writing & editing

Today's post is by Lynne Klippel, a best-selling author, publisher, and book shepherd. Since 2004, she's been working with coaches, speakers, and entrepreneurs who want to write a nonfiction book to showcase their expertise and build their business.  Her business, Business Building Books, focuses on the marriage of internet marketing and publishing and has helped clients from 6 of the 7 continents. An avid reader, Lynne used to get in loads of trouble as a kid for reading books instead of doing her chores.  Lynne lives in Missouri with her husband, three sons, a bunch of pets and tons of books.

One of the first questions you’ll hear from a publisher, writing coach, or interviewer is “Who should read your book?”

Most of us want to say, “Everyone!”

While you probably do have information in your book that will help many people, it is highly unlikely that everyone in the world will need to read it. Drat!

When you take time to get very clear on the characteristics, needs, and desires of a specific group of readers, you’ll be able to write your book faster and more effectively. Plus, you’ll be much more successful in your book marketing efforts.

Let’s start with a few examples of clear descriptions of perfect readers:

• Women aged 40 to 60 who have children and aging parents
• Divorced fathers who share custody of their children
• High school students who want to get into an Ivy League university
• Young adults aged 20 to 30 who left organized religion but still seek spiritual connection
• Corporate presidents or vice presidents who plan to retire in the next five years
• Women in their twenties with an eating disorder
• Parents whose grade school children act out in school

Each description brings a specific person to your mind, right? You may have pictured a friend, relative, or acquaintance who fit that description perfectly.

Now, it’s your turn to describe your perfect reader. Consider these key areas:

• Demographics: age, gender, marital status, profession, and socioeconomic status
• Challenges and stressors your reader faces that cause her to worry or look for help in a book
• Hopes, dreams, and goals
• Personality style—does he like facts and statistics or stories and humor?
• Time management—is she too busy to read long chapters?
• Current information-gathering practices—does he read, look online, go to seminars, take classes, or depend on others for new information?
• Fears—this is one the most important area to look at. Your book must provide a solution to a fear or group of fears if it’s really going to help your readers thrive.

You will continue to refine the definition of your perfect reader as you write your book.  One of the best ways to do this is to teach some classes and see what kinds of people attend and resonate with your material. If you don’t enjoy teaching, notice the kinds of people who visit your website or comment on your blog. 

The more you study and learn about your ideal reader, the more targeted you can make your book. Real people read books. When you can capture the essence of the perfect reader for your book, you are one step closer to becoming a successful author!

If you are ready to become a successful author, capitalize on your strengths and build from there.  To identify your author strengths, complete the free Author Assessment at www.BusinessBuildingBooks.com.

It’s an unfortunate reality that writers are often targeted by scammers and other creeps. They come at us from all directions, finding us at conferences, slithering through our emails, and sneaking into our social media feed. As a writer you need to protect yourself.

Education is your best weapon.

It’s so important that you constantly educate yourself on the industry, who the players are, and what scams are currently in play, and this blog attempts to be part of that education process. With that in mind here are a couple of scams and traps that are popular now, followed by a few more tips to help you protect yourself (and your wallet).

Scam 1: Twitter Spam

Even after a mass outcry by the writing and publishing community, Twitter spam targeting writers still runs rampant. Tweets saying “Writers needed” or “Get Paid to Write” appear with a hyperlink to a shady website. Twitter does a great job of taking them down once you report them. Should you get this kind of spam, report it immediately to twitter by following their reporting guidelines.

Scam 2: Fake Publishers

Another thing you need to watch out for are “publishers” who send you an email, tweet, or mail advertisement saying they are looking for writers. These publishers convince writers to spend thousands of dollars to produce poor quality books that will never see a bookstore shelf. Not all “pay to play” publishers are scammers though. You can pay to be published by a credible indie house--just take note of the quality of the books, the number of awards they have won, and whether or not their titles are distributed to retail chains. Before you fork over the dough, look for the following things:

1. What is the publisher’s reputation like within the industry? Look at what places like Writers Digest, Writer Beware, Galley Cat, and Publishers Weekly say about them.
2. Do they belong to any reputable organizations? There are several organizations for publishers to join including SPAN, SPAWN, and IBPA.
3. What does their author roster look like? You should be looking at a publisher who represents your genre, and thus you should recognize the names of the authors or the titles of their books.
4. What does their distribution and marketing package look like? This is especially important if you’re goal is to see your book in Barnes & Noble. You need to make sure that the publisher has a reputable distributor with a history of getting books into retail chains. There are many vanity presses whose books would never make it into B&N because the quality of design and editorial is poor and because the design does not include key elements such as a standard trim size, ISBN, and title on the spine. You also want a publisher who will at the very least market your book to the trade through Shelf Talker, Library Journal, Ingram and other outlets.

Scam 3: Fake Editors/Book Doctors

Writing is a laborious process, and if you find yourself piling up rejection letters you may consider hiring an editor or book doctor to help you. Of course, that has opened up another realm for unqualified “professionals” to siphon money and energy from aspiring writers. When looking for a professional to help you with your book, you need to ask the following questions:

1. Do they have a relevant degree? Editing is a specialized field. As such the editor should have a degree in journalism, English, literature or some variation of those.
2. Do they have experience in the publishing industry? Freelance editors should pay their dues and get real world experience before soliciting writers. How can they know what publishers want and what sells if they haven’t ever worked in the industry?
3. Do they have references? You should be able to talk to past clients to see how their working relationship is and what effect their guidance had on the writer’s project.

A real editor also will NEVER guarantee that you will get published or that our book will be a bestseller. There are so many factors affecting both that it is impossible to make such guarantees. Anyone who says they can is playing with you. Run away!

Of course, as fast as we identify scams a new one pops up. Here are a few more tips to help you protect yourself:

1. Always get the opinion of a lawyer before you sign any contract. There are plenty of law offices that offer low, flat-fee contract evaluations. Yes you may have to spend a little money but its much better than getting your bank account and your favorite project tied up with a dirty deal.
2. Get connected! Networking with other writers is a great way not only to find out about current scams, but to get referrals for quality products and services.
3. Take a class (or twenty). Writer’s Leagues, Writer’s Digest, Media Bistro, and other outlets offer reputable classes on many aspects of writing and publishing. Arm yourself with first-hand knowledge from industry pros.

Above all, follow your gut. If something feels off it probably is. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is not true. If you’re not sure, get a second opinion, but never rush into anything. It’s your money and your creative future on the line.

Shennandoah Diaz is the President of Brass Knuckles Media, an uncensored PR & Marketing firm catering to creatives and the avant garde. Passionate about education, Diaz empowers creatives by sharing articles and teaching workshops on marketing, social media, and publishing. Learn more at www.brassknucklesmedia.com or at www.shennandoahdiaz.com.

A Little Background

You always hear at writers’ conferences to write what you love, or to choose your genre based on what you enjoy writing. If you’re writing purely for pleasure, this is a great idea. But if you’re interested in selling books in a crowded marketplace, you have to write about what you know. Writing a book within a genre where you have either credentials or expertise is one of the best ways to cut through the noise, because consumers have a good reason to put stock in what you’re saying. As a first time author, start writing where you have an audience. Are you a business owner? Write about entrepreneurship, company culture, or how to start a small business. Are you a life coach or speaker? Address a topic that you encounter or speak on frequently. Medical professional? Tackle health topics pertaining to your field. And the list goes on.

Changing Genres

So what happens when you’re ready to write your second book, and it’s in a genre divergent from your original book? This happens frequently when an established author decides to write a fiction book after a nonfiction release, or vice versa. Before you put pen to paper, there are a few things you might want to consider to give your new book its best chance of success.

Leverage the audience you already have. If you’ve already developed a strong readership through your online presence, such as a loyal blog following or large base of newsletter subscribers, you don’t want to lose those folks just because you’re changing genres. The best way to do this is figure out a way to tie your new book to your previous book in your marketing and branding. If your readers loved your self-help book, play up the struggle and achievements of the protagonist in your new novel in a way that relates to your self-help message. If your first book was chick lit, your second book could be a how-to on developing relationships with men or cultivating meaningful friendships, depending on the plot and characters of the first book.

Be Strategic

The main point here is to be strategic in transitioning to new genres. Reach out to your current audience with your new title and make sure to tie it to a title they are familiar with. Consistent branding and marketing will also help guide readers to consecutive releases. Choosing what you write about based on your readership, credentials, and previous titles will afford your greater success in book sales. Who wants to read teen paranormal romance by a finance-writing CPA?

We receive quite a few memoirs, a good number of self-help books, and, unfortunately, far too many that straddle the line between the two. And there is a line (we’re not the only ones who think so either—check out this great article by Jane Friedman). There is a natural tendency to take an inspirational story and try to weave lessons into it, but the problem is that consumers are generally looking for a memoir they find uplifting or a self-help book with actionable, structured advice written by an appropriately credentialed author. A book that tries to be both of those things usually fails at one or the other.

Based on the difficulty we see with these two genres, I’ve put together a distinct profile of each genre that may help guide you as you write or revise your book. Try to make your book fit into one of these categories without creeping into the other.

Self Help

DO THIS: Target a specific area of personal improvement. It’s all about focusing your content and providing unique direction to readers. Pick a topic like changing a habit, letting go of anxiety or fear, becoming more confident/organized/patient/etc.

NOT THIS: Speak broadly about happiness, achieving goals, or spirituality. Writing on vague ideas like “life goals” provides no marketing hook and little helpful advice to your readers—plus, the market is saturated with books on these topics.

DO THIS: Use your professional experience and credentials to establish yourself as an expert in the field pertaining to your book. It’s crucial for the retail success of your self-help book that you have a certification, degree, or career in fields like therapy, psychology, or holistic healing. Alternatively, it can be helpful to have significant experience as a life coach or professional mentor or own a successful business that relates to your content.

NOT THIS: Write a book solely based on overcoming a personal struggle. Publishers, retail buyers, and consumers are generally not interested in reading a book by an author whose sole credentials are personal experience.

DO THIS: Structure content in a clear progression towards an end goal for the reader. For example, your book may be divided into three sections: 1) Acknowledging the problem and developing a plan 2) Implementing the plan and overcoming the problem 3) Following through and sticking with the plan. Despite my trite example, the point is there needs to be forward momentum and ideas that build to a solution.

NOT THIS: Write free-form thoughts about self-improvement without a sense of order and advancement. Writing this way provides little help to the reader in solving the problem they bought the book to address.

DO THIS: Offer clear, actionable advice such as bulleted to-do items at the end of each chapter (or interspersed throughout) that build on the content and require reader involvement. This is the imperative for a successful self-help book. People buy self-help books so that they can learn tools to better themselves, so you absolutely must give readers a takeaway. Otherwise, the content is just fluff. For example, if you ask your readers to answer questions, make sure to give them guidance as to how to interpret their answers or what to do based on the results.

NOT THIS: Give your readers vague questions and platitudes like “Think about a time you struggled and how you overcame it” or “The power of positive thinking will help you achieve your dreams.”

Memoir

DO THIS: Establish a story arc. Even though it’s a story about your life, it still has to have some of the elements and structure of fiction to make it compelling. Consider how you will tell your story based on what elements you’re trying to emphasize. Remember, you still need character development, a compelling struggle, and a resolution.

NOT THIS: Include every detail of your life in your memoir. If you’re focusing on your relationship with your siblings, don’t put unnecessary details in about your college years or your European vacation with friends unless it relates directly to the story.

DO THIS: The inspiration needs to come from the story. If you’re writing an inspirational memoir, it’s the story, the characters, and the action that should incite emotion. When you read an amazing memoir, it’s not uplifting because the author is telling you it is; the inspiring nature of the book is written into the story.

NOT THIS: Tell the reader why the story is inspiring. Don’t say things like, “In overcoming my illness, I finally realized how strong I was.” Show your readers how you felt, and let them infer from your storytelling the lessons you learned. This is an important distinction between self-help and memoir, and a key place where authors unintentionally blend the two.

DO THIS: Find your hook and emphasize an element of your story that makes it unique and marketable. Telling about your struggle isn’t enough. Research comparable titles and figure out an angle for your book that is new and different from what is already out there.

NOT THIS: Write a very broad book about overcoming a difficult situation. For example, instead of a book about addiction, write a book about beating alcoholism with your supportive, madcap Southern family at your side.