Nonfiction Author's Tip #2

 Book writing is organic (and a little bit magic)!

Writing-in-progress is organic, like children - not static. By the end of a chapter, you may realize the previous chapter needs a lead-in to this one. Or the message you meant to write has shifted and now leads to a different insight or conclusion.

That's wonderful (usually)! Your brain has sprinkled creative writing dust into your pages in for form of additional content!

Yay, Brain!

The same thing can happen to your Table of Contents. At some point, maybe after you've typed the last page, you'll see that's not the most useful, orderly flow of information.

Ah, so you rearrange. Maybe you'll need to alter the first and last paragraphs of some chapters, to create a natural transition to the next one. Than you'll follow your muse and tuck in some cool examples or side stories.

Be excited! You're improving your already *phenomenal* book.

Most writing, fiction and non, short and long presents lively, new information.

<|>  After all, they're our literary children.  <|>

All First Drafts are "Rotten" -- Even Yours

Actually, Ann Lamott's richly insightful book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life says "shitty first drafts."

Most prose professionals agree on a few basic rules for writing a nonfiction book:

• Select topic
• Create Table of Contents listing the primary chapters of your book
• Write the book
• Rearrange the chapters as many times as necessary for flow of information
• Write "The End" at the end

You will have resisted the urge to stop and edit each page as you go, but have mostly kept writing in the interest of honoring your "conversation with the reader." 

But the self-edit comes after you finish that beautiful first draft.

          Next *DO NOT SHIP IT OFF TO AN EDITOR.* 

Your rough collection of words isn't quite ready for prime time.

Then too, it might cost more if the editor has to struggle through confusing pronouns and verb tenses.

Let the manuscript sit for a few days to cool off and allow your mind to rest. Then read a chapter, go back and make corrections and notes for change, and just circle (or underline) typos, misspellings and punctuation errors.

Go through the whole book, one chapter at a time, noting the flow and pace of information and evenness of voice, tone and writing style, making any changes that will improve the quality.

Type the corrections, smile, do a little happy dance and send it off to whichever professional book editor you've connected with. 

And celebrate!

 

     

Will "everybody" want to buy your book?

Identify the target audience for your book!

As a consultant and book writing coach, one of the first questions I ask is: who is your target audience? Then I go on to explain that they'll need to identify their target reading audience, the person who will benefit from your insights.

AND NOT "EVERYBODY" WILL FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY!

For nonfiction books, the future readers are usually the buyers, too. So the content, arrangement of information (Table of Contents) and additional information like glossary or resource material need to appeal to the one who's going to curl up in a chair with the book in hand. (Or settle onto a booth at lunch with their e-book version.)

Make a TARGET AUDIENCE list:

       *  Male -- female -- both
       *  Age range
       *  Book shoppers -- yes or no
       *  Primary age range

As you write and promote your book, keep those  in mind. 

If your chapters have clever titles, add matter-of-fact subtitles, like Flying Solo: budgets for the newly single in a personal finance book.

Put yourself in their place in wording some of your sentences. If it's something you learned through trial and error, say so.

That kind of information builds a bond between them and you and isn't that what you had in mind to begin with?

Happy identifying!

Lin