Some of the greatest, most influential nonfiction books have been written by journalists. The raw and personal, yet credible, insights a journalist can extract from on-the-ground reporting are often very attractive to agents and editors, particularly when that journalist knows how to turn reporting into a book by crafting a moving and sustained narrative. Developing nonfiction book ideas for journalists should be a priority for any publisher.

As such, for some journalists book writing seems like a logical transition. Perhaps a longform feature you wrote gained significant traction, and you’re wondering whether you could expand it into a book. Perhaps you’ve been covering a topic for years and feel you now have enough expertise for a more comprehensive analysis. However, shifting from purely journalistic work to book writing can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with the book publishing industry. Newspapers and magazines share some qualities with book publishers, but often have different editorial standards and stylistic preferences.

Committing to your first full-length book project is about more than just expanding your word count. Before dedicating years to developing a manuscript, journalists writing books should ask themselves the following questions.

Do I Have Enough Material for 50,000 Words or More?

As a journalist, you are likely used to considering whether the scope of your topic is a match for the desired length of your piece. A book project, however, requires a much greater scope. A standard nonfiction book typically runs between 50,000 and 80,000 words, and many run longer than that. 

Ask yourself whether your argument and narrative threads, as well as the research you’ve compiled, are rich and complex enough to span hundreds of pages. You may need to do additional research and reporting to compile enough material.

Is There Enough Audience Interest in This Topic?

Many newspapers and magazines operate on subscription-based models, and journalists may benefit from access to these built-in audiences. Authors, on the other hand, must build an audience largely on their own—although they may get some marketing and publicity support from a traditional publisher. Do you have a built-in audience that you’ve developed through your career, network, or online presence? 

Either way, your idea and topic needs to be attractive enough to catch readers’ attention and convince them to purchase your book. Readers must be willing to invest time and money to learn more about this subject. Does your topic have broad enough appeal? 

A nonfiction book proposal that can articulate its subject’s appeal to a defined readership will be much more attractive to publishers. If your story’s audience is too limited, it will likely also be difficult to find an agent and editor, and to get your book into readers’ hands if it does get published.

Should This Idea Stand Alone as an Article?

Many stories deserve to be told, but not all have the power and narrative complexity to carry through an entire book. Some stories may lose their urgency when stretched unnecessarily. Ask yourself whether condensing your research and reporting into an article would still capture its essence, or whether summarizing would truly be a disservice to the complexity of the material. 

• How much do you really have to say about this topic? 
• Will your argument or narrative be strengthened and grow richer with more space to dig in, or will your message be diluted by digression and redundancy?

Do I Have the Resources to Do This Topic the Justice It Deserves?

Writing a book as a journalist, especially one based on historical research or in-depth reporting, requires a lot of resources, often requiring archival records requests, interview planning, or expensive subscriptions. 

• Do you have the ability to conduct follow-up interviews with your subjects? 
• Will you be able to secure archival materials? 
• Do you have the time and financial resources to travel to any relevant locations? 

Consider whether you have the resources and access necessary to fill any gaps in your narrative, and proceed only when you are confident you will have enough material to fill a book’s pages and do your topic justice.

Do I Have Enough Time and Energy to Devote to a Project of This Magnitude?

Completing a book-length project often takes months, if not years. Consider whether you realistically have the time to commit to this. Many journalists attempt to balance book writing with a full-time job, alongside various personal obligations. Are you able and willing to dedicate the additional time and energy to see this project through until the end?

Even after you are done writing, book publishing for journalists comes with its own set of demands. A book deal may involve promotional obligations, ranging from book tours and speaking engagements to podcast appearances. 

• Would your current role allow you to take time away for traveling and publicity purposes? 
• How involved are you willing to be in marketing and publicizing your book?

Will This Topic Still be Timely a Few Years from Now?

At most publishers, the process of bringing a book to completion and getting it on shelves is notoriously slow. From contract to publication date, a nonfiction book can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months, if not more. A breaking-news story today might feel outdated by the time your book finally reaches bookstores. Ask yourself: 

• Will this topic still be relevant a year or two from now? 
• What about your narrative will stand the test of time?

Some presses might be willing and able to accelerate the process for a particularly timely topic or well-known author. If that’s not you, however, you might be stuck waiting as your project wades through slow-moving editorial processes or hits stubborn bureaucratic hurdles. 

Yet despite these common challenges, publishing timelines do vary from press to press. If you’re a journalist thinking about writing a time-sensitive book project, our publishing program at Flatpage might be perfect for you. We publish carefully chosen books and use in-house editors, allowing us to move projects along faster timelines while still prioritizing editorial quality and marketing support.

Are There Any Legal or Ethical Concerns?

Although journalists will likely be well-acquainted with ethical standards for newspaper reporting, a book’s permanence and potential reach raise the stakes. Consider, before committing to a book project, whether any legal or ethical concerns might arise. 

An interviewee may have agreed to be featured in a profile, but there is no guarantee they would consent to serve as the subject of an entire book. 

• Have you secured informed consent for a book-length portrayal of your subject? 
• How might the book affect their privacy, safety, or reputation? Could you be subject to defamation claims? 

Additionally, if you are writing about vulnerable people or communities, ask yourself whether profiting from their stories would be ethical. Perhaps the story deserves to be told, but someone else might be better suited to tell it. 

Before you commit to a book project, take the time to secure informed consent from your subjects, and consider what will happen to them once your book is out in the world.

Where Would I Want to Publish?

Finally, knowing where you might want to publish will shape how you move forward. 

• Is your heart set on traditional publishing, with editorial, marketing, and design teams to support you? 
• Would you prefer a large, corporate publisher or a smaller, independent press? 
• Does your project veer more toward an academic audience? If so, perhaps an academic or university press might be the best fit for you.
• Are you open to self-publishing, which can be costly but offers more autonomy and flexibility?

You have no shortage of options, but each demands different levels of investment, both financial and personal. Your answer will also help you determine whether you’ll need a literary agent; most large traditional publishers only accept agented submissions, while some small presses will consider submissions directly from authors as well. 

If you don’t know where to start, learn all about the various types of nonfiction publishers in our recent Column post.

What’s Next?

If you’ve answered these questions and still feel like your story should be told in the form of a book, you are ready to move forward. 

Journalists often have certain advantages over inexperienced authors, as they bring their own set of rigorous standards for research and writing to the table. Shifting to book writing, however, isn’t always easy. You must reconsider the scope and intended audience of your story, as well as how thoroughly you are able and willing to commit to a project of this magnitude. If you think you and your ideas are ready, the next step is to begin crafting your book proposal.