Nonfiction Writers Conference | Online Conference | Write, Publish and Promote Nonfiction Books

Join the Nonfiction Authors Group on LinkedIn

I recently launched a group for non-fiction authors on LinkedIn and would love for you to join us!
This is a great place to connect with other authors and book industry pros, ask questions and more.

Join the Nonfiction Authors Group here.

Top Author Cancels Publishing Contracts, Moves to Self-Publishing

Author J.A. Konrath keeps an interesting blog, and this week he announced his decision to publish all of his future books in ebook format only. He's taking back control from the publishers and based on his current ebook sales, he is convinced he will make a better living this way.

I agree with his decision, with just one exception: he should still put his books into print and sell them online. Ebook readers are without a doubt the wave of the future. I have both a Kindle and iPad and love, love, love the instant gratification of downloading books almost instantaneously, and the convenience of boarding a plane with dozens of books pre-loaded and ready to consume. But there is still a place for paper books, and it doesn't have to cost a mint to produce them.

True, the brick and mortar bookstores are being hit hard. Barnes and Noble put itself up for sale this week! But readers still love books--we're just purchasing them online because the selection is better.

I read a LOT of books to my 4-year old. In fact, we've downloaded many ebooks on the iPad and he loves them (the Dr. Seuss editions are fantastic). But the digital versions can't take the place of our shelves full of books, and my hope is that they never do. Ebooks should walk side-by-side with good old fashioned printed books. 

Ultimately, the point that Konrath is making is that he is tired of the publishers reaping all of the rewards. (I can relate to this, which is why I have also made the decision to release my future books without the traditional presses and instead publish them in house through Authority Publishing.) The publishers aren't keeping up with the times, which is why they are being hit hard by the economy. They could cut costs, focus on building their digital catalogs and be much more profitable than they are today. But, alas, too many have gone kicking and screaming through the ebook revolution and now they are too late for the party. And authors are tired of letting them enjoy what little profits are available in this crazy publishing industry!

Anyway, good luck to Joe Konrath! I suspect many more top authors will be following in your footsteps. 

New Report Reveals 188% Increase in Self-Published Books

Bowker recently released a new publishing industry report revealing trends in traditional and self-publishing. The report shows that traditional publishers released an estimated 288,355 book titles in 2009, down by 1/2% from 2008. Yet, non-traditional book titles, including print-on-demand and other self-publishing methods, increased a whopping 188% over 2008 with 764,448 new titles released. Yowza!

It is also interesting to note that for the first time ever, over 1,000,000 new book titles were produced in 2009.

What does all of this mean for authors? There is no denying the trend toward self-publishing (or self-publishing assistance by custom publishers). Traditional publishing channels are flat and failed to grow in 2009, which is likely due to the challenged economy.

It is also clear that the competition is increasing. With more than 1million titles per year vying for the attention (and wallets) of readers, it's more important than ever that authors make sure to produce titles that stand out against the competition. If you self-publish, avoid cutting corners! Make sure your book is edited along with a professional cover design and all the elements one would expect from a traditionally published book.

And keep in mind that author marketing is more important than ever. Keep the wheels in motion and remember that it is a marathon, not a race. Marketing should be a daily activity that authors engage in to stay competitive.

What do you think about all of this? I'd love to hear some feedback...

How to Promote Your Books on Internet Radio Shows/Podcasts

Internet radio shows and podcasts can be a great place to promote your books. These interviews are conducted just like traditional radio shows, though a big advantage is that authors typically get far more air time than traditional radio. Where a traditional talk radio program might give you a 10-minute interview, many internet radio programs will feature you for 3o minutes up to a full hour.

Another advantage of Internet radio programs is that the recordings are usually archived online so that you can continue to get exposure from listeners for a long, long time. Many post their programs to directories like iTunes for even greater exposure.

Because of the diversity of the Internet, there are radio shows for virtually every topic you can imagine. From working moms and psychic healing to marketing and selling on eBay, there are shows available that should meet the needs of every author.

To locate internet radio shows on your subject, start with a Google search on your subject matter keywords plus “radio show,” “radio” or "podcast." You might be surprised by the results you find! Here are some additional resources that host shows ranging from business and health to family matters and religion:

http://www.wsradio.com/

http://alltalkradio.net

http://www.globaltalkradio.com/

http://www.Webtalkradio.com/

http://blogtalkradio.com/

Keep in mind that these programs NEED guests! Most show websites will list instructions for contacting them. If not, you can always send a concise e-mail pitch to the show producer or host.

35 Ways to Generate Content for Social Media (or Your Blog)

1. Your new blog posts

2. Someone else’s blog post

3. An article you’ve written

4. An article from somewhere else

5. A video demonstration

6. A funny or controversial video

7. Before and after photos of work you’ve done

8. Humorous or inspiring photos

9. Client success stories/case studies

10. Free ebook

11. Special report

12. White paper

13. Upcoming event announcement

14. Live reports from an event you are currently attending

15. Book reviews/recommendations

16. Recommended products

17. Recommended services

18. Tips for doing something better

19. How-to suggestions

20. A series of related posts

21. Recent media coverage you have received

22. Inspirational advice (preferably your own, motivational quotes are over-used online)

23. Forward someone else’s update (with proper credit attribution)

24. Breaking news alerts

25. Leads for opportunities (media, clients, etc.)

26. Requests for participation (guest posts on your blog, speaker for an event you’re hosting, etc.)

27. Interesting photo from a recent event

28. Teleseminar/Webinar invitation

29. Contest announcements

30. Special sales, offers and discounts (delivered sparingly)

31. Request for audience feedback

32. A compelling question you want answered

33. Anything offered for free

34. Insider tips that people won’t find anywhere else

35. Your opinion on just about anything with target audience appeal

9 Tips for Selling Books at the Back of the Room

Guest Blog Post by Karl Palachuk

Many of us count on back of the room sales as an important source of revenue. I’ve made presentations to crowds from a few dozen to many hundreds. In all cases I’ve tried to maximize revenue from back of the room sales. As strange as it sounds, the most important part about on site sales is that you have_some strategy rather than no strategy.

Here are nine quick tips to maximize your on site sales.

1. The first rule is to consider every aspect: The Sounds, the Smells, the Interactions. Approach your event like Starbucks or Disneyland. That means you need to build every aspect of your presentation to set the right atmosphere for sales. This includes a sense of urgency and eagerness. Depending on your audience, you need to adjust your sense of professionalism, nerdiness, and humor. Consider anything that might contribute to a buying mood.

2. Provide the most enjoyable experience possible. That means you need to give more than your attendees expect. Be professional and provide the best interaction you can. That means you should spend a little on name tags and handouts. Little things count. If you don’t use colored paper, then print in color. Don’t come off as cheap.

3. Before the Seminar, collect as much information as you can. Registration should include a lot more than email addresses. Whether you’re being paid or doing the show for free, it is very reasonable to collect complete contact information. That means you should gather the information needed to add attendees to your (postal) mailing list as well as your email list.

4. Hand out great materials. If nothing else, you should have a printout of your slides. But with luck you have a really great handout that either engages the audience in participation or highlights the most important points in your presentation. Any handout should include your contact information, including web site and email address.

5. Hand out a price list/order form. Even if you only have one product for sale, you should put together some kind of sales order form that includes all of your contact information. If you have multiple products, including products from other authors, you should also include package deals. People don’t want to feel “sold” but they love to shop. If you have lots of products (audio, video, books, etc.), then try to create tiered package offerings.

6. Hand out evaluations. The most basic evaluation is to have two or three questions. What’s the best thing about the presentation? What’s the worst thing? Is there anything else you’d like to add? It is also important that you use evaluations to collect testimonials for advertising. At the end of the evaluation, simply ask for additional comments and ask people to sign the form if they give permission for you to use the comments.

7. Be sure you can take whatever payment people are offering. This must include Visa, Master Card, American Express, and PayPal. As a general rule, people like to pay the way they normally pay. If they can’t use their preferred method, they won’t buy at all. While it’s true that you’ll give up a few percentage points, you’ll also make sales that you wouldn’t have made otherwise.

8. Ask for the sale. As strange as it sounds, you need to ask people to buy your books. This is particularly true when you’re not being paid for your presentation. Before the end of your presentation, simply go through your price list/order form and make sure everyone knows how easy it is to buy.

9. Finally, make sure you orchestrate a time for people to buy. This might be at a break or near the end. If you’re not the organizer, make sure you know what the arrangements are. The worst thing that can happen is that the room is not available after a certain time and everyone has to leave. You don’t want to finish your talk and have everyone rush out. Leave time for the sale!

- Karl W. Palachuk, Great Little Book Publishing Co., Inc., SMBBooks.com

NOTE: Check out Karl’s Network Migration Workbook, a high-dollar book that is selling like crazy:  www.networkmigrationworkbook.com

 

What Happens When Your eBook is Shared

One of the questions I am most commonly asked is, “If I sell my book in ebook format, how I can prevent it from getting forwarded around?”

Here’s what happens (and the source of so much fear around this subject):
- Someone buys your ebook and downloads it in PDF.
- They like it so much, they forward to three friends who didn’t pay for the content.
- The three friends like it so much, that they forward it to three more friends each.
- And so on…

Guess what just happened? You just landed 12 new fans of your work! True, they didn’t pay for the right to read your materials, and that stinks. But if your material was good enough to be shared, then you have just gained exposure with a new audience. And those new readers are now familiar with the quality of your work and will be far more likely to invest in other products and services that you offer.

It’s really no different than a library book. If you have authored a traditional book, anyone can go check it out from the local library for free OR purchase your book and then loan it to a friend. That friend didn’t pay for the right to read your book, but once again, you’ve just gained a new fan.

While new technologies are emerging that promise to protect your digital content, I personally feel that it is more trouble than it is worth. My digital ebooks, reports, workbooks, etc. create a nice revenue stream for my business. Do I think it’s fair that some people receive a copy from a friend, even though it wasn’t paid for? No, it’s not fair. But I don’t stay up at night worrying about all that lost revenue.

If someone feels compelled to forward my materials around, then I will gladly reap the rewards of a new audience. This is why it is so important to create more products and services the compliment your core product or book–so that you have other revenue-generators in your arsenal of products. If a reader likes one, there is a good chance that they are going to like others (and ultimately pay for them). 

The music industry is currently figuring this out. While digital downloads of music are being commodotized, and thus cost far less, and songs are being swapped and shared online for free, musicians are uncovering a whole new audience that wouldn’t have otherwise become fans of their music. In turn, the market is shifting and bands are discovering that a good percentage of their income can be made from live concert tours instead of the traditional record sales model. Smart bands are turning this shift into an opportunity.

So if you can stop viewing the swapping of your content as lost revenue and instead see the opportunity, your revenue potential can be even greater!

Finding Time to Write and Boost Your Creativity

I’m often asked how I manage to write so many books, articles, reports, etc. and still have time left to run a business and enjoy my family. Here’s my best secret: I check in to a hotel about every six weeks.

Not only does a hotel offer peace and quiet away from the chaos of daily life, but it provides a change of scenery. I always feel more creative when I’m in a different environment. When I need to do some major brainstorming or if I want to solve a problem, I will take a walk, visit a new coffee shop, go for a drive or get the heck out of town.

A lot of writers struggle with finding time to write and my advice to you is to make the time and find the right environment that works for you. Some people thrive in the morning (I'm not one of them), and some are night owls. Some love working in a coffee shop, and some need a distraction-free zone. The key is to find the right balance for you.

So get up early, skip the evening news or get away for the weekend. Whatever you decide, put it on the calendar and make it a priority (or keep making excuses about why you're not getting your book done!).

 

Why Nonfiction Authors Have an Edge

While you could argue that all book markets are difficult to penetrate, fiction is one of the toughest. Fiction readers tend to buy books based on recommendation so it takes a lot of buzz and extra work for unknown fiction authors to cross the chasm to a level of success.

On the other hand, nonfiction books can be easier to market when targeting a distinct niche audience. As the vast majority of nonfiction books cover evergreen topics, nonfiction books that sell well can stay relevant and in print for many years. Better yet, many nonfiction books can be revised and re-released, breathing a whole new life into the book--over and over and over again!

Authors of how-to-type books have the added advantage of uncovering related revenue streams from consulting services, speaking, training and information products including ebooks, special reports, white papers, audio recordings and videos. A nonfiction book can establish the author's expertise in his/her subject matter, which can lead to media coverage, new clients and even corporate sponsorship opportunities. One book can open many doors.

While it's nice to get lost in a good novel, it's hard to ignore the advantages of writing nonfiction books!

Steps to Landing a Book Deal with a Traditional Publisher

If you decide to pursue a book deal with a traditional publisher, here are the basic steps in the process:

Start by writing a query letter. This is a compelling description of your book and why you are the best person to write it.

Next, you will need to research publishers and agents. Some small and mid-size publishers will accept author pitches directly, while larger publishers like Random House will only work with agents.The best way to find publishers that specialize in your genre is to investigate other books in the same category. Find out who is publishing related books and visit each publisher’s website to locate Submission Guidelines.

For agents, a good place to start looking is the Association of Authors’ Representatives: aaronline.org. Members are agents who are bound by a strict code of ethics. A literary agent should not require any payment to work with you. Agents work like brokers and leverage their contacts and connections to place books with publishers. On average, they receive 15% of a book contract, including 15% of royalties and advance. While this may sound steep, it can be worthwhile if you find an agent with the right connections and who knows how to negotiate a book deal. I navigated my first book deal on my own, and those contracts are long and mystifying. It is a relief to now have an agent who has my best interests in mind and who knows what points are most negotiable.

After researching websites for submission guidelines, you can begin sending your query letter to agents and/or publishers. Keep in mind that it is probably going to be a numbers game. The more letters you send, the more you increase your chances of getting some attention. Many big name authors, including Stephen King and Jack Canfield, received dozens of rejections before landing a deal.

The goal is to receive a request to send additional information. For nonfiction books, most publishers and agents want to see a book proposal, an outline and at least two sample chapters from the book.

Some good news: Your book manuscript doesn’t need to be completed before you begin to pursue a traditional publisher! For nonfiction books, an outline and sample chapters will do. When you are offered a contract, you can negotiate the time needed to complete the writing process.

After sending a proposal, you basically have to sit back and wait. Most don’t want to receive follow-up calls, though some will encourage you to send an e-mail to follow-up on a submission. Check the website for guidelines and stick to them. Sending gifts, cards, flowers or singing telegrams is not the way to succeed at this game.

Pay attention to the feedback you receive. If you get responses that indicate your book has already been done before, re-craft your pitch to showcase how your book is different or better than the competition.

Start an “Acceptances” folder. When I was going through this process, I quickly filled up a “Rejections” folder. I decided to create an “Acceptances” folder and eventually I received my first one (and several more down the road). It was a shift in mindset that kept me focused.

Pay dirt comes when you are offered a deal. Your head will spin in circles and you will want to celebrate—and you should! But don’t lose sight of the realities of the contract. If you don’t have an agent, it would be wise to hire a literary attorney or other professional to help you understand and negotiate terms. Like any business transaction, there are many points to be negotiated and revisions that need to be made. You may regret accepting what is offered at face value.