Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having a number one best seller. Both are wonderful reasons for writing. What many fail to realize is that these two do not have to be mutually exclusive. With a little research, you can enjoy writing incredible stories and see to it that they generate a profit.

The first thing that is needed is a business like attitude toward the process. From day one you must:

1) Know your niche.

Research which books are popular in your genre. Go to bookstores and start reading popular authors in your field. Also pick up writing magazines and see what publishers are looking for today.

2) Know your audience. If you are writing for children, for example, know the developmental stage that a child reading your book needs to be and cater to them.

Ex. A five year old would not be a good candidate for a chapter book.

You can also talk to your future readers and find out what really sparks their interest.

Ex. If you are a sci-fi writer, you can go into sci-fi chat rooms and ask what books are the most popular and why. Also ask what they feel is missing in this field. Do they want a return to some of the earlier styles of sci-fi books are an even more futuristic approach?

3) Write from this knowledge.

Once you know what your audience wants, create your story and characters around that theme. Give them what they want, what they crave and you have a better chance of creating a book that they and publishers will love.

4) Pre – market. If you are self-publishing, you can give away a free chapter of your book on hundreds of sites to spark an interest and get feedback. You can also send out press releases right before your book is about to be releases. Prweb.com is a great place to send out free press releases.

5) Network – Contact the webmasters of writing sites online. Submit your book for pre-review. Go to writing chat rooms and offer to answer other writer’s questions about your book or writing in general. Do book readings at your local library or bookstore. The more people that are exposed to you and your book, the better the chance of it being a success.

Those are just a few examples of pre – marketing. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other free ways to gather interest and get feed back.

The more information that you have before you write, before you market and before you go to press, will determine your chances of creating an enjoyable and profitable book. Remember you can be creative and profitable. Just start from a place of knowledge and the rest will follow.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Popularity: 18% [?]

It has been said, “There are two things wrong with most writing. One is style; the other is content.” The way a writer strings words together either grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck and shouts, “Read me,” or hangs as limp and uninteresting as tattered sheets in a tenement window.

Let’s examine the writing process and see how we can become better wordcrafters to improve our chances with readers. Here are some guidelines to give your work momentum and sparkle.

Communicate, don’t try to impress. There is a happy medium between reading so tough you need an IQ of 180?and material that is helpful only if you have difficulty falling asleep. The comfort zone of the average reader is about the eighth-grade level, so practice the old rule of KISS (“Keep it simple, sweetheart”). Studies show that eighth-grade readers can understand fairly easy sentences with an average of fourteen words. Remember, we said “average.” You may have a one-word sentence and then a whopper. Just be sure it is basically a simple declarative sentence. If it becomes too long and unwieldy, break it in two. You can use such words as “and,” “but,” “additionally,” “yet,” “consequently,” “therefore,” or “accordingly” to divide sentences easily.

Use short words instead of long ones. For many writers who typically pride themselves on a strong, versatile vocabulary, this is difficult. Use common sense and keep your writing simple and direct.

Word choice is vitally important. Mark Twain observed, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” Are your words colorful? Specific? Descriptive? Don’t have a man “walk.” Rather let him amble, stride, stagger, or shuffle along. Avoid beginning most of your sentences with “the.” Try not to develop “I” trouble; overuse of “I” quickly bores the reader. Rephrase the sentence to do away with this repeated reference. Watch for repetition of words within close proximity.

Avoid ambiguity. Rewrite anything that is unclear. Think through any confusing areas. What do they mean? Could they be misinterpreted? Take the word “terminal,” for instance. It means entirely different things to a computer operator, an electrician, a bus driver, and a physician.

Keep a wary eye on overall language. Foreign words and unfamiliar jargon confuse the reader. Likewise, “in vogue” terms date your manuscript and may appear ridiculous three years hence.

Guard against cliches. These are the overused, trite bits and pieces of speech that are part of everyone’s conversations. “Money hungry,” “sly as a fox,” and “grows by leaps and bounds” are all cliches. When we write, it’s important to pare away worn phrases; replace them with more original phraseology. Cliches are a sign of lazy writing. Think of a fresh, new way of saying it.

Delete redundancies and needless words. Why say: He stood up to make the announcement? (Have you ever seen anyone stand down?) Early pioneers should be simply pioneers; in the not too distant future = soon; due to the fact that = because; until such time as = until; combined together = combined. Get the idea? Watch your writing for conciseness. Have you pared away all unnecessary words? Eliminated repetition? Abolish words like “very,” “really,” “just,” and other qualifiers that don’t serve a definite purpose. And trim unnecessary “that’s” like you would prune an overgrown tree.

Inject your writing with liveliness. Use similes or metaphors to show comparisons. A simile uses “like” or “as”: “His personality is as bland as oatmeal.” A metaphor suggests resemblance. “Her face blossomed with affection.” Such additions help readers relate to what you’ve written.

Analogies also put zip in a manuscript. They help make or illustrate a point. An example of an analogy would be “Life is a hundred-yard dash, with birth the starting gun and death the tape.”

Anecdotes are another important facet of nonfiction writing. They are little stories or examples that illustrate the points you wish to make and humanize your material.

Use the “active” voice to achieve readability. In the active voice the subject of the sentence performs the action, rather than receiving it. Here’s an example:

The active voice says: The wind slammed the door shut.

The passive voice says: The door was slammed shut by the wind.

How much more powerful is the active version. Here’s a hint for spotting the passive voice: Look at the verb phrase. It will always include a form of the “to be” verb, such as “is,” “are,” “was,” or “is being.”

For additional horsepower, be specific! Look for ways to support general statements with details. Think of your writing as a funnel. At the top is the general statement; then it narrows down to a specific incident. This targets the reader’s attention toward one given example. Rather than saying the woods are full of trees, say the woods are full of aspen, spruce, and pine.

Smooth transitions are another hallmark of good writing. Are there graceful bridges between sentences, paragraphs, and chapters? Some words and phrases that serve as transitional bridges are: still, on the other hand, another, next, however, of course, then, finally, but, yet, unfortunately, in short, once again.

Avoid sexism and bad taste. Be careful not to use discriminatory pronouns, such as “he” or “his,” when referring to both genders. One easy way around this is to use the plural form of “they” or “their.” Or alternate “she” and “he.” When dealing with work titles, there are many options: “Policeman” is “police officer”; “mailman” becomes “mail carrier”; “salesman” becomes “salesperson.” “Mankind” can be expressed as “humankind.” What is important is to maintain the dignity of all people by avoiding stereotypes, racist statements, gory photographs, sexual overtones, and other undesirable material.

? Copyright 2005 Marilyn Ross

Popularity: 14% [?]

Promoting fiction is never easy. Yet you can craft a manuscript that has built-in promotional and sales angles. It simply takes some forethought and creative planning. By following the secrets revealed below, fiction writers can greatly enhance their chances of getting print, radio, and TV exposure.

1. Provide a local angle. Set your story in a real place. People who live in the area love to read about restaurants, amusement parks, streets, landmarks, etc. they know. And if you set your story in your own area, it simplifies promotion greatly. You can easily spin the local PR, then let it ripple outward regionally, then nationally.

2. Carefully evaluate your main characters. Does the protagonist have an interesting profession or hobby you can use as a sales hook? One novelist I know sold her book in spelunking shops because caving was the avocational pursuit of her main character. Another merchandised her mystery in Volvo dealerships. Why? Because that make of car played an important role in the story.

3. Revolve your story around an important “issue.” Add an aspect to the plot that addresses something newsworthy. If there is a dominant thread that deals with a timely topic, you may be called upon when a fast-breaking news story hits. Topics you might consider, for instance, are Internet privacy, battered men, terrorism, fetal tissue, obesity, or medicare woes. You get the idea. By the time you’ve written at length on the subject, you will become an “expert” on that topic. Monitor the news each morning for references to your theme, then immediately piggyback on it with emails and faxes to the media.

As a fiction writer, you can greatly impact the marketing potential of your book. Use the guidelines above to write a savvy book. Planting interesting angles during the creation process opens doors to lucrative results when your finished book comes out.

? Copyright 2005 Marilyn Ross

Popularity: 12% [?]

You did it. You crafted the perfect query letter for your non-fiction book, and as a result, an editor at a large publishing house has requested a full book proposal. At this point, you have a 50/50 chance of seeing your work on a bookstore shelf. The difference maker will be a strong book proposal that exhibits knowledge of your audience, what that audience needs and wants, and how that audience can be reached on a cost-effective basis.

When an editor makes a request to see your book proposal, he/she will most likely send along a brief overview of the publisher’s book proposal guidelines. You might want to make some subtle adjustments to your proposal in order to meet those guidelines. But under no circumstances should you wait for a book proposal to be requested before actually writing one. A well-written, professional book proposal takes several days, oftentimes several weeks, to compose. It should be the first thing you write – before both the query letter and the manuscript itself. Despite the guidelines, each proposal is unique, and the quality of yours will be THE difference maker in determining whether or not the publisher takes a financial risk with your book. So put your best effort into crafting a blockbuster book proposal. Below, you’ll find a list of the basic elements of a book proposal that, if mastered, will all but guarantee the offer of a book contract.

Element #1: The Title Page/Table of Contents: The first page of a book proposal is the title page. The title page states the working title for the book you are proposing along with your contact information (and that of your agent if you have one). Make sure to center the text. Generally, it isn’t wise to use fancy borders or cutesy graphics. You’re writing a business proposal. Make sure it looks like one. On the second page of your proposal, provide a short table of contents for the book proposal itself. List each of the following sections along with their corresponding page numbers: Summary, About The Author, Audience, Competition, Publicity & Promotional Opportunities, Outline, and Sample Chapters. Some will say the Outline and Sample Chapter sections are optional, but remember, you’re trying to sell a book. Providing the publisher with a sample of your writing, especially if you’re a first-time author, might well mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Element #2: Summary: In the Summary section of your proposal, provide a brief overview of the proposed book. Try to envision the blurb that will appear on the back cover of your final product. Make that blurb the opening paragraph. Show the editor you can hook him/her on your proposal from the very first sentence, and you’ll convince them of your ability to hook a potential reader as well. Elaborate on the contents of your query letter by addressing the following subjects: the content, the audience, and the author. What is the premise of your book? What does it promise its reader? Who is the market for the book? How large is that market? And, finally, why are you the best person to write this book at this time?

Element #3: About The Author: In the About The Author section of your proposal, go into greater detail about yourself. In general, it’s best to use third person. But it’s okay to use first person if you feel more comfortable doing so. Why are you the best qualified person to write this book? What are your credentials? Are you an expert in the field? Has your previous work been published (not just in books, but newspapers, magazines, ezines, etc.)? Are you a prolific public speaker? If so, how many speeches do you give each year? To what types of audiences do you speak? Do you have media experience or media contacts? If so, let the editor know. If you have limited experience in any or all of these fields, say so. Be honest and direct. Experience helps, but lack of experience itself will not lead to rejection. Misrepresenting yourself will. Never include information about your personal life unless it is essential to your ability to sell the book.

Element #4: Audience: In the Audience section of your proposal, clearly define the market for your book. First, identify the demographic segment you hope to target. Examples of demographic characteristics are gender, age, political ideology, religion, nationality, education level, economic status, etc. Be specific. Research the size of the audience and back up your claims with real numbers. Avoid broad claims such as “everyone will love this book,” and instead use such statements as “4.5 million college-educated Christian men between the ages of 21 and 29 will be drawn to this book because of its unique…” At this point, define the psychographics of your audience. What is the motivation of this demographic to buy your book? What unmet needs and wants do they harbor that your book is sure to satisfy? In short, make certain your Audience section clearly indicates 1) who will buy your book, and 2) why they will buy it.

Element #5: Competition: In the Competition section of your proposal, provide examples of well-known published books similar to yours (or, if your book covers a new niche in a popular subject, list those books that target a similar audience). It’s always best to cite bestsellers. If you can track down the sales figures for these books, provide the number of copies each title sold. The larger the sales figures, the more you strengthen your case that a large market exists for your subject matter. Once you’ve established that a large market exists, explain why your book will be different. In what way will you position your book in order to differentiate it from its peers? Do any demographic trends aid your case for continued demand in this market? State explicitly why your book is unique and why the market is ripe for its release. Ho
wever, be wary of a bold statement such as “nothing like my book has ever been written before”. You may have uncovered a unique angle for your subject, but in all likelihood, you haven’t invented a new genre or field of study.

Element #6: Publicity and Promotional Opportunities: In this section of your proposal, outline the promotional avenues open to your book. If you’ve already established that a market exists, this section will be the make it or break it section of your proposal. The publisher must know how you intend to reach the audience you’ve identified. Do specific groups exist with a high likelihood of being receptive to your book? Good examples are the audience members of a specific radio or television show, readers of specific magazines or newsletters, book clubs, non-profit organizations, or trade groups. Identify the groups relevant to your book and point out the vehicles a publisher can use to reach those groups in a cost-effective manner. Do you have media connections or experience? Potential exposure on nationally syndicated radio and television shows is the best way to capture a publisher’s attention. Booking the author on such shows is free, and the resulting sales can be astronomical. So publishers are always looking for authors with a media platform. Do you have one? What angle or hook can you provide a producer or editor that will land you a coveted interview or feature story? If you develop a strong enough hook, you might land a book contract based on this aspect of your proposal alone.

Element #7: Outline: For this section of your proposal, provide a list of the proposed chapter titles, along with a brief overview of the contents therein.

Element #8: Sample Chapters: In this section of your proposal, simply attach the first two or three chapters of your proposed manuscript. Providing sample chapters is essential for a first-time author. If your chapters are of high quality, they give the publisher confidence you can produce a publishable manuscript in a timely manner.

Element #9: Presentation: The presentation of your book proposal is as instrumental to its success as the content. Make sure to proofread zealously. If you think you’ve finished, proofread it again. Read, correct, and rewrite your proposal at least twenty times so as to be confident that it’s the best it can possibly be. When it comes time to print the final draft, the body of the proposal should be double-spaced and printed in black ink on clean white paper using a LaserJet printer. Finally, just as with any business document, send your book proposal via FedEx. This will create the immediate impression you are a professional who will be businesslike in his day-to-day dealings with the publisher.

Once you’ve incorporated these nine elements into your book proposal, you will be left with a finished product worthy of commanding the respect of any editor. But in order to create a true blockbuster book proposal, make sure to? Define the book’s concept. Identify the book’s audience. And outline exactly how to reach that audience. Do these three things well, and you’re certain to obtain a book contract. So don’t waste any time. Get to work on your blockbuster book proposal today!

Popularity: 9% [?]