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How to Write a Sports Book

Write what you know is the mantra most writers live by when it comes to book-length projects. Writer knowledge and passion usually equal an interesting book. If you are knowledgeable about sports, pick sports for the subject area of your book.

Authors generally write sports books to specific audiences because most subjects do not have universal appeal. Choosing whether to write a non-fiction or fiction book is another factor in determining the specific audience in which you will market your sports book.

Instructions

  1. How to write your sports book

    • 1
      Write to your target audience.

      Writing a sports book requires planning. For instance, in order to write a book about University of Georgia football, you have to decide if you will write about a certain time period in the history of the university's football program or if your book will encompass the entire history of the program. You could write specifically about the coaches, outstanding players or one outstanding player, such as Herschel Walker. Writing a project plan saves time in the long run and also meshes the creative process together with the business process. The business process keeps you thinking about writing to your reader or target audience so that your finished product is marketable.

    • 2
      Plan your book before writing it.

      Take the book plan you just made and craft a detailed outline. Think through each chapter one at a time taking time to write notes about everything you want to include in that chapter. Tape yourself as you talk through each chapter. Invite a writer or someone knowledgeable about sports to converse with you about what you will cover. Write 'needs research' by topics that will require Internet or library research. Note topics that will require interviews.Take the outline and estimate how many pages it will take to write your book.

    • 3
      Write, edit, rewrite, and polish your sports book.

      Read over your outline and actual book to your target audience. Edit the first draft of your book and do the necessary revisions. Pay attention to areas that need more depth and do more research for those areas. Read over your sports book when you finish the first rewrite and if possible have a professional editor read your second draft. If a professional editor proves too expensive, take the second draft to someone who knows basic grammar and is knowledgeable about sports. Do necessary edits, read back over your book and try to sell your book to a publisher.

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