Write Nonfiction NOW!

Focus Your Writing on Making a Difference

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
Tom Brokaw, American TV journalist and author

In today’s publishing world, Tom Brokaw’s quote could be reversed. Writers often find it hard to make a buck. However, they may find it easy to make a difference.

I’ve seen this with my blog, “My Son Can Dance.” I began this blog as a way to promote myself as a dance writer because I planned (and still plan) to write and publish a book about mentoring boys who want to become professional dancers. Although I have not yet written the book, I have developed a decent readership for the blog and touched many people’s lives with my writing there. I’ve received many a thank you note, and I know a variety of people go to the blog to seek out information about boys and dance. While the blog does not make me any money, it has created a platform for me as a writer in the dance world. I’ve gotten several writing gigs for dance magazines because of “My Son Can Dance.” Plus, I think I have made a difference with my blog, and that feels good.

I started my other blog, “As the Spirit Moves Me,” to promote myself as a Jewish, spiritual, human potential, and personal growth writer; I plan to publish books in these niches as well. I have gotten comments from grateful readers for my posts, which, in some cases, have been helpful to them. I have more unique visitors (readers) on that blog than I might have for a published book.

It would be nice to make money from these blogs. I could place ads in the copy, and I do have Google ads. Yet, my traffic is not high enough to make me any real money; you make about $1 per every 1,000 page views (not visitors). It is possible, however, to build the kind of traffic that makes money with ads.

You can also make a huge difference by answering questions in LinkedIn group discussions. A large amount of information is offered there that helps  people and meets their needs. When you provide sound advice and knowledge, group members will express their gratitude and possible even seek out yoru services.

Everyone needs to make money–even writers. It’s also nice to make a difference, and most writers do want to touch lives, create change, help others, etc. with their writing. So, whether you are making money or not, consider focusing your writing on making a difference. You might actually be surprised to find that you gain more readers that way and ultimately make more money.

B&N Predicts Growth in Consumer Book Market Due to E-Books

In an industry that seems beset with bad news, here’s some good news for writers wanting to get into book publishing as well as for authors hoping for good book sales and to continue publishing books. However, keep an open mind about turning your manuscripts or books into e-books.

In an investor conference this morning, Tuesday, June 29, 2010, Barnes & Noble executives painted an positive picture for both the consumer book market in general and B&N in particular. According to Publisher’s Weekly, the company forecast that the consumer book market will grow from $23 billion in 2010, to $27 billion in 2013 with growth coming from e-book sales. Sales of e-books are predicted to be $6 billion while sales of print books will fall by $6 billion. B&N is confident it will be one of the few places where people will buy e-books unlike the highly fragmented bricks-and-mortar market.

Do expect to see B&N closing some stores—more than six to 10 stores annually over the next three years as leases expire (leases are up in 400 stores next four years). Primarily these will be second stores in the same market.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, no matter what type of book you publish, make sure it’s available in all e-reader forms. This seems the wave of the future.

Beyond Books: Building Multiple Streams of Income

As a journalist and author, as well as an editor, writing coach and publishing mentor, I am always looking for ways to earn more money with my writing. The publishing world constantly changes–not always for the better when it comes to the ways writers make a living. Newspapers and magazines struggle to stay alive in the current economy and as  more and more people find their news and information on the Internet. That means journalists and writers also need to change their focus and the outlets where and ways in which they provide information.

Publishers become more and more careful each year about the authors and books they choose to publish, making it harder and harder for first-time–and even second-time–authors to land traditional publishing deals. This makes some of the new electronic and less-traditional ways of publishing and providing information much more appealing to aspiring authors.

Most recently, I’ve been exploring the world of information products. Like many other writers, I, too, want to find ways to make money on the Internet  with my writing — and not just with books and articles. I spend a ton of time trying to drive traffic to my two websites and five blogs. And, I’m sorry to say, I make very little money off these endeavors. I’d like to use my writing to create products I could sell from my websites and blogs that would generate multiple streams of income.

So, when my former guest blogger Dana Lynn Smith, a book marketing coach and author of the  Savvy Book Marketer Guides, offered me a post on how to build multiple streams of income with other products besides traditional books, I jumped at the chance to publish it.

Come…learn with me.

Beyond Books: Building Multiple Streams of Income
by Dana Lynn Smith

It takes a lot of time and effort to attract people to your website and blog, so it’s important to maximize your income opportunities from those visitors. Below are some ideas for earning money from products and services other than print books.

Ebooks

The easiest way to create an ebook is to convert your printed book to a PDF document. Nonfiction authors may also want to spin out portions of the book into several smaller ebooks or create ebooks that expand on the information in their printed book. You can also create ebooks by combining or expanding on articles you have already written.

If you’d like to publish in a variety of ebook formats, check into Smashwords. For a 15% sales commission, with no upfront fees, they will convert your book into several ebook formats and handle the online orders and payment processing for you. Book formats on Smashwords include PDF documents and formats that can be read by ebook readers and devices like Kindle, Sony Reader, iPad, iPod, and Palm. Smashwords is a good way to get started with ebooks.

Teleseminars and Audio Products

Free teleseminars are a great way to promote your products and services, but nonfiction authors can also earn income from hosting paid teleseminars or webinars. Be sure your paid sessions provide excellent value for the dollar and record the session for those who cannot attend.

Informational teleseminars, in-depth interviews, or live presentations can also be recorded and sold as a CD or downloadable MP3 file. Many authors charge extra for a written transcript of their teleseminars and audio products.

Package Deals

Increase your order size by offering add-on products for an additional fee. For example, when promoting your ebook, offer a companion audio product for a small additional fee. Novelists can offer several books together at a package discount. Children’s books can be paired with companion products like stuffed toys that relate to the story. Package prices should reflect a discount of 20% to 30% of the price of the products purchased separately.

Home Study Courses

Once you have content in several formats, such as books, audio, and video, you can package them together into a comprehensive “home study course.”Some courses also include individual or group coaching sessions.  These courses are often presented in a three-ring binder which includes the printed text and sleeves containing the CDs or DVDs. Like packages, the price should reflect a discount off the prices of the separate products.

Ecommerce

To sell your information products, you’ll need to have an ecommerce system to process payments. Clickbank and Paypal are among the easiest to set up. Other choices include ecommerce processors such as e-Junkie and Plimus. If you expect to generate more than $2,000 a month in online sales, consider getting your own merchant credit card account and setting up a shopping cart system. Kathleen Gage offers a free tutorial on choosing a shopping cart. If you publish ebooks through Smashwords, they will handle the payment processing for you.

Affiliate Programs

All authors and small publishers should belong to the Amazon Associates affiliate program. In addition to collecting a commission on sales of your own book, you can promote non-competing books and a myriad of other products. For example, cookbook publishers can promote their favorite small appliances and authors of parenting books can promote children’s products available on Amazon.com.

Many nonfiction authors offer their own affiliate programs, so check to see if there’s a program for your favorite information products. You can also find affiliate programs on sites like Commission Junction. To maintain your credibility, only promote quality products that you believe in.

Articles

Writing articles is another way to generate additional revenue. You can work as a freelance writer (own your own or through a service like Elance), write and sell articles on a site like Constant Content, or post articles on sites such as Examiner or Info Barrel that pay you by the page view or share advertising revenue.

Advertising

The easiest way to earn advertising revenue is to sign up for the Google AdSense program. But think carefully whether the ads will detract from your site and whether you might have a problem with inappropriate ads appearing. Because just a tiny percentage of visitors will click on the ads, you need a lot of traffic to make any money.

If your site gets a significant amount of traffic, you may be able to sell banner ad space or sponsorships to other organizations that want to reach your target market. This can be done manually on a small scale—just set aside one or more ad spots on your site and charge advertisers by the month for those spots. Run your own ads to fill any blank spots.

There are a variety of ways to generate additional revenue. Just be creative and look for things that are a good fit for your business and your book.

About the Author

Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and author of the Savvy Book Marketer Guides. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana’s blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com, and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free newsletter.

Publishing Mentor Tip: Use the Nonfiction Book Proposal as a Process

Many aspiring nonfiction authors see a book proposal as a necessary evil. It’s a means to an end. They must write one so their agent can present it to publishers or so they can do so themselves.

In fact, both nonfiction writers who plan to become independent publishers (to self-publish their books) and those who seek traditional publishing deals should consider composing the nonfiction book proposal as a necessarily process. By going through all the sections of a nonfiction book proposal and at least composing a draft document, writers not only hone their ideas, they figure out if their proposed book has any market potential, if it needs to be recrafted or reangled, or if it needs to be dropped altogether. Additionally, they get a handle on the market, the competition, and on what they need to do not as writers but as book promoters to help sell their books and make themselves and their books successful.

Once finished with the proposal process, aspiring authors know if they have a book  idea with any potential of becoming successful in the marketplace and if they have what it takes to make that book successful.  Armed with that knowledge, they then can begin writing a book that will succeed.

If you are thinking of writing a nonfiction book, begin by going through the book proposal process before you write one word. You won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll be grateful, because in addition to giving you clarity on what your book is about the process also will offer you the chance to detail the contents of every chapter. When you’ve gone through all the steps of creating a proposal, you’ll be ready to write a book that sells to publishers and readers.

Use Your Writing to Do Good and Create Change

What’s your writing goal? Is it simply to make money? I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about how to make money via writing. However, there’s a lot more that we can do with words than simple make a living. Indeed, we can do a lot of good in the world. We can become change agents.

Here’s one example: Masha Hamilton was named this year’s recipient of the Women’s National Book Association WNBA Award, which is presented to “a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts, and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or
occupation.”

Hamilton is a novelist and former foreign correspondent. Her fiction includes 31 Hours and The Camel Bookmobile. As a journalist, Masha worked for the Associated Press, reporting from the Middle East, and for the Los Angeles Times and NBC/Mutual Radio, reporting on the Soviet Union during its final years.

In 2009, she launched the Afghan Women’s Writing Project “to foster creative and intellectual exchange between Afghan women writers and American women authors and teachers.”

WNBA president Mary Grey James praised “the depth of Masha’s commitment to the world of literacy and books beyond her own career. She is a sterling example of what the WNBA Award truly intends to honor—meritorious work in the world of books beyond her profession.”

Have you ever thought about how you can do good works in the world or be a change agent with your writing? Maybe it’s time to do so.

How to Take the First Step Towards Becoming a Journalist

So you say you want to become a journalist…The first step you must take involves coming up with an idea you can pitch to a newspaper or magazine.

If you want to write for a newspaper, look for news stories about which the local newspaper might not be aware. Maybe you know a local organization having an event, your neighborhood has had a rash of crime, or a local businessperson recently received an award. These are great news stories to propose.

Once you have a story idea, consider how you will approach it. Will you write in the first person or third? Will you interview experts? How long will it be? Check the publication for which you plan to write and be sure the article you plan to write conforms to their guidelines. These can be found on line or in guides like Writer’s Market.

Find out how to contact the publication. Most prefer an emailed query, but some local newspapers allow phone queries.

For a news story, query the your local newspaper and ask if they are interested in the story and say you would like to write the story. If you have no  by lines to your name, suggest that you write it on speculation (without pay until they accept it). Or offer to do it for free so you can obtain that vital first by line. Another approach involves simply writing the story and submitting it.

You can do virtually the same thing with a magazine, however, find an idea that does not involve news. Unless you are writing for a news magazine, magazine are looking for evergreen topics, those that can be run at any time of the year, or articles related to certain themes, like summer, holidays, or issues that concern their readership or their magazine’s special niche.

Once you have a strong and unique idea, you’ll need to craft a great query letter. Then you’re ready to send it out and find out if you have landed your first assignment as a journalist.

Blogging Your Way to a Book Deal

Since February I’ve been blogging about blogging a book. If that sounds redundant, it’s not meant to be. I’ve been blogging a book about how to blog a book. (I know…that also sounds redundant.)In fact, I’m just about done writing the book–one post at a time.

I started this venture when I was asked to speak at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference about building platform by blogging and blogging books. I knew a lot about the first topic but not so much about the second. In fact, no one on the panel seemed to know anything about the second topic. So, I became the expert by beginning to blog a book and researching some of the books that had been discovered as simple blogs.

In fact, a large number of blogs have been discovered and turned into books. My blog focuses on some reasons why you might want to try your hand at bogging a book and ways to increase the odds of your blog being found by an agent or publisher.

As I’ve said before, authors today must have a blog as part of their platform-building efforts. At this year’s Book Expo America, everyone agreed that publishers and agents are surprised not when an author had a blog but when an author does not have a blog. In today’s publishing world, a blog is a necessity.

Here’s a recent Huffington Post article that talks about some well-known blog-to-book deals and encourages people to blog. You can also read about some of these deals at How to Blog a Book.

Connecting with Bloggers to Promote Your Book

When I work with aspiring authors on their proposals or as a publishing mentor, I often advise them to build platform by becoming a guest blogger for other popular blogs. When we work on the promotion section of their proposal, we talk a lot about guest blogs and virtual book tours.  Indeed, once their books are published, guest blogs and book reviews by established and popular bloggers represent great publicity and promotion strategies for authors.  However, an etiquette exists for contacting and working with bloggers.

Today, Drew Gerber, CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., is back as my guest blogger to tell us a bit about using this strategy for book publicity and promotion.

Connecting with Bloggers to Promote Your Book
By L. Drew Gerber

When it comes to promoting your book you can’t forget about bloggers. Successful bloggers have a targeted and engaged audience that you would love the opportunity to reach out to. Whether it’s self-help, green-living, finance — you name it — the people who follow these blogs look to the blogger as someone who represents their voice and provides new and cool insights into what’s cutting-edge in their niche.

Before you begin pitching bloggers, you’ll have to find them first. It’s easy to search on Google for bloggers related to your expertise. If you’re a green-living author, you can simply type in “green-living blogs” and you’ll find links to these blogs, articles mentioning them, blog posts about these blogs and blog posts about these blog posts about these blogs. Usually you’ll find the most popular blogs related to your expertise, and because they are the most popular they will also be the hardest to break into. But right off the bat though, you have your goal: Get your book reviewed on that blog!

If you’re just starting out, you should find a less popular blog or one who maybe has even more of a niche following your book would be fit for. Sites like Technorati are really helpful in narrowing down blogs and bloggers to start building relationships with. You’ll definitely find the most popular ones and the most popular posts, but they also have comprehensive directories with each blog’s authority ranking on the particular subject manner, i.e. green living. You can search Technorati just like you would search Google and start browsing blogs with the reach you’re committed too. Make a realistic list of five or so blogs you’d want your book reviewed on, then get ready to begin building your relationship with them.

Before you reach out to the blogger, make sure you know the blog and you’re keeping up with the kinds of content that is being posted. Note if they have guests that do book reviews and ask yourself whether or not this blog is truly a good fit for you and your book. If it is, start by posting comments with good commentary or additional thoughts wherever you can. The goal here is to show the blogger and its followers you’re an avid and engaged fan of what they have to say, and you have a genuine interest in being part of this community.

Once you’ve established yourself in the community, it’s time to reach out to the blogger with an email. Make it short and simple, telling them you really enjoy the blog and was wondering if they were in need of anything. Ask if they accept guest-bloggers or do reviews of books. By now though, you should have a good idea whether they do or don’t, but ask anyway and give them a taste of what you could offer. The key here is to be extremely polite and not to overload them with information. Keep it short and sweet. It could take a couple of exchanges before they ask to review your book, but remember it’s relationship building. It takes time.

Once you’ve had your book reviewed, be sure to show your gratitude. Now don’t worry about finding their home address and sending them a thank you card or gift basket. But really the most important thing you need to do is follow-up with an acknowledgement. They’ll appreciate it.

So by all means, brag about yourself to everyone you can possibly brag about yourself to. Get on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and tell the world about how your book was featured on this blog. Provide a link and drive as much traffic as you can to the blog and really be a voice for support. Send them to the blog’s main page not just to the page you’re featured on. The idea here is to increase the whole blog’s readership and create returning fans. Make sure you keep on top of the comments and respond and engage the community of followers who are commenting on your feature.

And then keep it up. Play an active role in this newfound community where you now belong. Try to prvide fresh content whenever and wherever you can and stay in contact with the blogger and continue to develop your relationship.

About the Author

L. Drew Gerber is CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc. (www.PublicityResults.com) and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists, publicists, and experts. Gerber’s business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at:AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.

Write About What You Know

When I attended journalism school at Syracuse University, my professors always taught me to write about what I know. I remember writing a wonderful piece while I studied abroad in England about a equine-related company. I have always loved horses and for most of my life I’ve been an equestrian. I found it easy to fill the story with color and feeling.

That’s why personal essays often seem the easiest form of nonfiction. They come from personal experience. Memoir, too, can feel as if it simply flows from the source of one’s being.

That said, we know many things. We may know how to bake a pie, how to clean a saddle, how to find boys dance tights, how to survive divorce, how to  become healthy after cancer treatment, how to fix a broken toilet.

If you want to break into magazine journalism or to write for e-zines, think of the many topics you might propose. You are, indeed, an expert on something–or many things. If you want to begin creating information products such as e-books, make a list of the problems you can solve for other people that you have solved for yourself. If you have the solution, you are the expert.

As a writer, you possess an endless  number of things to write about if you simply call upon your own knowledge base. Today, start writing about what you know. Start making your knowledge work for you. Begin letting your knowledge earn it’s keep.

Mining Your Life for Personal Essay Topics

If you dream of becoming a freelance writer, the key to success lies not only in good writing but in having a wealth of ideas. Today, take some time to mine your life for experiences that could be turned into personal essays.

Many magazines have columns devoted to personal essays, thus this offers a superb chance for you to possibly get your work published. These pieces tend to be creative and allow you to develop your voice while expressing your point of view.

I love writing personal essays because I can mine my own life, thoughts and experiences, writing off the top of my head in a manner that can possibly change someone else for the better. That’s usually my goal: to show the reader how something that happened to me created positive change within me and how they can use my experience to better themselves.

If you would like to use your writing to act as a change agent, here’ show to begin: Come up with a list of events or experiences that moved, changed or impacted you deeply in some way. Then consider if your experience might be pertinent to other people. Will readers relate to what you went through? Can you write about this topic in a way that will move, change or impact them? Will your experiences, thoughts, words, or actions inspire them?

If so, you’ve got the makings of a great personal essay—start writing it!