Writing an academic book is challenging, and the first challenge you’ll face is figuring out the best way to start writing your academic book. Whether you’re working from a dissertation or starting from scratch, you’ll need a reliable entry point into your project that not only gives you momentum but also helps you gain clarity on what you intend to write.

As a writer, you might be tempted to start with something easy or exciting. This is appealing but counterproductive. You wouldn’t start building a house by purchasing curtains, because you don’t know how big your windows will be! Similarly, you’ll need to establish the basic structure and layout of your book first.

I’m going to teach you how to do that. We’ll start with a discussion of the three foundational assets you should work on first to create a solid foundation for your book. This is how you’d start writing your book if you were in one of my coaching programs. Then, you’ll learn how to leverage them for writing sections of your book and book-related projects.

The best way to start writing your academic book in three steps.

Step one: the overview. This is the first step in succinctly stating what your book is about. Your overview should include an explanation of the topic or puzzle of your book, your argument, how you’ve collected your evidence, and why your book matters (your intervention). This is similar to an article abstract, but unlike an article abstract, you aren’t going to worry about “fit” with a publisher or catching the attention of prospective readers. The overview is for your reference.

The overview will become the basis of many other pieces of writing, including grant proposals, your book proposal, and the introductory chapter of your book.

Step two: a description of your interlocutors and how you intend to talk to them. In my programs, I call this a framework. You’ll establish who you’re in conversation with and the common language you’ll be using. This “common language” might include well-established concepts or conventional wisdom in your (sub)field or bodies of secondary literature. In essence, your framework indicates who you’re talking to, what you’re talking about, and how you intend to say it.

Your framework will help you to identify the audience for your book and serve as a guide for how to engage the secondary literature. When you’re able to articulate your authorial point of view, you’ll make better decisions concerning the material that should go in your book and what you can leave out. Additionally, when you have your overview and framework, you can write the anchor article that I discussed in an earlier post.

Step three: an outline. The outline helps you establish an order and structure for your academic book. How is the story you’re telling going to unfold? In what order does the reader need to know the information you intend to share? Answering these questions will help you maintain focus as you write.

With a thorough outline, you’ll know what you should be writing and when. This helps you create a solid writing plan. Your work sessions will be more productive and fulfilling because you won’t think that you’re spinning your wheels.

You might be concerned that you don’t know enough to start writing your academic book using these steps. There’s no need for these assets to be perfect or finalized when you first get started. Instead, the goal is for you to start thinking about the big picture of your book, and then how you will proceed to paint that picture throughout the text. These assets are living documents. You can tweak them or completely transform them as you work on your book.

Building a strong foundation for your book will save you time as you continue to work on your book. You’ll always have a North Star that you can look towards when you get lost in the weeds while writing. Further, having a concise description of your book and plan for what you’re going to write is essential when talking to acquisitions editors, discussing your project at workshops, or asking your peers for feedback. Once you start working on them, you’ll realize that they’re an indispensable part of a steady and predictable book-writing process.