Steps to Writing a Coffee Table Book

Coffee table books hold a special place in a person's library. While their text is informative, they are much more visually appealing than other books. Oversized and full of big pictures, these books are great conversation starters and they also give guests a way to occupy themselves in your living room. Writing any kind of book is even more fun than simply reading one. Getting that first one under your belt can be a challenge, but these steps will help you write your own coffee table book.

Before You Write

Decide the topic of your book and the audience for which it is intended. If you want your work to have mass-market appeal and feature other peoples' pictures, you will need to set aside a big budget to secure rights to these photographs. If you are a photographer and will be publishing the book yourself, you won't need to worry about this. According to the University of Nevada, Reno, coffee table books "are basically adult picture books." While yours can tell a story if you like, most are nonfiction and focus upon the visual as a result of the format.
Settle on the theme of your book, and decide how you will best serve that theme. For example, if you intend your book to be a tribute to your favorite baseball team, you could split the book into sections by decade or the best players by their position. For a book about the different kinds of flowers in your garden, you could divide them first by perennials and annuals and then by color.

As You Write

Compose a rough draft. To do this, put the pictures you like best in order and write blurbs for each. A coffee table book is usually more about the imagery, so do your best to keep the book as short as possible.
Solicit feedback from trusted friends and other people you believe will give you an honest critique of your book. Be sure to ask which parts should be longer and which should be shorter.
Rewrite the book based on the feedback you've received. If people wanted to learn more about how you got your lilies so big, for example, provide more information about this.

Finishing Up

Finalize your coffee table book by revising it. You should let the manuscript sit for at least a couple weeks so you can read it with fresh eyes. Forgetting some of what you felt in the throes of composition will allow you to evaluate your own writing.

Being Your Own Publisher

Publish your book yourself. While the wonders of the Internet have taken some influence away from traditional publishing, the Web also offers a great deal of opportunity. Sites such as blurb.com (See Resources) allow you to design and submit your book online. They will then print your book for you in whatever quantity you like. This would be a great gift idea for any occasion.