain why that part is important or perhaps offer an opposing point of view to achieve balance?
Now do it again! Three re-readings and rewritings is the bare minimum to check you have spotted any problems. Each time you should be resolving any of those gaps or notes to yourself.
Formatting and Spellchecking:
Leave these until last. Up until now it’s likely you will be doing a lot of cut and pasting, or generally moving text about, and a simple format is the easiest way to handle this. Run a spell-check in the language you will be publishing in. This is important, as US English and UK English spellings vary quite dramatically at times.
If you are formatting for a print publication, you will need to address the page size and layout. It is not in the scope of this article to explore print options, but you will need to allow a title page, on which you put the booklet title, your name and © (your name and this years date). You may wish to include contact details, but this will depend on the nature of the booklet. Make the next page blank so your text starts on the right hand page f the booklet.
Pick a clear font. Many people find a sans serif font (without the little tails on the letters) easy to read. Tahoma or Gill Sans are useful examples. Use a 12 point font, with maybe 16 for titles. Leave a line between paragraphs. All of this makes the booklet easy on the eye.
Check the page layout now. Try to have major chapters start on a right hand page as this has the most impact. You may want to include pictures or quotes in boxes. This can be a useful tool to fill awkward paces and make your booklet pleasing to browse through.
Print and Proofread:
The final part of the writing process is to print a hardcopy and read it with a highlighter or pencil in hand. You may be surprised how many glitches are only apparent when you print them out. Correct, reprint and re-read until you are certain everything looks the way you wanted.
Publish your booklet:
Congratulations, you have written your first booklet. All you need to do now is print, bind and market it. There are many ways to do this, but whatever method you choose, may you have the best of luck in your writing career.
