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Creative writing

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Non fiction writing

3 replies

Shaniac · 26/10/2020 19:37

Hello all, I have finally decided to write a non fiction book which I have to admit is alien to me! Has anyone here successfully published non fiction and have any advice?

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FlamedToACrisp · 30/10/2020 11:49

Joining the thread because it interests me, too.

I haven't published any NF apart from family history, and I won't claim to have done it 'successfully.' The only advice I can give you is, unless your book is fairly short, or would be completely ruined with black-and-white pictures, avoid using colour illustrations. Otherwise, your book will cost £49.99 a copy like mine, so you won't sell many! (I brought out a b/w second edition for £14.99, and an e-book version).

Obviously, for NF you need a level of competence/experience in your topic. The best advice I heard is not to try to write the one-and-only-Bible for your area of expertise, but to write a series of several shorter, in-depth books focusing on one aspect in detail. So, not 'Everything You'll Ever Need to Know About Beekeeping,' but 'Book 5: Preparing Your Beehives For Winter.'

It's certainly worth joining the 20 Books to 50K group on Facebook, if you haven't already done so.

I would say it is also worth setting up an author website, positioning yourself as an expert by adding info pages or monthly blog posts on your topic. Once you've written loads of these, you could combine some of them into your next books, so it's not wasted effort.

Obviously, you could add a page of listings for your books. Depending on the topic, you could also sign up for affiliate schemes to get a commission when you sell other companies' products, or if your area of expertise is a type of craft such as knitting, you could add an ecommerce shop selling your own products. However, any affiliate income relies on a large audience, so it's better tried after your site is more established.

dreamingbohemian · 30/10/2020 11:56

I have. I think advice might vary depending on which field you're thinking of, can you tell us a little bit about your idea?

The most important thing is to develop a really brilliant book proposal, including a few sample chapters and a detailed outline. Make sure you make a convincing case that there is an audience for the book. I would suggest then trying to find an agent first, who can shop it around to publishers, but you can also approach publishers directly and then get an agent afterward.

I agree it's a good idea to start building a social media presence and/or publishing smaller pieces while you write the proposal.

Shaniac · 30/10/2020 16:11

Thank you both! I will look i to all of these ideas. My book will be about a certain area of art history, dont want to go into too much detail as ive told a couple people in real life too. I have several art and history qualifications and a deep personal interest and have extensively studied this particular area and have always wanted to write about it but never thought of the niche area until recently.

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