My Shelf to Yours: 20 Essential Books For Every Stage of Your Non-Fiction Author Journey

I was packing up my bookshelf recently (yes packing! More on why here).

And I got stuck. Lost, even, diving into books that had been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. You know the ones, dog eared, dusty and damn important (so you never throw them away).

Many of those books are favoured writing tools and guides that have helped me become a great editor, or a better writer over the years - and I’d like to share them with you here in the hope that one, or many, of these could help you too.?

(Shout out to Expert Author Community member Lucas Cullen who recently asked "what are you currently reading?" and Alumni Tiana Iuvale who originally prompted this post when she shared a resource that had hit her at the right time- I hope one of these do the same for you.)

1. Words That Work by Dr. Frank Luntz - Communication expert Luntz shows the impact of using the right words - how it affects our decisions, how it elevates our message and how it can help grow our business.?
2. I Didn't Do The Thing Today by Madeleine Dore - A wonderful guide to overcome productivity guilt. This book provides tips on how to deal with pressure to do more, comparison-itis, and unrealistic expectations we set on ourselves.
3. Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson - Great guide for everyone who wants to learn and explore the English language. Bryson, a copy editor for the London Times, provides clarity on the usage of the most commonly misused words and phrases.
4. The Little Red Writing Book by Mark Tredinnick - One of my all-time favourites! Filled with helpful exercises and examples in both creative writing and functional prose. A great guide to hone your writing technique, style and composition.?
5. The Writer's Practice by John Warner -? Writer, editor, and educator Warner presents a new approach to help beginning writers improve their non-fiction writing. Learn how to think and act like a writer.?
6. Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday - This book is doing the rounds amongst our authors in the Expert Author Community library. Holiday provides innovative principles that will help create and market your work, and make it stand the test of time. It's one of my essentials. Ping Billy Oppenheimer
7. Beyond Words by John Humphrys - Humphrys goes beyond words and explores the hidden attitudes behind many phrases and expressions. Great insights on how our words uncover how we view the world.
8. The Writer's Guide to Agony and Defeat by Jennie Nash - This book will take you through the 43 of the worst moments in the writing life (eek!). Feel the different hardships in writing then learn how to deal with each of them.?
9. Editing Made Easy by Bruce Kaplan - I feel like I built my editing career out of this simple dip in ’n’ out book! If you’re curious how to make your writing more exciting, how to spot factual errors or how to improve your sentence construction, then this book is for you.?
10. How to Write a Book Proposal by Jody Rein with Michael Larsen - If you need insights and guidance about the publishing industry, then I recommend this. You will find examples of successful proposals, ways to customise your proposal, strategies for proposals in the digital age and many more.
11. How to Be a Writer by John Birmingham - Birmingham shares his secrets when it comes to writing productively and professionally. This includes tips on how to overcome writer’s block, how to improve workflow,? and how to hit thousands of words in a day.?Ping Expert Author Community Alumni member Mel Kettle for bringing this to my attention
12. The Practice by Seth Godin - Discover how to get unstuck during the creative process. This book provides great lessons on consistency, imposter syndrome, courage and creating work that matters.
13. Deep Work by Cal Newport - I love Newport’s work, am a fully fledged Deep Worker, and also highly recommend his podcast. Improve how you work by focusing without distraction. Newport shares the four "rules" for transforming your mind and habits: work deeply, embrace boredom, quit social media and drain the shallows.?
14. How to Be an Author by Deborah Hunn and Georgia Richter - Richter and Hunn from the wonderful Fremantle Press (publishes of Peter Scott, CSC 's Running Deep) share the process it takes to be an author, including? the research and preparation before submitting to a publisher; the legal factors to consider; and more.?
15. Ten Things About Writing by Joanne Harris - A collection of advice for everyone who wants to explore writing and the business of publishing. Harris covered all aspects of the writing process, story development, and what happens beyond that.?
16. Indistractable by Nir Eryal with Julie Li - Understand how to beat distractions and why abstinence is not the answer. Eryal provides practical tips and techniques on how to control your time and attention in your work and personal life. (I digested this a lot when working on Penny Locaso 's book Hacking Happiness.)
17. An Introduction to Australian Book Publishing - Published by the Australian Publishers Association, this book is for everyone new to publishing. It is a small and practical guide to learning the different words and acronyms in the industry and the role you play in the publishing process.?
18. I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like by Mardy Grothe - Mardy highlights the three superstars of figurative language—analogies, metaphors, and similes. If you want to start mastering the art of metaphors, then this is a must-read.
19. Book of Books - This is a journal (not technically a book) for book lovers to track their thoughts and key ideas from each book they read. Each entry prompts you to reflect on the books you've read and your perspective on it. This is ideal for authors who want to exercise their writing skills.?Ping Steph Clarke for originally bringing this one to my attention.
20. Nobody wants to read your shit by Steven Pressfield - I find everyone loves Pressfield and references The Art of War and Resistance but my favourite is one of his earlier and lesser know reads - with a great title!?

I'd love to know YOUR favourite writing reads.

? What's on YOUR bookshelf or would you recommend to add?

Kelly x

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Thanks for reading :-) I’m Kelly Irving, a best-selling book coach, editor, and creator of Expert Author Community – a global coaching experience that nurtures business owners and change makers to become a non-fiction author of a book that will launch and leverage their reputation.

I'd love to connect with you on here.

Follow/connect and hit the ?? on the profile for more help on how to write and publish a book that enriches lives.