Creating Effective Lists in Nonfiction Books

How many times have you been reading a big block of text in a book and come across a bulleted list and thought, “Finally! A brief, straightforward reprieve”?

It’s a normal reaction because the layout or structure engages our attention in a different way.

A bulleted or numbered list can be an effective tool to emphasize key points or reinforce your arguments. Yet I see two common issues when editing nonfiction books:

1) Missing context surrounding lists

2) Inconsistently formatted lists

Let’s dive into each issue, so you’re prepared to review your lists during your self-editing phase. (This can save you money when it comes time to professional editing services.)

Missing Context Surrounding Lists

If you’re an outliner, good for you! It’s an effective method for creating a draft. Beware, though, that sometimes you’ll end up throwing a list at your reader, and they’re left wondering how they’re supposed to interpret a random list.

This can occur when you’re transferring your thoughts from outline to draft form. It’s normal! But to maximize the impact of your list, add a lead-in or preparatory context before the list, and a summary point that reiterates the purpose/importance.

Here’s an example from Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller (see pages 88–89 in the paperback copy).

At StoryBrand we’ve identified two plans you can use to effectively encourage customers to do business with you. The first kind of plan, and the one we recommend every one of our clients employ, is a process plan.

A process plan can describe the steps a customer needs to take to buy our product, or the steps the customer needs to take to use our product after they buy it, or a mixture of both.

For instance, if you’re selling an expensive product, you might break down the steps like this:

1. Schedule an appointment.

2. Allow us to create a customized plan.

3. Let’s execute the plan together.

Whether we’re selling a financial product, a medical procedure, a university education, or any other complicated solution, a process plan takes the confusion out of our customer’s journey and guides them in the next steps.

Photo of the Building a Story Brand provided through Amazon.

This quick example includes a perfect dose of context for this numbered list. Miller has explained the process plan concept, then he provided an example in a list of steps. As the reader, we know the purpose of the list before reading it.

Then the follow-up paragraph has a summary point explaining how applicable the process plan is regardless of circumstances. That provides context for how this list can help you as well as its importance. It has all the context needed to set the reader up for success!

Inconsistently Formatted Lists

This next common issue may seem a bit nitpicky, but you can train yourself to look for it and hopefully avoid headaches later. Yes, editors should have an eagle eye and be able to properly format your lists. But cleaning up the formatting of your lists can reduce your professional editing timeline and costs. (And your editor will be so excited!)

Here’s an example of a silly list I wrote that has a few inconsistencies.

These are the things that I consider before packing for a vacation.

1. Do I need to dress up?

2. Sightseeing and activities.

3. The weather

All of these travel aspects determine the essentials I’ll need to pack for my trip.

Phew, okay. Let’s break down these inconsistencies.

First, we have two parts of speech or phrasing structures across the three elements. Number 1 is in question form while numbers 2 and 3 are nouns.

Second, number 1 has a question mark at the end, number 2 has a period, and number 3 is missing punctuation.

Here’s an option for how to improve the list’s consistency.

These are the things that I consider before packing for a vacation.

1. Will I need to dress up?

2. What sightseeing and activities will I participate in?

3. What will the weather be?

All of these travel aspects determine the essentials I’ll need to pack for my trip.

Now the three considerations are consistently presented in question form, and each list element has a question mark at the end. Easy enough!

How Do I Apply These Pro Tips for Lists in My Book?

Remember that you’re not a failure of a writer if you have these issues in your manuscript. It truly is a common issue with easy solutions.

To aid in your self-editing process, revisit each list in your manuscript and ask yourself these questions:

1. What lead-in or preparatory context do I have before the list?

2. What summary or final thought do I have to follow-up the list?

3. Am I using consistent formatting in my lists? (I’ve included helpful hints below.)

a. Do I use consistent parts of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.) or phrasing at the beginning of each list element?

b. Do I use periods (or ending punctuation) at the end of each list element?

c. Do I capitalize the first letter of each line?

d. Do I use numbers with periods or parentheses around them throughout the book?

Note that there may still be some suggestions from your editor and formatter even after you’ve reviewed your list. We’re trained in the industry’s guidelines and want to make your work is as polished as possible.

Hopefully these guiding questions will point you in the right direction for your self-edits. Tightening up the context and formatting should help you feel more confident about how you’re presenting your thoughts and influencing your reader.

If you’re feeling stuck or need additional editing services, please reach out. Until then, best of luck with your writing journey!

Reference

Miller, Donald. Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen. Nashville, TN: HarperCollins Leadership, 2017.