Resource Centre

non-fiction writing and editing Resource Centre

Free resources for non-fiction writers

I’ve collected together some recommendations on articles and books that are useful to non-fiction writers, particularly those self-publishing. I’ve also created some free guides and resources to help you along on your publishing journey!

Click a button to jump straight to that section or scroll to browse through all the guides, articles, cheat sheets and more.

If there’s some information you’d love to see here, get in touch and let me know.

Articles about writing, editing and self-publishing for non-fiction authors

Articles from JFPeditorial.com about non-fiction writing and editing, self-publishing and more

Books about writing, editing and self-publishing for non-fiction authors

  • How to Write Non-Fiction by Joanna Penn helps you turn your knowledge into words. She helps readers combat imposter syndrome and shows the best techniques for getting started. It covers the business models of non-fiction writing, how to tackle the research phase, tips for the writing and editing stages, and information about publishing, production and book marketing.
  • This Book Means Business by Alison Jones is specifically useful for all those non-fiction writers who are penning a book as a means of developing their business. As covered in my article ‘Writing a book as a business marketing tool’, this is an increasingly popular tactic for savvy business owners looking to dominate their niche or specialism.
  • Writing Successful Self-Help & How-to Books by Jean Marie Stine isn’t just for writers in the self-help genre. The content covered here is useful for any non-fiction writers sharing their expertise through tutorials or instruction-style text. The author gives step-by-step advice, and the introduction is a lesson itself on how to write a great opener!

Cheat sheet and checklists for non-fiction writers and indie authors

Self-publishing process infographic
Click to open a larger, zoomable version.

Guides and templates

Book proposal template free guide

Use this template to thoroughly research and plan your outline and content. This will not only make for an easier writing process but for a more successful product.


Either fill in this PDF directly, or copy the prompts into a word processor.

More free guides and templates for non-fiction writers and self-publishing authors coming soon!