Robert W. LucasOne key to successfully writing nonfiction is to provide timely, accurate and, in some cases, detailed information on your topic, written in a reader-friendly format. For the latter point, find your own writers voice (what and how you will deliver your message) by deciding things, such as, (1) Your purpose for choosing the topic and writing about it, (2) What you …
Nonfiction authors must be conscious of the desire of their readers to gain new cutting-edge ideas or substantiate what they believe or what they are looking for. While nonfiction readers search out thought leaders in a given industry for the latest, greatest strategies and techniques, they also want to know that what they are reading is in fact true and accurate. They do …
The key to effectively developing name recognition or branding yourself and selling a lot of books, as noted authors have done for centuries, is to develop a niche in which you become the “go to” person for that topic. This starts by developing a marketing plan and sticking with it. Try doing at least one thing per day to market …
Once you have written a book, you are still a long way from the best sellers list. You still have quite a bit of marketing ahead of you. If you planned your book project effectively, that was part of your plan to develop an author platform. In addition to having pertinent information or a story to tell that others want to …
Before you go further in your efforts to become a published author, do a quick assessment of your knowledge, resources and support network so that you have a sound foundation for ideas and information as you move forward. To do this, take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Add additional ones you might think of and answer them …
As I mentioned in my previous article on this topic, one question that I often get from new authors and writers is “How much does writing and publishing a book cost?” The answer is that “it varies.” One thing that I strongly recommend is that you never pay for something you can get otherwise. Most people have knowledge and skills …
I figured out years ago that developing a residual stream of extra money coming in each year is a smart approach. In today’s economy and changing world, you cannot depend on others to take care of you and your family. You need multiple strategies to provide income and security. That is where writing comes in as a way to create …
Imagine a sports team scheduled for a playoff game. The team does all the pre-work and the getting ready for the big event through conditioning and hard play. Then on the day of the event their star player decides not to show up. That would be akin to your doing all your project research, developing an outline for content, gathering …
One thing I did not understand when I started writing for major book publishers in 1994 is that the publisher takes care of functions such as getting the ISBN (the coded number that appears on the back of every book), the product development, editing, cover and layout design, and all the technical sides of the printing and publishing of a …
Each writer and author has a message that she or he wants to communicate to readers. He or she must also find his or her own unique approach to sharing ideas, stories, and information with readers in a manner that captures and holds attention. This is sometimes referred to as the author’s voice and means nothing more than your style …