Write About Your Experiences

What major life challenges have you faced and survived? Can you help others benefit from your experience? If you were telling your story to a friend, there would probably be a lot of  "wish I'd known that" and "I'm glad I did that" thoughts to share - especially if that friend was about to face the same life challenge.

Life transitions, or challenges, come in many different forms, but most will have one common element: Who am I now? They include ...

• loss of a parent or close family member,
• loss of a dear friend,
• birth of a child,
• marriage,
• separation and divorce,
• retirement,
• mid-life crisis or menopause, 
• major career change,
• move to another town or state,

and many other life changes.

When I went through divorce a few years ago, I knew nothing about the process. It was an anxious, stressful time to begin with, and my lack of knowledge made me feel even more vulnerable.

About a year later, I made up my mind to help others facing separation and divorce to be better prepared in the practical aspects than I had been. Since I had been a professional (paid) writer for seven years or more, I chose to write a book.

It included the things I was glad I'd done plus steps I wished I'd known to do. In order to explain the legal process of divorce, I interviews attorneys, took notes, and went home to translate that into plain English. The next step was to check back with them to be sure the new version was correct.

YOUR POCKET DIVORCE GUIDE
published April 2014

The 2nd edition of that book, Your Pocket Divorce Guide, was just released. It's been sold and read on six continents, is on the suggested client reading lists of law firms across the U.S., and the thank you notes I've received from both men and women make my work more than worthwhile.

Which of your life transitions would lend themselves to the same kind of help for others?

Peace ~

Lin

Writing Style and Tone

The people who read your book or article actually dictate the best style and tone for the piece. Those two elements can create a specific kind of connection between you and him or her.Also, keep in mind the kind of information you want to share. After all, you aren't writing to your computer monitor or your English comp teacher or even your mother. Nonfiction authors write directly to and for the reader.


#1. Is your topic personal? If so, will you choose a casual tone with slang peppered throughout your book?

Buddy Style: Just how much of that hassle are you willing to put up with? After all, that isn't likely to change very much from one visit to the next. Trust me. 


#2. The content may be similar but the tone quite different, if you choose to write as the wise teacher who is reaching out to guide the reader.

Teacher Style: Because close relationships are so deeply sensitive, both of you may misstate some information or simply slant it according to your perspective or you may mis-hear what the other one says because your emotional filter can tilt the meaning. If you can keep that in mind, you will be less likely to blurt out a harsh response.

#3. For an impersonal topic, you will craft your words in a straight forward, instructional manner with no small talk and no emotion. It also calls for a directive tone and shorter sentences.

Instructional Style: Place the top shelf (part A) on the floor finished side down and align the  five holes on the unfinished side of that piece with the wooden pegs (part 2) on the end of the left side (part D).  

If you aren't quite sure of which tone will works the best for your reader and topic, try writing the same two or three paragraphs in different styles. Ignore that for a few hours or days before you reread what you've written. Now read and decide which style matches the reader and topic?

Whichever one you go with, be consistent. Changing every other paragraph is as jolting as switching to a foreign language.

Happy writing ~

Lin

Book Business Terminology #1

Every business has its precious vernacular, which can cause extreme puzzlement and frustration to anyone who's unfamiliar with them. From time to time, I'll offer translations so you, too, can toss around words and acronyms that nobody else understands.

ABA: American Booksellers Association

ABI: Advanced Book Information. Publishers (which included those who publish their own books) submit specific information about the book to Bowker for use in their Books in Print and Forthcoming  Books. The form is available online and includes type of cover, number of pages, book dimensions and weight, description of content, author(s) and such basic details.

ALA: American Library Association

Book: contains 49 or more pages and is not a periodical.

Booklet: contains 48 or fewer pages, also not a periodical.

Dust Jacket: the paper outer wrap on a hardcover book.

Galleys: pre-publication copies of the book sent to book reviews as far ahead of publication date as possible (up to 6 months). These can be print-on-demand (POD) copies or publication-ready book manuscript (mss.) pages that are paper-, comb-, or wire bound preferably with a copy of the book cover on the front. (If that isn't yet available, create a simple cover page with graphic and color to reflect the style and tone of the writing.)

Publication Date: the date on which the book goes on sale to the public. The actual printing and binding date will or should be well in advance of the official publication date (pub date).

Stay tuned for future Book Business terminology and explanations!

Linda
nonfiction book coach ~ author

Coaching Client Endorsement

“The encouragement, enthusiasm and wisdom Linda Senn brings to her book coaching helped me organize and write my book, Cry Depression, Celebrate Recovery. Her professionalism and experience helped me produce the book that takes the reader through my struggle with and recovery from a life of emotional pain and isolation. Thank you, Linda!"

Barbara Altman, author of
Cry Depression, Celebrate Recovery:
my journey through mental illness
now available on Amazon.com


Endorsement posted on October 21, 2011
Barbara Altman hired Linda as a her book coach in 2007

Top qualities (of Linda Senn's book coaching): Great Results, Personable, Expert

Which book shall I write first?

Several of my book coaching clients have arrived at our first "Project Analysis" session, only to eventually disclose that they haven't yet decided among two or three possible topics. And although I work the coaching from different directions, some simply cannot make a choice.

If that sounds familiar, and you're beginning to feel that fire in the gut urge to start writing a book, you will enjoy and benefit from a short self-questionnaire I designed to help you make that choice.

If you want a free, email copy of the 16 questions that will help you weigh your options, just email me at WriterLin@aol.com and write "Which book..." in the subject line. It really does help to look at the dilemma from different angles!

Linda

Deciding What to Write About

Scanning bookstore shelves provides only a hint of the virtually endless nonfiction topics of books available - from Mayan calendars to missile defense, camping to cantatas, wrestling to Richard Rogers. That fact can muddle the mind of an author who's trying to decide on the topic of his or her next book.

Key ~ be sure you have the credentials and feel a genuine passion for your chosen topic. Without the first, book promotion will be tough. Absent the passion, and the writing will be boring and flat.

However, even if you've decided on the subject for your book, you'll need to decide what you want to tell your readers about your topic. (If you have the passion and depth of knowledge, you may cover different aspects in separate books!) Does one of these approaches resonate with you?

* How-To
How-To Build a Sand Castle;
How-To Create Edible Decorations;
How-To Please Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time.

* Learn from my Experiences
Setting Up a Referral Business;
Making Peace with Diabetes;
Legal Indoor Gardening.

* Learn from my Mistakes
How Not to Raise Creative Children;
Job Interview Comments to Avoid;
Don't Tie-Dye the Dog!

* Informational
Practical Divorce Guidelines;
Locating In-Home Help for Seniors;
The Nature Festivals of the Tropics.

Self Help ~ Cooking ~ Business ~ Relationships ~ Sports ~ Ecology ~ Chemistry ~ Humor ~ Entertainment ... the list goes on and on.

So before you start jotting down the points you want to cover in the book, write "Topic ... Approach ... Credentials" in bold across the top of the first notebook page. Then pause and visualize your reader. From those, the passion and words will flow!

Linda
nonfiction book coach ~ author

Do you want to write a book?

Lots of people have ideas, notes, or rough drafts for a nonfiction book. Some have participated in workshops or classes; others have studied one or more books on the subject. But these seldom include the practical Keyes to the Kingdom to becoming a published author.

I've been writing nonfiction books for over 25 years and each and every one has reinforced my appreciation of this approach to book writing. There's no magic, no mystique - it's all about establishing a plan.

Writing a book without a plan paves the way to rambling, digressing, and including useless, often boring paragraphs and pages. That frustrates the writer and results in a mediocre book (at best).

In writing each of my ten-plus books, teaching guides, student manuals, and workbooks, I've come to value the organized approach more and more. Through the posts in this blog, I will help you establish and maintain focus, identify your audience, present the material in a logical arrangement of chapters, and introduce other rules of the writing road.

Each month, I'll explain one of the Keys to effective writing either for commercial sales or family enjoyment. Here are a few of the upcoming topics:

• So Many Nonfiction Categories!
• Developing Your Book's Theme
• Identifying Your Target Book Read & Buyer
• Building the Framework for Your Nonfiction Book
• Why Add "Author of..." to Your Business Credentials?
• Dealing with Writer's Blocks

From time to time, I'll also share book and publishing facts, author trivia, translations from book talk to English, and other juicy tidbits for your pleasure.

So get ready to build your book!

Linda
nonfiction book coach ~ author