So You Think You Can Write a Book in a Week? Read This First

August 3, 2010

The floodgates have opened. No end of marketing types are getting in on the author services act. One common promise is to show you how to write a book. Oh, and don’t worry—it’s easy peasy and really quick. You can do it in a week, heck sometimes even a weekend!

Twenty-five years into a professional writing career I’m in awe of anyone who can do that. When I decided to write my e-book (What’s Stopping You?), I thought—because it was going to be short, snappy, and be based on content I could write in my sleep—that a weekend would do it. Six weeks later I was finally willing to put my name to that e-book. Why take so long? Because my professional reputation, let alone having pride in my work, is too precious to risk by writing something not good.

“Good writing doesn’t come naturally, though most people seem to think it does.” ~ William Zinsser, On Writing Well

Think you can write something in a weekend? So did one aspiring author I spoke with recently. She ended up spending thousands of dollars on a program that promised she’d have a book completed in a weekend. And that was after several months of telephone group coaching to lay down the scope and structure. The result?

“I ended up with 63 pages of content which I realized, for the book to be something I’d be proud of, I’d have to re-do. That felt bigger than writing it from scratch. That’s where I got stuck.”

Let’s call her Margaret. Here’s her story:

Liz:  What attracted you to this program in the first place?

Margaret: The marketing copy was really compelling. It convinced me this was achievable. And there were all these testimonials on the webpage by authors who said how wonderful it was to have a book published. Even though the cost of the program was high, they promised that writing my book would be easy and quick.

Liz: So you ended up with 63 pages of content you’ve never turned into a book. What was the biggest challenge you faced?

Margaret: After the group coaching, when we had our structure done, we attended a weekend workshop. Each author was given a recording device and told to speak their book into it. That recording was transcribed and the result was supposed to be your book. It seemed to work for a few people. But I couldn’t “write” by speaking off the cuff into a machine. For my writing to be any good I have to think through everything and go over it several times. I shared my concerns with the people running the program beforehand and was told, “Don’t worry, the book will write itself.” But being in a room, speaking into a microphone and trying to make my thoughts sound coherent was torture for me.

Liz: How good was that transcribed manuscript?

Margaret: I couldn’t stand reading it. Only a few parts of it worked. It had felt so much harder to go back and try and make it a good read. So I just gave up on it.

Liz: Some of your fellow participants did get their books published, though, didn’t they? Well, self-published at least.

Margaret: I saw some of them, from previous authors. Some were ok, but some were embarrassing. Spelling errors, cheesy covers, bad writing. I wasn’t doing this just to become a speaker or to have a calling card; a throwaway. Maybe these kinds of books are fine for some folks, but I wanted to contribute something of value to readers and to the world.

Liz: Do you still believe anyone can write a book in a weekend?

Margaret: Of course. Just like you can lose 10lbs in a weekend if you really set your mind to it. But that doesn’t mean the weight will stay off. And if a shallow, simplistic way of getting something finished just so you can say you’ve written a book is what you want, then these programs exist to help you. But if you want to write a quality book that will make a difference and leave you feeling you’ve contributed something good, this is not the way to do it.

Liz: I know you lost a lot of money on this. Did you complain or ask for any of it back?

Margaret: No. Because they delivered exactly what they said they would. The problem was, I bought into the hype. They didn’t promise I was going to produce a well-written book, a quality book that would draw people in and make a difference in their lives. It was more about being able to say you’ve written a book so you can call yourself an expert and get people to pay you for consulting or coaching.

Liz: Thanks for sharing your experience.

Books don’t write themselves and they don’t appear without considerable thought, skill, and dedication. I’ll leave you with a final quote from William Zinsser’s On Writing Well. Plus my own thought that maybe we should have another noun to describe the 100-page, speedily-written marketing documents that people are calling books nowadays. Suggestions, anyone?

Nobody told all the new computer writers that the essence of writing is rewriting. Just because they’re writing fluently doesn’t mean they’re writing well.

 

Posted in Marketing, Publishing scams, author services, better writing | 4 Comments »

What Kind of Editor Do You Need?

July 21, 2010

Folks often contact me asking about editing their nonfiction books. Here’s a quick guide to help you determine what kind of editing you need at what time. For fees, check out this handy chart from The Editorial Freelancers’ Association. I’m not a member, I don’t offer all of these services (see below), and my fees are higher because I’m a ten-times, best-selling, mainstream-published author.

Got an idea but not written anything yet? You need a Developmental Editor

This is the strategic planning part of writing a book I love the most, although I don’t use the term “developmental editor” myself. Engaging someone to help you develop the core theme or focus of your book and work out the best structure and scope will save you a whole lot of time, effort and money in the long run. That’s why, even if you’re planning to do Print On Demand or Custom Publishing, I’ll work with you to develop a mini-proposal, similar to the full book proposal you’ll need to produce if looking to attract a literary agent and mainstream publisher.    

You wouldn’t start a business without writing even a basic business plan. Don’t think you can write a book without a strategic plan of action either.

Quick tip:

  • Hire a “developmental editor” so that your manuscript will be focused, relevant to the audience, and a compelling read at the outset

Partly or completely written a manuscript and gotten feedback that it needs a lot more work? Hire a Substantive Editor.

Frankly, I prefer to work with clients earlier on in their writing–at the development stage–so these issues are addressed beforehand, not after the manuscript has been written. If you’ve already got something down on paper, however, these editors are skilled in improving the content of your work. They’ll offer advice and expertise on issues such as:

  • Tightening up your writing (don’t be so wordy)
  • Grabbing the reader’s attention, especially at the beginning of chapters (and this applies to nonfiction, just as much as fiction!)
  • Removing whatever’s off-topic
  • Using active rather than passive verbs
  • Changing the order of your material to make it easier to read and understand; enhancing the flow of your work
  • “Showing” versus “Telling”
  • etc. etc.

This is a time-consuming and skillful role that may also involve pointing out factual errors in the work, depending on whether your editor has a background in the topic. Essentially, those of us who offer substantive editing have (and you should check on this before hiring one) a proven ability to write saleable material.

Quick tip:

  • As a first-time or less-experienced author, work with a substantive editor who has either written best-selling books themselves, or has worked freelance or for a publishing house on books that sold well. Check credentials. There are a lot of “wannabes” in the author services marketplace these days!

Written a completed manuscript that’s got good reviews, but feel that it could be improved even more? Hire a “heavy” copyeditor.

While I carry out heavy editing for my clients, often I’ll refer them to a specialist copyeditor (and always do so for basic copyediting–see below). These folks will read for tone (is it appropriate for your readership?), work to improve poorly constructed and run-on sentences, and correct statements that are misleading or factually just plain wrong.  They may also alert you to copyright infringement, such as “fair use” (e.g., have you quoted some other work extensively without permission?). 

Quick tip:

  • Find an editor who not only has a proven track record for enhancing copy but knows enough about the publishing business to steer you away from potential libel lawsuits, if you write in an arena where that might be an issue

Almost ready to  be “self-published” or about to send a manuscript off to an agent or publisher? You MUST run the manuscript by a basic copyeditor first!

I don’t know about you, but even as a professional writer and author of ten best-selling nonfiction books for the past 25 years, I still don’t catch every spelling error, incidence of poor punctuation and grammar, and use of jargon in my own writing. That’s why I always give important documents to a copyeditor, someone whose job it it to pay attention to these finer details.

Both kinds of copy editors–those who focus on “heavy” editing as well as those who are more concerned with formatting and style rather than the substance of your work (the content)–help with the following:

  1. Clear writing that’s easy to read (typos are such a distraction and don’t paint you in the best professional light)
  2. Correct use of grammar (how many split infinitives have you written today, for example?)
  3. Conciseness of prose (getting to the point faster; using one word instead of the three or four you’ve used)
  4. Comprehensibility: can we understand what you’ve written or are you so close to your topic that you forget that we “lay” readers don’t know what the heck you’re talking about unless you explain it in a more basic way?
  5. Consistency (for example, I can’t tell you how many times health writers sometimes use “client” and sometimes  “patient” to refer to the same people…use one label or the other, not both, or readers will be confused)

Another useful thing that copy editors can do is suggest where sub headings should go in order to break up otherwise long sections of text.

Quick tip:

  • Never think of having anything published, or send your manuscript to an important contact like a literary agent or publishing editor, before having it checked over by a professional copyeditor first

So there you are, a relatively quick run-down of the different types of editors out there and what they can do for you. The only service I don’t offer is basic copyediting. Not least because I was educated in Britain where linguistic conventions differ (I still find “British-isms” creeping into my own writing, despite living in the US for the past ten years)– and, frankly, because I’m a big picture person and just don’t have the patience for that level of attention to detail.

Was this helpful to you?

Posted in author services, book proposal, editors, nonfiction books | No Comments »

Excellence Lab Guest Slot

July 19, 2010

I was recently interviewed by the excellent Tom Carroll for his Excellence Lab blogspot. Check it out (Experiment #4 on Openness to Experience):

http://bit.ly/cp6aCU

This is a vital trait for all writers. You have openness to experience to some degree (it’s one of the Big Five Personality Factors inherent in all of us), think about using the four-step model I talk about in the video–for which you need to scroll down the interview–to further develop and maintain this essential characteristic, not just for your writing but also for your entire life!

Posted in Big Five Personality Factors, Excellence Lab, Openness to Experience, Tom Carroll, better writing, writing tips | No Comments »

Doula Clinic #2: Buyer Beware

July 8, 2010

At the end of the 19th century a hundred thousand individuals headed for the Klondike in search of fame and fortune. The particular form that took back then was gold. Sadly, for the vast majority, their dreams did not match the reality. For one group, however, the opportunities to make an easy buck abounded. These were the scam artists. Men like Jefferson “Soapy” Smith who came up with all sorts of ingenious ways to part unwary men and women from their money.

The same “gold rush’ is happening today as thousands turn to publishing in the hope of becoming the next J.K. Rowling or Daniel Pink. Unfortunately, the same scammers are on the lookout for easy pickings, albeit using different ingenious approaches. Like promising to publish just about anyone’s book.

I was recently contacted by a woman, excited at having been invited to publish her first book by what appeared to be–at least as far as the claims made on their website–a reputable publishing house. One that talked about taking pride in launching the careers of unknown authors. She and I were going to talk about working on her second book, but always interested to learn about new presses I did a Google search on this company.

The result was an eye-opener for my client, to whom I sent several hotlinks that discussed how:

  • Deliberately badly-written “hoax” manuscripts were accepted, despite the company implying that their editors were very selective
  • Authors discovered that their books would not be distributed through retail bookstores
  • Reports of “accounting irregularities” were commonly levied at this company by authors suspecting that they were not receiving accurate royalty statements
  • The pejorative term “vanity press’ was frequently used to describe the company

After reviewing a number of websites containing scores of postings by irate, frustrated, and distressed authors, my client realized that signing a contract with them would be a bad idea.

The lesson here?

Always do your homework. If you’re a first-time author and a “publisher” approaches you saying they will publish your work for free or a small (sometimes $1) advance, don’t just say ‘whoopee’ and dive in without doing a thorough check first.

The Internet is a great resource. Look at print-on-demand or vanity publishing in particular, to see whether your searches turn up words like “scam,” “lawsuits,” and “sting.” 

According to bookstatistics.com, while in 1947 there were just 357 publishers in the United States, by 2004 that number had turned into 85,000.  As one blog poster I read recently pointed out, “Anyone can be a publisher now.”

With the field wide open and standards for entry virtually non-existant, realize that you might be signing a contract requiring you to purchase your own books with no distribution channel,  marketing or media back-up (and it will be very difficult to persuade even local media and bookstores to stock POD or vanity press books because–aside from everything else–they are typically associated with poor quality editing and layout). Plus, if your book is associated with a publisher that has the kind of reputation as the one my client almost went with, think about how that might affect your good name.

There are many bona fide ways for new writers to get published these days. Don’t fall prey to the scam artists. Whenever there’s a ”rush,” they will be there. Thousands of them!

Posted in Publishing scams | 6 Comments »

Doula Clinic #1

June 30, 2010

This is the first in a weekly series of posts about real-life problems that come to my attention, either by writers or the folks they want to help them get published or promoted.

First the good news. Imagine you’re a medical professional with important, timely information to share with the general public. The platform that publishers are looking for is there–you have credibility in your field. You’re passionate about your topic and that shines through in your writing. The initial feedback you get when you send in your 75,000 word self-published book to a firm of PR professionals, in the hope they’ll help you get it in front of the media, is that this is an “exciting and potentially breakthrough work.” 

Now the bad news, all too common these days in the era of self-publishing when the barriers–but also the discipline–imposed by publishing houses can be ignored in the rush to write and share your expertise:

Your book is described as

  • Lacking focus and organization 
  • Too wordy and often strays from the point 
  • Containing potentially inflammatory material about organizations that care about these things and are likely to sue 

 The PR professionals suggest you need:

  • A new title and subtitle that grabs the reader’s attention enough for them to buy your book
  • Compelling, clear writing that focuses throughout on the  ”big idea” 
  • A show rather than tell approach so readers become convinced how groundbreaking this information is 
  • A livelier, more engaging writing style that compels a call to action

How could all of this have been avoided? First, by completing a short book proposal–a sort of “business plan” for your book–that you would have had to write in order to sell your book to a literary agent and publisher. Think of the proposal as the skeleton you need to assemble before adding the flesh of your content.

You wouldn’t start a business without thinking through what product or service you’re offering, who are your customers, or how you’re going to market yourself. You wouldn’t make a big purchase–like buying a house or car–without doing some research first. Why, then, do so many writers plunge straight into writing their manuscript with little or no pre-planning?

Second, the way to avoid such negative feedback about the quality of writing is by hiring a professional with established credentials as a successful author and/or editor of nonfiction books. Someone who can help you produce prose that really shines.

I can always tell when a new author has overlooked the proposal process and has gone ahead and written their book with no professional help. They’re the ones with books that read like a stream of consciousness. Or they’ve got their book uploaded into CreateSpace with no clue how to market it–or overlooked the issue of credibility, which readers seek before taking an author seriously. Or they’ve finally handed the completed book to objective third parties who point more to its failings than its strengths.

They’re the ones with books that are self-published, but no-one reads. Please–don’t let that be you!

Recommendation: My favorite book for new authors on how to write a nonfiction book proposal is top literary agents Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman’s Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why. Not only will you find step-by-step guidance that delivers the book’s promise, it contains real examples of proposals with comments by the Hermans as to what those authors did well or could have done better. A must-read for any serious nonfiction author who wants to deliver a marketable–and saleable-book in this saturated market.

Posted in book proposal, nonfiction books, writing tips | 2 Comments »

Why Brian Tracy’s Latest Writing Venture Offends Me

May 23, 2010

Roll up, roll up ladies and gentlemen. For three installments of $995 each–yes, less than $3,000–you too can have what millions of Americans desire these days: to see their name in print.

But that’s not all. This is the fastest, easiest way you’ll ever become a published author–no! a best-selling author (guaranteed!), one automatically inducted into the National Academy of Best-Selling  Authors*, no less.

Just be one of 25 people who each contributes a 2,000 word chapter to Brian Tracy’s book Counter Attack: Business Strategies for Explosive Growth in the New Economy within 30-45 days. No idea what to write? No problem–someone will talk you through that. Can’t write? Again–don’t let that stop you. Talk to a ghostwriter for just 30 minutes; they’ll capture your words of wisdom and write the chapter for you. Be seen as an automatic expert; make money from having a book rather than selling (or even writing) a book–it’s all done for you.

Remember, this is the fast, easy way to say “I’m a best-selling author.” All you have to do is sign off on 2,000 words that you don’t even have to write.

That’s pretty much captures the latest venture offered by Brian (“When you write a book people think you’re much smarter than you are LOL”) Tracy and Nick (“I’m not a voracious reader of books”) Nanton, who calls himself The Celebrity Lawyer. I listened to their recent webinar, interested because they are “in the business of helping people become experts,” only to discover that this comes about by enabling them to buy a publishing deal with Brian.

Here’s the difference between their approach and mine:

  • Fast and easy when related to writing anything of value and quality are earned achievements, based on years of consistently practicing the craft of writing. Otherwise “fast and easy” simply becomes synonymous with off-the-top-of-my-head crap.
  • To guarantee that a book will be on the national best-sellers’ lists smacks of gaming the system, in my view. Even if I could offer such a guarantee (which, as a best-selling nonfiction author myself I can’t and wouldn’t), I’m outraged that anyone would offer that before they’ve had the chance to assess contributors’ ideas and quality of writing. But when you’re Brian Tracy and folks eat up every book-written-in-90-days that you put out, I guess it’s okay.

When I exited that webinar I was at first outraged, then saddened. Not by Tracy and Nanton’s focus on creating “celebrity best-selling authors.” In the Age of Instant Celebrity the publishing business is rife with that kind of “show me the fame and money” mentality. Certainly not by their offer to help individuals get published by sharing their subject matter expertise with the world, or that they make money from that. That’s partly what I do. My Book Doula business benefits from the fact that being a published author is the new “must-have” accomplishment. However, my clients are making significant contributions, working with me to strengthen their ideas, improve the quality of their writing, better structure their content, and anticipate how they will market and promote their books. The process is neither particularly fast nor easy, as my clients will attest. But it’s hugely rewarding and offers a tremendous sense of real achievement.

What saddens me is this:

Once upon a time being a best-selling published author used to mean something. Now, like so many things in this Land of the Fee (that’s not a typo!), you just lay down your money and pick up your accolade. One that’s “earned” as much as the dumb rich kid who pays a friend to sit the LSAT, GMAT or GRE for them.

“Once you sign on to do a book with us we will put out a press release that says you got a publishing deal with all of these other experts from around the world and Brian Tracy. Once the book comes out we will promote it and it will become a best-seller. We will then get you inducted in the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors* and get you a certificate that you can hang on your wall. You’ll be a member along with Brian and many other big authors…” Nick Nanton, Esq.

(* co-founded by one Nick Nanton, Esq.)

So much was answered in that 25 minute webinar. Except for one question:

Since when did we think it okay to become a nation of cheaters?

Your thoughts?

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Posted in Business books, Celebrity authors, Marketing, nonfiction books | 5 Comments »

The Seven (Highly Effective) Habits of Writers Who Get Published

April 23, 2010

Stephen Covey’s recent Huff Post article on children and the crisis in education inspired me to write in response, which in turn led me to think about his seminal work The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Here’s my take on how these habits might apply to nonfiction writers who want to transform themselves into published authors:

1. Be proactive. Writers write. It’s what we do, every single day. As Ray Bradbury once said,

“Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.”

Produce “shitty first drafts,” as Anne Lamott describes them, by all means–but don’t for one moment kid yourself that they are any good. Edit, hone, refine. Don’t expect good writing to come easily. It doesn’t (speaking as someone with over 20 years’ experience as a mainstream, internationally published best-selling author and freelance journalist). And that’s the joy. Because anything that comes too easy doesn’t feel as intrinsically satisfying as something that requires focus, skill, and patience. Wouldn’t you agree?

2. Begin with the end in mind. When I received the request from Gaia Books for authors back in the early 1990s and read one title that was up for grabs: The Book of Crystal Healing, I immediately saw (in my mind’s eye) my name on the cover. “Thoughts are things.” See your book; imagine what it will feel like to hold it in your hands, to direct friends and family to amazon.com to read about it, to position it at the back of the room to generate interest and sales when you offer workshops or talks as a published author. Make the experience real…that’s the beauty of our imaginations. And if you’re a writer then you have that readily at your disposal, right?

3. Put first things first. For goodness sakes, learn about the industry you intend to get involved in. There are no end of resources available to you on the web. Find them. Read them. Absorb them. One of the biggest beefs of agents and publishers is the number of aspiring authors who don’t know the first thing about their business. And publishing is a business. Think about why you want to write your book and use that as a springboard to determine whether custom-publishing, self-publishing, POD or finding an agent and mainstream publisher is right for you. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money and potential heartbreak in the long run. Professional writers are curious individuals. Become more curious and informed about a world you don’t yet know.

4. Think win:win. Your nonfiction book is not all about you and what you want to tell the world. It’s about solving your readers’ problem(s). Think of it as providing a recipe…something your reader can use to create a delicious meal. What content will be most important to them? How can you structure the book so it’s compelling and easy to read? Make it easy for the reader (who might be an agent or publisher in the first instance) to say “yes.” Give folks what they want and need.

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Pity today’s poor literary agents. Not only do they face a barrage of low quality inquiries, but many writers have no conception of what their working life is like. As with #4, taking the perspective of the agent or publisher (many of whom have blogs…go find and read them!) helps you understand how to make them love you. It’s not difficult. Like, reading their submission guidelines, following instructions…if you don’t have that interest in attention to detail, why on earth would someone trust that you can provide reliable content?

6. Synergize. Boy, do some folks have trouble with constructive feedback, as Penny C. Sansevieri found and reported on in a recent Huff Post blog. Find experts who can help you, listen to them, and learn. Authors pride themselves on being lifelong learners. Are you one?

7. Sharpen the saw. The best tip I can offer you for creative renewal comes from my own experience as well as reading folks like Twyla Tharp and Sue Grafton who understand the importance of exercise and action. According to an article I read recently in the AARP bulletin by Barbara Strauch, entitled Put your brain to work, vigorous exercise–whether that’s at the gym, walking the dog, or playing a ball game–generates new brain cells, which in turn create more neural pathways, the very pathways that connect otherwise disparate concepts and result in “aha” insights. Taking time out is not a waste of time for successful authors like us. I get some of my most inspired ideas (like a genius title for a book that I sold recently to a client, that came to me while walking my dog) when I’m away from the computer, not thinking of work.

So. How many of these habits do you currently embrace? And how many are you prepared to?

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

April Newsletter

April 9, 2010

What can a publishing company’s in-house training video teach you about creating compelling content? Check the main article in my April newsletter.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

In Praise of Double Whammys

April 7, 2010

One of the comments I’m hearing increasingly often from prospective as well as current clients is: “I’d like to write a book but I need to focus on earning money.” Yet the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive–indeed, writing a nonfiction book can give your earning power a real kick in the pants, if you combine willingness and know how.

For example, I was brainstorming nonfiction book ideas with a friend yesterday who then went on to say that she had been invited to facilitate a workshop for a group of newspaper employees who had lost their passion for work. She told me she’d start thinking about the book once she’d spent time planning that event.

Why not combine the two? I suggested, and then went on to outline how she could use the book idea as a framework for the workshop. That way she could test the concept, collect anecdotal material and use the development time to think more about her book, its scope and structure.

Likewise, I’ve just finished talking with a client who said she was finding it difficult to ear-mark time for her book because she had to focus on generating income. Given that she is a freelance writer I urged her to stop spreading herself too thin by writing articles that took her away from her book topic. Better to develop the chapter summary section of her proposal (because she wants to attract a mainstream publisher) and use that to develop ideas for short articles on the same topic.

As someone who has always made time pay and serve me (rather than feel that I’m time’s slave!), I’ve discovered the value of double whammys. Whenever I’m writing a book, everything I do–unless it’s a customized request that’s paying me big bucks to thus divert my attention–whether articles, talks, workshops or other training events, is focused on that topic. For example, when I wrote Working from the Heart for Random House I redirected my efforts to consult with international companies on how to recruit, motivate, and retain employees who were passionate about their work.

What can you write about, speak about, and offer guidance about that is linked to your book idea and can not only earn you income while you are writing, but enhance the thought-processes that improve your writing?

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Posted in Making money from writing, Time Management Tips | No Comments »

“Felt Need”– Getting To Why Your Book Matters

April 2, 2010

What does it mean when literary agents like Rachelle Gardner ask authors of self-help or how-to books to identify the “felt need” of the prospective reader? When helping my clients address this issue, I draw on my marketing background–not least my understanding of the distinction between features, benefits and the real reason why people buy products and services: the experience.

Imagine a product, such as one of those identified in this excellent article about features and benefits from Entrepreneur magazine: A kid’s toy, a feature of which is “batteries included.” Upon reading that, a typical consumer response might be “So what?” After all, this doesn’t differentiate the product from other toys that include batteries. Features, then, are factual statements that tell you something about the product itself, but not why someone would want to buy it.

One benefit of buying a toy with batteries included might be convenience; the purchaser doesn’t need to make a separate trip to buy those batteries but can use the product straight out of the box. Yay! Benefits respond to the question “What’s in it for me?” and typically relate to externally valid reasons for a purchase such as convenience, speed, customization etc.

But consumers–particularly readers of books–are looking for so much more nowadays. They are looking for an experience that emotionally engages them. In this respect you have to be able to articulate why something matters. In the Entrepreneur example, having batteries included means:

I’ll never have to see the crushed look on my child’s face when his toy won’t work because I forgot to buy batteries.

This is an emotional experience and it’s what you–as an author of nonfiction looking to sell a how-to or self-help book–need to be able to express to a literary agent or publisher in order to ensure they sit up and take notice of your book proposal.

Notice how “batteries” and “using the product straight out the box” are abstract thoughts that don’t paint much of a picture, if any. Yet can’t we all remember, empathize with, and immediately visualize the look on a child’s face when the toy you just gave them won’t work because you forgot to get the batteries?

Let me give you some personal examples of features, benefits, and experiences that show how coming up with compelling book ideas can be an outgrowth of this exercise and could help you succeed in attracting an agent and getting your nonfiction book published by a mainstream publisher in today’s marketplace.

Feature: My black Labrador named Buffy

Benefit: She’s loyal and adoring

Experience: Having lived with Buffy for the past six years, I now understand the meaning of unconditional love for the first time in my life.

Potential book “hook:” Learning about love from your dog/pet

Feature: Daily Juice Cafe in Austin

Benefit: Delicious meals for health-conscious foodies

Experience: I feel more alive, vibrant and happy when I eat like this

Potential book “hook:” The mind, body, spirit of “raw” eating

Features: The specifications list for my Honda Fit

Benefits: Fuel efficiency; I get 35+ mpg in these economically challenging times

Experience: My car is me: “small, but a colossus of capability, a paragon of pep.”

Potential book “hook:” Buying a car for your personality. (Possible magazine article: “What your car says about you.”)

Books that really capture readers’ imaginations, add huge value and become best-sellers speak to this experiential need we all have–the need to connect in emotionally powerful ways. Try to sell your book based purely on its features and what you’re offering isn’t–on the face of it–that different from what any other subject-matter expert in your field could offer. You have to move beyond that.

All authors must answer the question”What’s in it for me?” by understanding their prospective readers, their point of view, and communicating the value of reading their book–especially if it’s in the category of self-help or “how-to.” But don’t stop at “benefits.”

The most savvy, saleable, successful authors really get this concept of “felt need” and can articulate to literary agents and book publishers how readers’ lives will be changed as a result of reading their books. They paint pictures of emotional needs that will be met as a consequence of doing so.

As Seth Godin blogged recently: Books change lives every day. Let me add a corollary to that. Brilliant books change lives. These are the books that don’t just offer features and benefits, but results, experiences, and connections.

Are you doing that with yours?

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