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. Delta. We’re ready when you are. Avis. We try … [Read more...]
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, he has written more than 60 published books. In Book Proposals That Sell, … [Read more...]
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. After awhile, I was getting too fat from all that lunching out, and wrote it … [Read more...]
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 letting the words flow?even if you consciously know you should be more … [Read more...]
How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal That Will Impress Publishers
If you’re trying to interest a publisher in your nonfiction book, you know that it takes a lot of effort, skill and creativity to stand out from the crowd. Publishers receive thousands of proposals each year and publish only a handful. It’s essential that yours catch their attention immediately. Follow these steps to write a proposal that will get noticed by publishers: 1. … [Read more...]
Are You a Writer or an Author?
I encourage authors to become writers. Here is the distinction: An author is someone with authority. That is, you are an author if you have something you wish to convey to readers, whether it is a story you have invented, an experience you feel is instructive, an opinion you want to express, or knowledge you want to preserve. You are the subject-matter expert. A … [Read more...]
Writing a Great Chicken Soup for the Soul Story
Have you ever wanted to submit a story for the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books? Or have you submitted one or two, but were never published? Here are some tips from a former Senior Editor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series on how to improve your Chicken Soup for the Soul story: Think small. Zero in on a small event. Let’s say you have been … [Read more...]
Make Your Book Worth the Price
Size matters. Your book has to appear to be long enough to be worth the money you are charging. … [Read more...]