According to research, textbook costs have skyrocketed over 812% in the last 35 years. If you have knowledge that you want to share and you are interested in writing a textbook, now is your time.
Writing a textbook may seem like an overwhelming task at first but after you break your information down into bite-sized chunks, the structure of the book becomes very easy to write.
Whether you are a teacher who is fed up of teaching the same curriculum, or you have some really interesting information to share, writing a textbook is a perfect way to share your knowledge and make some extra money!
The only issue is knowing how to write a textbook that people will actually want to purchase and read.
Keep on reading to learn all there is to know about writing a textbook.
Let’s get started!
1. Decide On the Subject and Reading Level
This decision may be easy if you are a teacher because you are designated to a specific grade, however, if you are writing for a general audience you need to be more specific for who you are writing to.
For your first textbook, decide on a subject that you are familiar with and are passionate about. For the audience, write for those who know much less than you up until the level you are at. This will make it easier to get your information out without having to do too much research.
This will also prevent readers from becoming too overwhelmed with too much information. For example, if you are passionate about mathematics and want to create a textbook on Roman numerals, make sure you stick to information just on that topic and not deviating from the main purpose of the book.
2. Create the Outline
Get out a giant piece of paper and create an outline or mind-map of your ideas. Each branch can become its own chapter and gradually get more in-depth as the readers keep going.
Keep in mind that:
- The chapters should have some kind of flow to them, one should lead to the next.
- The end of the textbook should prepare the student for either the next edition or have them ready to take a test.
- Know how many chapters your textbook will have by the end.
- Know how many and which topics that each chapter will include.
Knowing this information ahead of time will help you structure your textbook properly and prevent you from making huge mistakes along the way.
3. Include Eye-Catching Graphics
All of us have read textbooks at some point of our lives and we can remember the difference between a bland and unexciting textbook to a fun and colorful book full of interesting graphics.
In order to keep the students interested, you need to stimulate the monkey-mind by including some fun graphics. If you do not know how to create them yourself, there are many online freelancing websites where you can find a graphics designer for cheap.
Learn More About Writing a Textbook That Sells
When writing a textbook, it is all about sharing your knowledge with passion. When you love what you teach, readers will pick up on that and want to learn more too.
If you would like to read more articles like this one, check out more articles in our education section.
