You Don’t Have to Make It Up: Breaking Into the Non-Fiction Market George Galdorisi La Jolla Writer’s Conference October 27-29, 2017
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You Don’t Have to Make It Up: Breaking Into the Non-Fiction
Market
George Galdorisi
La Jolla Writer’s ConferenceOctober 27-29, 2017
You Don’t Have to Make It Up:
Breaking Into the Non-Fiction Market
“This lecture opens the door to the non-fiction market - a morediverse and far-easier market to enter than fiction. It's all aboutcontent and platform, and convincing a publisher or an agentwhat you are selling is interesting, timely, and better thanlooking up the same subject matter on Wikipedia. Attendees willlearn the secrets of success including: What subject areas topick, how to get started becoming an expert in a field, how to domarket research, how to structure a non-fiction book proposal,and how to put together a query letter that will sell. Attendeeswill be provided with online access to all workshop material.”
A Few Preliminaries….
• Three promises:
– This will be a fast-paced fifty minutes
– We’ll learn something…and we’ll have fun
– You’ll have access to these resources…take notes…or not….
• Three assumptions:
– You all are interested in the non-fiction market
– That includes articles of all kinds as well as books
– You didn’t wake up last Tuesday morning with this notion
• A word about Power Point…
….by way of background….
Let’s talk about writing….
….and isn’t this the oldest profession?
“History is what the historians and writers say it is.”Norman Polmar(Forty books – and counting)
You Don’t Have to Make It Up:Breaking Into the Nonfiction Market
• Some basics - and non-fiction in general
• Being - or becoming - the expert
• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen
• Scratching itches - or entertaining
• Getting a publisher to buy your book
• Promoting your book
• Examples and resources
Some Basics: Non-Fiction in General
….the dark…and light…side of writing….
“Now, if you’re getting all fired up and ready to pound the keys, Imight inject a word of caution. Actually, this word comes frommy wife. For most of us, writing is not a team sport. An article fora trade journal or a short story is no big deal, but if you findyourself writing a long piece or a book, you probably ought tohave a chat with your spouse. For most of us, writing meansclosing off the other people in your life for several hours a dayand it’s something you may want to talk about before youbegin.”
Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993
“If you have other things in your life—family, friends,good productive day work—these can interact withyour writing and the sum will be all the richer.”
David Brin
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Rudyard Kipling
The Elephant’s Child
Some Things to Consider Before You Write
• Who are you writing for?• What are you going to write?• Where are you going to write?• When are you going to write?• Why are you going to write?• How are you going to write?
So Many Non-Fiction Outlets
• A wide array of online media• Newsletters• Alumni magazines• Professional journals• Popular magazines• Newspapers• Portions of non-fiction books• Non-fiction books
Why Non-Fiction Books?
• It is a hungry market
• Relatively easy to enter
• Lower risk – sell then write
• Can be steady money
• Can query without an agent more easily
• Vastly more non-fiction published than fiction
Being – or Becoming – the Expert
“There are authors and artists and then againthere are writers and painters.”
Ian FlemingHow to Writer a Thriller
Being – Or Becoming - the Expert
• Some essential “first order” questions:– Is this something you’re passionate about?
– Do you have enough “street creds” that you’re an expert?
– If not, is there a way you can acquire those street creds?
– Do you really want to spend several years doing this?
• If the answer is yes, then it’s all about the packaging:– First stop – solo or with a collaborator?
– Next stop – the library and the internet – due diligence
– Is it a book – or an article?
– If it’s a book – packaging – query letters and proposals
What Should You Write About?
• Whatever you are passionate about
• “You’re in a bar with your friends”
• What my first agent always asked:– What are you really passionate about?
– What do I wish I had more time for?
– How would I spend year as a “professional dilettante?”
– What do I think about when I’m alone?
– What do I worry about and what issues concern me most?
– What have I done that people seem curious about?
– Is there a topic where friend turn to me for advice?
Pursuing a Subject:Or Letting Life Happen
“Being a comparatively successful writer is a good life.You don’t have to work at it all the time and you carryyour office around in your head. And you are far moreaware of the world around you. Writing makes youmore alive to your surroundings and, since the mainingredient of living, though you might not think so tolook at most human beings, is to be alive, this is quite aworthwhile by-product, even if you only write thrillers.”
Ian FlemingHow to Write a Thriller
Pursuing a Subject-or Letting Life Happen?
• Beyond the Law of the Sea
• Leave No Man Behind
• The Kissing Sailor
• Other examples
• And this leads us to a question….
Are You Scratching Itches:or Entertaining?
“I do not over-intellectualize the production process. Itry to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.”
Tom Clancy
Scratching Itches-Or Entertaining?
• Scratching Itches: Beyond the Law of the Sea:– We had a mission
– We had a message
– We wanted people to do something
– It gave us a platform
• Entertaining: The Kissing Sailor– We had a mission
– We were on a “Mission from God”
– In some ways, the day the book was published – we were done
– And…the book “percolated” into downstream goodness
• Leave No Man Behind – Both goals
How Much to Tell and What’s Next?
• Getting past: “It’s an article, not a book”
• A comfort zone and an “article to book ratio”
• One book – or a series
• Above all else – the purpose of the book (LNMB)
• At the end of the day – you decide, not the editor
• If you haven’t written articles – now you should!
You’re in the Starting Blocks!
• You know what you’re going to write about
• You know why you’re going to write about it
• You know who is going to write it (solo….or….)
• You know roughly when you’ll write
• You already have the where figured out:
– Solo
– With collaborator (the “how” question)
• Now all you have to do is get someone interested in publishing the book!
Getting a Publisher to Buy Your Book
“The toughest hurdle you must scale is getting apublisher to agree to handle your book. You are a newname, a new risk to them. They will judge you on whatyou send, the thought behind it, the obviousprofessionalism, how it reaches them, sometimes yourexpertise or previous writing output, and always onhow your book will increase their profit line.”
Gordon BurgettBefore You Write Your First Book
You Must Do This:Decide What Your Non-Fiction Book Is
What Is Your Non-Fiction Book?
• Narrative Non-Fiction:
– A book that tells a true story, often using the techniques of fiction: biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs
• Prescriptive Non-Fiction
– A book offering information and advice, this includes helping readers improve their lives or learn a new skill
Narrative Non-Fiction
• Most narrative non-fiction is produced by someone who has some experience as a writer
• Most good narrative non-fiction entertains through storytelling as much as it informs
• Biographies typically require an enormous amount of research and need to “hook” if the subject is familiar
• Many aspiring non-fiction writers focus on memoirs –the “art” is finding something new to say
• At the end of the day, narrative non-fiction will succeed or fail based on the author’s writing skill
Prescriptive Non-Fiction
• Prescriptive non-fiction requires decent writing, but the bar isn’t as high as for narrative non-fiction
• However, this kind of book is sold on the basis of the author’s platform or visibility
• Readers don’t want to be entertained, they want to learn from the wisdom of your experience or insights
• Most popular categories of prescriptive non-fiction:– Religion
– Business
– Self-help: Diet, health, fitness, self-improvement etc.
“It’s already
been done, or
it’s on Wikipedia”
“It’s an article,
not a book”
“You don’t have
a platform”You must
overcome
all three!
Getting a Publisher to Buy Your Book
• Due diligence – with a vengeance!
• Finding the right agent or publisher
• The query letter – address those three circles
• Your book proposal – and some examples
Due Diligence – With a Vengeance!
• Once you get past the “It’s an article, not a book” roadblock, the next one is…
• “It’s already been done before or enough information on the subject is on Wikipedia”
• You have to convince yourself it hasn’t been done and then you have to convince an agent or editor
• How to you do that? (Your “Mission from God”)
Due Diligence – With a Vengeance!
• Meet Your Two Best Friends:– The library– The internet
• The library– Books– Journals and magazines
• The internet– Subject searches– Writer searches
• Other friends– Your colleagues and fellow travelers– Bookstores – large and small
What is the End Game –What Are You Looking For?
• Publishers who publish this kind of book
• Agents who agent this kind of book
• Once you know that, it’s all about the query
• Persistence on steroids!
The Query Letter
• There is a cottage industry of courses on how to write a query letter
• There are a number of books on how to write a query letter
• There is a cottage industry of experts on how to write a query letter – and some of them are here!
• There is a massive amount of information on the internet on how to write a query letter
• One source:– Google: http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx
– But this is only one, there is a universe of them out there
The Query LetterThe “Bell Shaped Curve” For Most
• The hook
• Mini-synopsis
• Your bio
• Your closing – “where’s the beef?”– High Concept
– Outline
– Table of Contents
– Sample Chapters
• “Bound the problem” for how much time you’re going to spend on getting an “A” in query letters
The Magic Words….
…Yes, I’d be interested in reading it
How long will the editor have to wait to see your proposal?…
“Interest” has a half life….
Before You Write the Proposal
• Come up with a “purpose statement” for your book and write it down in one sentence
• Then put this into a working question: This book is the answer to….
• Two sources (there are a multitude of them in print):
– John Boswell – The Awful Truth About Publishing
– Jeff Herman – Write the Perfect Book Proposal
The Proposal – The 100,000-Foot View
• Who would read your book?
• Why would they buy it?
• Where would they use it?
• What else is available like your book?
• How does your book differ from others?
• When did you decide it’s better than Wikipedia?
Think about your competition today – not just books, but the internet? Is your book better than Wikipedia?
Your Book Proposal
• This is not the time for humility
• Think back to when you wrote your first resume
• Advice from John Boswell: The Awful Truth About Publishing
– Define the book’s audience
– Describe the book generally and specifically
– Show that your book fills a need for your audience
– Show that you are uniquely qualified to write this book
Today – You Are the Publisher’s Marketing Department
• Part of your proposal must include how you are going to do their work for them!
• What is your platform?
– Media of all kinds (talks, interviews, print, et al)
– Internet presence• Facebook
• And more….
– How you are going to make promoting our book a constant drumbeat
Let’s look at two examples….
Leave No Man Behind
• The “Hook” – Rescue Story (Clyde Lassen – Medal of Honor)
• About the Book
• Table of Contents
• Chapter Summaries
• The Market
• The Authors
• Promotion
• Length and Delivery
Leave No Man Behind“An important and comprehensive work on that most American of military imperatives--going in harm's way to get one of our own.” Dick Couch (NYT bestselling author)
“Leave No Man Behind is a solid piece of history. Well written, well told, well done!” Darrel Whitcomb Author of The Rescue of Bat 21
“This story has never been told before! Leave No Man Behind offers a unique blend of operational experience and technical description.” Dr. Norman Friedman – author of over 30 books.
“George Galdorisi and Tom Phillips have provided a comprehensive, and well-written history of the development of combat rescue up to the present, including dramatic accounts of rescues, among them many never before revealed.” Norman Polmar –author of over 40 naval books.
The Kissing SailorCoverQuoteTable of ContentsConcept (Why this book?)Competition (Surely this story has been told before?)Timing (Why are we doing this book at this time?)Methodology (How are we going to pull this off?)About the AuthorsChapter SummaryThe MarketPromotionLength and Delivery
The Kissing Sailor
“What a wonderful detective storyabout a kissing sailor and a beautifulnurse – the most famous couplecelebrating the end of WWII. Famousbut anonymous - until now. I loved it.”Tom Brokaw, author of The GreatestGeneration
“The Kissing Sailor is a whodunit thatprovides once and for all theidentification of the world’s best-known smoochers…You have to readthis book!” David Hume Kennerly,Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
Promoting What You Write:Establishing an Online Presence
Leveraging Social Media
Establishing a world-class online presence
What Makes Your Online Presence Unique?
• Are you providing something people can’t get anywhere else or get as easily?
• Are you aiming at the right attention span of online tourists?
• Determining the right level of effort in refreshing your online content
• Balancing what you give away online and what you want to sell to visitors
Beating the Competition for Online Eyes
• Above all else, when someone “Googles” your name your website must pop up at the top
• It’s not just about getting that initial visitor – it’s about getting him or her to keep coming back
• Most online visitors are taking a break from what they have to do at work or home
• Think of your website the same way as what you write – tell people a story
Balancing Content and Entertainment
• People will tire of the monotonous “professor” telling them “like this damn you” (from Ian Fleming)
• People will tire of dancing bears, dwarfs throwing rose petals and fireworks
• Achieving the right blend and balance is your online presence style
• Take the same approach Urban Meyer has during his coaching career
Doing It Yourself Or Having It Done
• Your website is “you” to people you will likely never meet – but who you want to entertain
• There are cottage industries of books, seminars, tools and coaches to help you build your own website
• There are legions of people and businesses who will do it for you
• If you have the time and energy and want to use your left and right brain – try doing it yourself
Let’s look at some examples of websites of people who write….
Some Writers Who Have Done It Themselves
• Jeff Edwards
– http://navythriller.com/
• Janice Steinberg
– thetinhorse.com
• Larry Verria
– Site lapsed!
Some Writers Who Have Had Someone Else Build Their Website
• Dick Couch
– www.dickcouch.com
• Larry Bond
– http://www.larry-bond.com/
• Your guide for this course
– www.georgegaldorisi.com
Some Ways to Find More Examples
• “Google” writers you enjoy
• Go online for advice on going online
• Check with local businesses in your community
• Use your library for additional resources
Use social media to the extent writing is still first
Vote Early and Often
• There are no limits to how much you can use social media
• This goes to the number of sites you use as well as to how often you are on those sites
• However, as with your online presence (website) it comes down to how you invest your time
• Most “practitioners” advise a Zen approach; “If you don’t do it excellently, don’t do it at all”
Building a Following
• There are many ways to build a following – find the one that’s right for you
• You can even “buy” a following on media like Twitter – if this is really what you want to do
• Most people find that letting a following build naturally conveys the best long-term benefits
• Remember that social media following is a very ephemeral thing (Un-friending, Tweepie, etc.)
Sustaining Momentum
• Building a following on social media carries an implicit obligation – to stay with it!
• As one indication, Twitter tells you when a person’s last Tweet was – and Tweepie keeps score too
• You want to make social media your servant not your master
• Recognize that there are dangers that come with this http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/who-likes-you
Do You Really Want To Do This?
• It can be time consuming – or all-consuming
• It can be boring
• It can be distracting – to the detriment of your work
• It can be expensive in terms of missed opportunities
• Doesn’t have a definable return on investment
• At the end of the day it is ephemeral
…on the other hand…
Benefits of Social Media
• You can reach a global audience
• Social media is accessible to everyone
• Most social media tools are easily learned
• You control your content and periodicity
• If you have no Web presence, agents, reviewers and readers are a lot less likely to take you seriously
• Publishers will ask: “What platforms are you on and how many followers do you have?”
A Slice of Social Media
• Blogging
• Text Messaging
A Slice of Social Media
• Blogging
• Text Messaging
Like Many Things in Life Using Social Media to Enhance Your Writing Reach Involves
• Organization and planning
• Knowing your target market
• Getting creative
• Staying consistent
• Picking some – but not likely all – types of SM
• Setting realistic goals–especially the time you invest
Some Iconic Non-Fiction Writersand Helpful Resources
“There comes a time when you realize that everything is a dream, and only those things preserved in writinghave any possibility of being real.”
James Salter
“All That Is”
NYT Magazine
December 27, 2015
Some Iconic Non-Fiction Writersand Helpful Resources
• David McCullough• Walter Isaacson • Malcolm Gladwell• Laura Hillenbrand• Writers on Writing (I)• Writers on Writing (II)• NYT Book Review• NYT Book Review – Last Page
A Summing Up of What We’ve Covered:Whew – is it Worth It?
You Don’t Have to Make It Up:Breaking Into the Nonfiction Market
• Some preliminaries - and non-fiction in general
• Being - or becoming - the expert
• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen
• Scratching itches - or entertaining
• Getting a publisher to buy your book
• Promoting your book
• Examples and resources
A Word About Surveys:Comments Typically Come in Three Types
• You rocked my world and my life is now changed forever for the better – I’m a completely new person
• I’d rather have a root canal than have to sit through this again – and I think you should pay for it
• I got something (a lot, a little) out of this talk, but if the instructor does this next year, he should:– Do more of….
– Do less of….
– Go faster….
– Go slower….
– ????
Slides and Resources:http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/
For 2017 La Jolla Writer’s Conference Attendees only. Contact me via this website for:
Book proposal for: Leave No Man BehindBook proposal for: The Kissing Sailor
And if you’d like to receive my “Writing Tips” bi-weekly
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