The term “plot” is usually associated with fiction, but a successful non-fiction book also has a plot. In fiction, the plot is the storyline from the beginning to the end, driving the character toward a goal. In non-fiction, the plot is the organization of information and how it builds to make an argument, to prove…
Category Archives: Non-Fiction Writing
Make your Nonfiction Content Actionable
There are many qualities that make a piece of nonfiction great. Style, voice, and organization all come together to form a solid work that flows well and educates the reader. However, to truly be powerful, the content of your nonfiction piece must also be actionable. Actionable content tells readers what they need to do to…
Expanding Learning Through Nonfiction Writing
Writing nonfiction material provides an excellent vehicle for learning. Since one of the purposes of existing on this planet is to learn new information and to apply it appropriately, writing is a useful tool. Conveying new knowledge is not only helpful to our own well-being, but to those who share our struggle to find personal…
Writing a Non Fiction Book
To write a nonfiction book, it’s crucial to set achievable goals and create workable plans to achieve them. Unless you’re into experimentation or just want to meander along for the ride, you need a road map; you need to know where you’re going. You must be clear about your objective, what you want to achieve….
Writing a Proposal for Your Non-Fiction Book
When I started writing Marines in the Garden of Eden, my goal was to have it published by a traditional publishing house and stocked in every major bookstore in the United States. I signed a publishing contract with Berkley Publishing Group, part of the Putnam/Penguin global publishing giant. Marines in the Garden of Eden appeared…
Attacking the Truth – The Art of Creative Nonfiction
I love writing creative nonfiction – that is, using the tools and techniques of fiction to discover truth. I love the creative nonfiction of writers like Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, and Richard Selzer. I’ve had a few essays published in major venues and one book, a memoir, in the catalog of The University of Iowa…
Make Your Book Title a Promise
Got a Non-Fiction Book? Tell Your Reader What’s In It for Them! NOTE: the following suggestions apply to non-fiction works. Book titles and corporate slogans. The two have a lot in common (something I realized from all my years as a copywriter). Let’s look at some famous slogans: GE. We bring good things to life….
Book Proposals That Sell
The subtitle of W. Terry Whalin’s Book Proposals That Sell promises 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. In fact, those 21 secrets are just a portion of the valuable information in this book. Whalin has been on both sides of the editor’s desk. He not only has experience as an editor at a publishing house,…
The Business of Books
“Chellie, you’re a successful published author – can I take you to lunch and pick your brain about the book business and how to get my book published?” I can’t tell you how many requests like that I have had since The Wealthy Spirit and Zero to Zillionaire were released in 2002 and 2006 respectively….
7 Editorial Tips to Writing Better Copy
As an editor by trade and a writer by passion, I know how hard it can be to get your thoughts on paper. Your inner editor constantly detours your writing flow by criticizing your grammar, word choice, and punctuation. You can stop your inner editor by putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and…
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