Guide To Writing Non-fiction That Sells

Jackie Sherman

Description

Many of us regret the fact that we didn't get to know our parents or grandparents well enough and that it is now too late. If only they had left a written record of their lives! So that your descendants won't be left in the same position, now is the time to write your autobiography. Use this book to help you overcome any self-imposed barriers that may have prevented you getting started, remember more details from your past, improve your writing and identify the best way to organize your memories into a complete book.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: Straightforward Publishing
• Date de parution: 25 octobre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781913776459
• Langue: English

Extrait

WRITING NON-FICTION THAT SELLS
By Jackie Sherman
Emerald Guides
Emerald Guides
Jackie Sherman 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder.
Jackie Sherman has asserted the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record is available for this book from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-913776-45-9
Printed and bound by 4edge www.4edge.co.uk
Cover design by BW Studio Derby
Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this book was accurate at the time of going to print, the publisher and the author cannot accept any liability for any inaccuracies contained within or for changes in legislation since writing the book.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
What is non-fiction?
Treatments
Reasons for writing non-fiction
The inspiration for non-fiction writing
Improving the content
How to make money from non-fiction
Non-fiction outlets
Pitching your work
What to send
The process
Multiple pitching
CHAPTER 2 - FINDING YOUR SUBJECT
Roles
Curriculum vitae
The time line
CHAPTER 3 - BRINGING YOUR WRITING TO LIFE
Writing stories
Being clear
Come to your senses
Small details
Point of view
Show not tell
Dialogue
Conventions for dialogue
Similes and metaphors
Similes
Metaphors
Mixed metaphors
CHAPTER 4 - WRITING FOR MAGAZINES, JOURNALS AND NEWSPAPERS
What you could write
International markets
Types of publication
Who are the readers?
Aims and objectives
Specialist content
Format
Getting paid
Syndication
Copying and ALCS
CHAPTER 5 - THE LETTERS PAGE
What gets published
Making your letters stand out
Letters about the past
The actual writing
Sending
Anonymity
CHAPTER 6 - ARTICLES
Research
Finding your subject slant
Local angle
Filling a regular slot
Questionnaires
Re-using article material
Article structure
What is your key message?
Titles
Putting things in order
Using your plan
Non linear articles
Word count
Side bars
Editing and proof reading
Drafting
Punctuation
Poor spelling
Travel pieces
Travel reviews
Sense of place
Photographs for magazines
Why articles are rejected
Query letters
Contents
Regular columns
Styles of regular column
CHAPTER 7 - FILLERS AND REVIEWS
Fillers
Types of filler
Reviews
Single reviews
Comparisons
CHAPTER 8 - WRITING BOOKS
Why your book is worth writing
Fill a gap in the market
Write a better book
Change the emphasis
Finding the subject
Opinions and beliefs
Autobiography
The contents
Titles
Organising your book
Appendices and illustration
Permissions
Formats
Finding a publisher
Submission documents
Literary agents
What editors want to know
Synopsis
The next step
Publicity
Contracts
Alternative ways to get published
Public lending right (PLR)
CHAPTER 9 - WRITING FOR THE WEB AND OTHER OUTLETS
Writing for free
Most common types of work
Approaching websites
What material to write
Finding work
Alternative outlets
CHAPTER 10 - COMPLETING THE TASK
Finding time
Identify the best way of working
Writer s block
Smart goal setting
Use affirmations to keep motivated
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
Answer to exercise 33
****
CH 1.
INTRODUCTION
Unlike some forms of writing such as poetry or memoirs, where people often write as therapy or for self-fulfilment alone, most non-fiction material is written to be read by others. If you aren t published, it s frustrating and makes all your hard work seem pointless.
For success as a writer, you need to be sure:

your writing fulfils a need, whether teaching new skills, entertaining your audience or providing valuable information
you have analysed the market carefully
your material is well organised and well written, making it a pleasure for readers to spend time on
you target your submissions appropriately
you write with an authoritative and original voice, so that you as the author and the knowledge or experience you are sharing are credible and will appear fresh and new to readers
This book will show you how to develop these skills and maximise the chances of selling your work.
There are a large number of writing guides on the subject of non-fiction in bookshops, but unlike many of those available, this book is not a theoretical work but is based on hard-won experience in the business of getting paid for writing. If you look on Amazon, you will see that I have published over 30 books with publishers such as Pearsons, Hodder Education, Age Concern, How To Books, Green Books, Straightforward Publishing and Elsevier. My work has also appeared in a wide range of magazines and newspapers including Waterways World, The Times Educational Supplement, Yours, Canals Rivers, Writers Forum, Somerfield magazine, Olive, Computer Active, Edge magazine, Writing magazine, The New Writer, Freelance Market News and The Guardian. I write a regular monthly column, articles and book reviews for the website www.laterlife.com and have written course material for a number of distance learning colleges. I currently tutor a distance learning course on writing non-fiction .
By sharing my experiences I hope that you too will succeed in getting your work published: whether occasional, one-off pieces or regular freelance contributions. To help you, I have designed a number of exercises that I hope you find time for. Mastering such skills as analysing markets, being original, identifying your strengths, planning content and editing your drafts is really the only way to achieve your aim of being successful in the world of non-fiction writing.
Just a note about the word published. This is used as a generic term meaning any form of publication that can be read by others. The advice in this book relates just as much to writing that ends up as online content or ebooks as it does to the more common forms of hard copy and it is very important to stay flexible. In many cases, if something submitted to a print publication is rejected, you may find that it will be published online with hardly any changes, and there is an enormous amount of cross-over when it comes to writing for one medium or another.
WHAT IS NON-FICTION?
The range of subjects and potential approaches you can take with non-fiction are so vast that listing them here would be quite impossible. All you need bear in mind is that non-fiction is writing based on fact rather than coming solely from the imagination and it is usually written for a purpose such as entertaining, informing, inspiring or persuading.
Here are just a few examples of the non-fiction genre:

A detailed or historical examination of anything from a single location to a business, fashion, philosophy, dynasty, literary genre, religion, job type or political system
Biographies
Autobiographies and memoirs
Diaries, journals or letters relating feelings or experiences over time
Scientific, psychological or environmental treaties
Eye witness reports of events
Essays, reflections, speeches or sermons
History
Travelogues and travel guides
Instructional guides
Celebrity gossip
Encyclopaedias and dictionaries
Textbooks and course materials
Reviews
Research findings
Information or views expressed through interviews and questionnaire responses
TREATMENTS
Deciding on the best treatment for your subject matter can be tricky as there are many different ways to write about someone or something. If you take the example of Picasso, depending on your own background and access to documentation you might be able to produce an analysis of his art; write a biography; collate diary entries or letters that he wrote; describe a meeting you had with him; write travel pieces based around the places he lived and worked; include him in a book specifically for children about great painters of the 20th century; provide instructions on how to paint in his style; include an examination of his work in an art textbook; review an exhibition of his work or a book about his paintings; or interview people who knew him.
One of the joys of non-fiction is that there is always scope to write something unique in a style that suits you, whether or not others have already written about your chosen subject.
EXERCISE 1
1. Taking your own town or village, brainstorm different ways you could write about it e.g. a travel guide or the history of one of the buildings. Don t worry at this stage whether it would be difficult or not or if you have the necessary knowledge or experience.
2. Are there any treatments that appeal to you more than others?
REASONS FOR WRITING NON-FICTION
There are a number of different reasons why people set out to write non-fiction, and they include:
Personal feelings : Many letters, articles, blogs and books are written because the writer has something they want to say. It can be a comment, recommendation, accolade or jokey reply following a news report or something you have recently read or heard about, or it may be a very strongly held view, such as concern about the building of a new shopping centre; a disagreement with something a politician has announced; or a warning about a major issue like climate change. The only problem for writers in these cases is that if you do feel strongly you can get carried away, and no editor will publish an angry tirade or libellous material. You must always control your personal feelings and write in a reasoned and/or entertaining way as that is the most effective method for getting your point across and persuading others to agree with you.
Sharing an experience or expertise : After some months or even years becoming an expert, gaining knowledge and experience, following certain rules or