JustWriteBooks: Nonfiction Writing & Publishing Help

Jane Friedman, of Writer’s Digest, has been laying it all out: what to include in your non-fiction book proposal, how to please (or get dismissed by) editors and agents, the three questions you must answer convincingly, what to research … you gotta read this stuff. Great coverage of a topic we know and love and have written about, ourselves.

My very first non-fiction book proposal was for Smart Women Finish Rich, a trade hardback that eventually became a runaway bestseller and spawned a series of bestsellers, by David Bach. David had been a financial professional for several years and developed seminars for women who didn’t know much about finances and investing. His material was smart, [...]

Every serious author needs high-quality black-and-white and color portraits for several marketing purposes: to use on a Web site, to put on the back of a book or book flap, to include with press materials. Here are a couple of ways you can structure the deal with a professional photographer.

Recently, it dawned on me that for most self-help or educational books, the most effective and moving stories/examples fall into three categories. Think about these three as you develop story ideas for your own book.

Your nonfiction book proposal can be from 20 to 50 pages. A description of and instructions for writing a proposal can be much, much longer than that. (People have published entire books on the subject.) But here’s the whole enchilada in five bites.

You’ll need endorsements for the back of your book when it’s published. You’re also wise to ask for endorsements when you’re preparing your proposal and include a few whoppers on the second page under the header “Advance Praise for (Your Title Here).” Here are a couple of form letters you can adapt when you’re ready to make these requests.