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Archive for the ‘Nonfiction Book Writing Tips’ Category

Read This Great Self-Published, Nonfiction Book!

Monday, April 12, 2010 @ 05:04 PM
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I recently received a copy of this nonfiction book that was self-published and is just outstanding.  It has all the makings for a great read that will leave you nodding in agreement and chuckling out loud.

Best of all, the author is a real bootstrapper.  I like that.  He’s the type of person we love here at Your Written Book!  He’s not going to wait a million years to get his words to the public; instead, he’s going to take the bull by the horns and ride ‘im into the sunset!

Nonfiction Book Writing Tip #3: Don’t Be Dull

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 @ 09:02 PM
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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.

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

Monday, February 8, 2010 @ 03:02 PM
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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!