Archive for February, 2010
Anybody Can Publish a Nonfiction Book… They Just Can’t All Write One That’s Appealing
I have a good amount of nonfiction books in my personal collection that probably contain a wealth of information but are written so poorly that I can’t finish them. Their topics run the gamut from sales to accounting principles to writing techniques and while I’m interested in learning more, I just can’t see myself swimming through a sea of pea soup writing.
On the other hand, I have numerous nonfiction books that I’ve read more than one time because they get right to the point. There’s virtually no ambiguity in the text, and that makes it easy for me to quickly digest the material. Maybe those books don’t contain the same level of info that the aforementioned books do, but I have wound up valuing them more.
As the author of a nonfiction book, you want your book to appeal to your readers. Although you’re the expert, the book shouldn’t be written for you. It should be written for your audience. In the end, you’re simply the conduit to get your knowledge from point A to point B.
Maybe some day I’ll have the energy to read all those nonfiction books that are collecting dust… but I’m rather doubtful. That’s why all the ghostwriting we do at Your Written Book is geared toward creating books that are readable and marketable. Otherwise, our authors will never be able to fully realize their dreams of writing books that are enjoyed, re-read and referred, not just published.
Self-Published Books DO Succeed!
It’s always fun to hear the naysayers cluck their tongues at the thought of self-publishing, as if a book that you’ve invested in using your own moolah couldn’t possibly have any merit. It’s especially enjoyable when you can point to self-published works that have done pretty doggone well, like Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do)by Gever Tulley.
This nonfiction book came out in 2009 and is already burning up the charts at Amazon. (If you want to get yourself a copy, here’s a fast link to this fascinating read!)
Of course, Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) didn’t come out of nowhere. Quite frankly, it has a lot going for it, including:
- A terrific title. (Who isn’t drawn to figure out what those fifty things could possibly be?)
- A niche market. (This is obviously geared toward parents who don’t want to shelter their kids, probably moms and dads from GenX and maybe even GenY.)
- An author who is willing to do some self-promotion. (We found this nonfiction book — where else? — on the Internet. And we’re probably not the only ones who will do so!)
The next time someone tells you that you can’t possibly be serious about self-publishing, just smile. Then, go do something a little “dangerous”… like setting a goal for the day you’d like to have your nonfiction book in print!
Nonfiction Book Writing Tip #3: Don’t Be Dull
Be honest. You’ve read plenty of nonfiction books that just make you wish you were getting a root canal, haven’t you? That’s the “snooze effect” that so many nonfiction tomes have on their readers. Rather than being useful, interesting, educational tools, they wind up as ink-and-paper Lunesta replacements. (To their credit, they don’t have the nasty side effects of common prescription medicines, so that’s a plus…)
Pick up any nonfiction book in a library and you’ll immediately see where the problem lies. Typically, the author knows his or her field but has absolutely no idea how to communicate ideas to an audience in a way that holds anyone’s attention for more than a nanosecond.
If you’re going to the trouble of putting your thoughts on paper, it’s critical to add some element of readability to your text. You don’t have to pepper the copy with jokes or fluff, but you do have to find a way to tell the reader what you want them to know in a manner that’s pleasing (to them, not you.) Otherwise, your nonfiction book will wind up in the “I’ll read this someday” pile… and no author wants to see that happen.
Nonfiction Book Writing Tip #2: Write for Your Audience, Not for You
Have you ever picked up a book that was a self-serving piece of drivel? Isn’t that a disappointment?
Obviously, you don’t want your work of nonfiction to fall into that category, so it’s important for you to make sure you write for your audience, not for you.
Plenty of authors make the mistake of writing for themselves and never stop to think about who their readers are. They don’t do any kind of research on who will actually be paying for their works, nor do they consider how their tone will be interpreted by a reader.
If you’ve already started your nonfiction book, we’d encourage you to take a step back. Ask yourself the following questions… and be honest with the replies:
- Is this book written FOR someone or is it simply written ABOUT a subject I like?
- Can I picture the type of person who will be reading this book?
- Did I do any research on my “ideal” customer?
- If I were reading this book to get more information, would it keep my interest?
- Is this book one I can truly envision a reader passing on to a family member, colleague or friend?
As always, if you’d like an objective opinion, give us a call. Your Written Book was founded to help bring your nonfiction book to life the write… er, right way!
Nonfiction Book Writing Tip #1: Investigate Your Competition
You have an amazing idea for a book, so what do you do? You dive right into it, of course! In fact, you hire someone to ghostwrite it with you and start putting chapters together. You can’t wait!
All we have to say is — WHOA! Don’t put the cart before the horse!
Now, we’re not suggesting that your book idea isn’t incredible; after all, it might be as revolutionary as Who Moved My Cheese. But what if it’s a topic already covered by another author? You’re going to need to position your nonfiction book differently to gain exposure, credibility, sales, profitability and overall mileage.
That’s why the first nonfiction book writing tip we have for you is to research the competition before you start writing your book. See what other authors have said about the subject. See how their books have sold. And then evaluate how you can turn yours into something even more marketable.
Not only will you be saving yourself time and energy, but you’ll also be ensuring that you’ve given your book the best chance of succeeding right out of the gate!
9 Myths about Authoring a Nonfiction Book
1. I’ll get rich from my book.
The truth is that most published books sell around 3,000 copies in their lifetimes. (Self-published and print on demand books typically sell even fewer copies.) A small percentage of authors get rich off their books. For most authors, it’s how they use their books before and after they’ve been published that earns them wealth!
2. If I write it, they will come.
People are bombarded by messages every second of the day and their attention spans are becoming increasingly shorter. Without solid marketing, your book will languish on book shelves or in boxes.
3. The Internet will make my book an “easy sell” without any kind of marketing.
If this were true, print on demand books wouldn’t sell an average of 200 copies during their lifetimes.
4. Self-publishing will be a piece of cake.
Hey, for the right people, this may be true. But most first-time authors (or first-time self-publishing authors) have no idea how to navigate this process. As with everything from juggling to dancing the tango, it’s much harder than it looks!
5. I have to get a publisher and agent.
For the nonfiction author, this is definitely not the case! If you adopt a strategic marketing philosophy and surround yourself with a small team of experts, you can get quite a bit of mileage from a book.
6. A book has to be really, really long.
Who has time to read a 400-page tome on management? If you have something to say and it only takes 80 pages, so be it. Nonfiction books come in all shapes and sizes.
7. I don’t know any experts to interview.
Ah, this can be a tough one. But if you begin to explore the “six degrees of separation” philosophy, you’ll likely discover there are experts only a few degrees away who would be open to being a part of your work. (Never forget that “expert” is in the eye of the beholder.)
8. I can’t afford to spend time writing a book.
If your book is going to gather dust in your basement after it’s been written, we agree with you. But if you’re willing to market it before it even comes out in print format, you’re mistaken about the cost.
9. If I work with an editor, s/he is going to turn my nonfiction book into something unrecognizable.
While we can’t speak for all book editors, our mission has always been to keep the author’s tone intact throughout any ghostwriting and editing processes.
# # #
Want to learn 10 realistic ways to make money from your nonfiction book? Join us on February 4th at 4pm EST for a special, FREE 30-minute live tele-training call!
9 of the Most Recognizable Self-Published Nonfiction Books
Question: What do these 9 books have in common?
Answer: They were all self-published.
See how many of them you recognize!
1. The Elements of Style, William Strunk, Jr.
2. In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters
3. What Color is Your Parachute?, Richard N. Bolles
4. Life’s Little Instruction Book, H. Jackson Browne Jr.
5. Robert’s Rules of Order, Henry M. Robert
6. The Joy of Cooking, Irma Rombauer
7. Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Jack Canfield and Mark Hensen
8. The One-Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
9. The Macintosh Bible, Arthur Naiman
# # #
Are you ready to learn 10 realistic ways to make money from your nonfiction book? We want you to join us on February 4th at 4pm EST for a special, FREE 30-minute live tele-training call!