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Write
Non-fiction Books
is a
natural progression for many article writers. The subjects
covered by both are closely related; many would say identical, with
the only obvious difference being the actual length of the work.
A great
many non-fiction books come within the 'How to Do It' category.
'How To Sell Your House Without an Estate Agent', and 'How to
Trace Your Ancestors', are recent examples. Other types are
those dealing with local history, biographical accounts of famous
people, studies of parts of the world or its peoples, and a host of
topics which do not fall within the realms of the more fantasy-based
world of fiction writing.
Obviously, in starting out in this area of writing, it is preferable
to begin with a topic in which you have specialised knowledge,
perhaps one forming the basis of many of your articles, or a pet
hobby or subject you might not necessarily have written much about,
but with which you have kept constantly up-to-date.
Consider first whether you do in fact have sufficient material to
fill a book, by writing an overall synopsis and a brief description
for each individual chapter. If you feel confident that what
you have is worthy of a book, now is the time to look for a
publisher. Look through 'Writers' and Artists' Yearbook',
and study the requirements of individual publishers.
Then
make a list of those that seem suitable for your proposed venture
and send details to one of them, outlining your proposals in letter
form, with a brief synopsis of the book, details of the chapters you
propose including, and a few sample chapters you have already
written. Enclosing sample chapters is particularly important for
writers new to this field, and is necessary to convince the
publisher of your writing ability.
Send a
stamped addressed envelope for the return of your documents in the
event the publisher isn't interested, and then continue to approach
other publishers in the same way, until you find one who does like
your work. Remember, a refusal does not mean your work is
inadequate. It may be the publisher already has something similar
planned, or else has completed his quota of books in the category to
which yours belongs. Don't be disheartened, for once you have one
non-fiction book behind you the road ahead is infinitely easier to
travel, and many article writers become almost exclusively writers
of non-fiction books and manuals.
About The Author
Avril
Harper (http://www.fillerfactory.com)
is the author of 'How
to Be a Five Minute Writer' and spends a great deal of her
own full-time writing day creating short pieces for regular, high
ticket rewards.
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