Breaking Into the Nonfiction Market:Step-by-Step

George Galdorisi

San Diego Writer’s Ink

June 12, 2016

Schedule Today(for your approval)

• 2:30-2:40: Introductions

• 2:40-3:00: Overview and Exercise

• 3:00-3:50: Course Per Outline

• 3:50-4:00: Break

• 4:00-5:20: Course Per Outline

• 5:20-5:30: Your Action Plan

A Few Preliminaries….

• Three promises:

– This will be a fast-paced three hours

– You’ll learn something you can use…and we’ll have fun

– You’ll have access to these resources…take notes…or not….

• Three assumptions:

– You all want to publish your non-fiction work

– That includes articles of all kinds as well as books

– You didn’t wake up yesterday morning with this notion

• A word about Power Point…

Introductions

• Your background (“I was born at a very young age”)

or

• What brought you here

or

• What does writing “success” look like to you

or all of the above

Let’s talk about writing….

….and isn’t this the oldest profession?

“History is what the historians and writers say it is.”Norman Polmar(Forty books – and counting)

Breaking Into the Nonfiction Market:Step-by-Step

• Some preliminaries - and non-fiction in general

• Being - or becoming - the expert

• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen

• Scratching itches - or entertaining

• Getting a publisher to buy your book

• Examples and resources

Some Preliminaries: Non-Fiction in General

….the dark…and light…side of writing….

“Now, if you’re getting all fired up and ready to pound the keys, Imight inject a word of caution. Actually, this word comes frommy wife. For most of us, writing is not a team sport. An article fora trade journal or a short story is no big deal, but if you findyourself writing a long piece or a book, you probably ought tohave a chat with your spouse. For most of us, writing meansclosing off the other people in your life for several hours a dayand it’s something you may want to talk about before youbegin.”

Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993

“If you have other things in your life—family, friends,good productive day work—these can interact withyour writing and the sum will be all the richer.”

David Brin

I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

Rudyard Kipling

The Elephant’s Child

Some Things to Consider Before You Write

• Who are you writing for?• What are you going to write?• Where are you going to write?• When are you going to write?• Why are you going to write?• How are you going to write?

So Many Non-Fiction Outlets

• A wide array of online media• Newsletters• Alumni magazines• Professional journals• Popular magazines• Newspapers• Portions of non-fiction books• Non-fiction books

Why Non-Fiction Books?

• It is a hungry market

• Relatively easy to enter

• Lower risk – sell then write

• Can be steady money

• Can query without an agent more easily

• Vastly more non-fiction published than fiction

A Ten Minute Exercise

• Take two minutes only and write down what has happened since you walked into this room

• Read it out loud and ensure that what you are sharing is uniquely you

Being – or Becoming – the Expert

“There are authors and artists and then againthere are writers and painters.”

Ian FlemingHow to Writer a Thriller

Being – Or Becoming - the Expert

• Some essential “first order” questions:– Is this something you’re passionate about?

– Do you have enough “street creds” that you’re an expert?

– If not, is there a way you can acquire those street creds?

– Do you really want to spend several years doing this?

• If the answer is yes, then it’s all about the packaging:– First stop – solo or with a collaborator?

– Next stop – the library and the internet – due diligence

– Is it a book – or an article?

– If it’s a book – packaging – query letters and proposals

What Should You Write About?

• Whatever you are passionate about

• “You’re in a bar with your friends”

• What my first agent always asked:– What are you really passionate about (beyond the news)?

– What do I wish I had more time for?

– How would I spend year as a “professional dilettante?”

– What do I think about when I’m alone?

– What do I worry about and what issues concern me most?

– What have I done that people seem curious about?

– Is there a topic where friend turn to me for advice?

On the Road to Becoming the Expert

Why Not Just Swing for the Fences First?

• There are cases of self-published books taking off

• But those compete against major publishing houses:

– Thorough review of treatment and narrative outline

– Editorial comments/vectors on in-progress manuscript

– Detailed editorial review of completed manuscript

– Additional editorial review of updated manuscript

– Copy-editor’s review and comments on manuscript

– In house editor’s final review and layout of book

– Publisher’s distribution network and placement

So while we’re still thinking about swinging for the fences…

…why not test the waters by writing content and seeing it in print

Creating Content and Placing It To Win

• Publications can’t exist without content!

• Editors embrace anyone who can:

– Create interesting content that meets their needs

– Deliver quality content they don’t have to fiddle with

– Deliver on time – or early

– Accepts editorial changes with ease

“Writing has to have a purpose; it’s meant tocommunicate something to someone. If you’re notready to write for the general public, then try writingfor a very specific audience, one you know will behappy to hear from you.”

Robert MaselloRobert’s Rules of Writing

How Do You Get Started?

• Write for magazines and journals you read• Write for the ones first that don’t pay for content• Move on to magazines and journals you subscribe to

– If you subscribe to the magazine you’re paying yourself– There is a reason they call it an “honorarium”

• Follow their editorial guidelines– These are typically not a mystery (USNIP example)– Your article should follow accordingly

• Type of content• Length• Citations – yes or no• Grade level

• The old adage: “Something familiar but something new”

How Do You Submit?

• Read the front matter of the magazine or journal

• If necessary, cold call to get an e-mail address

• Write a compelling, detailed draft e-mail

• Put it aside:

– Go back and edit it – share it with a friend

– Then make it as short and punchy as possible

• Lots of work, yes, but this is your audition

An Example (I)

Dear Mr. Johnson

I have been an avid reader of Sail for many years and receiving my monthlymagazine in the mail each month helps remind me why I love sailing so much.

Over the course of the many years I’ve enjoyed Sail, I’ve noticed youperiodically feature articles about cruising the Caribbean. These articles have all beenterrific and they speak to me. Here’s why.

For over twenty years I was skipper of a Pearson ’32 based in St. Thomas,USVI taking visitors on cruises throughout both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

I don’t mind telling you it was a lucrative business and one that I waspassionate about. Cruising News did an article focused on my business in 2010. Oneway I expressed this passion was my service as editor of our Virgin Island Sailingmonthly newsletter.

An Example (II)

I have read several articles in Sail that talk about cruising in the USVI in ageneral way, but none that get deep into specifics. I lived this adventure for over twodecades and believe there is so much more to tell.

One of the things that kept customers coming back to my business was the“secret coves” in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Most of these coves could only bereached by small boat.

I believe an article, “The Ten Secret Coves of the Virgin Islands” would be ofinterest to your informed readership. I can have a 1,500-word article to you on thissubject in short order. Additionally, I have attached a JPG file of a photo of one of myfavorite coves, “Crescent Cove,” on the southern shore of St. John. Should you decideto publish this article, I have a large collection of illustrations of various Virgin Islandcoves I’m happy to share.

I look forward to hearing from you and look forward to continuing thedialogue.

Yours in sailing,

“Deconstructing” An Example (I)

Dear Mr. Johnson

I have been an avid reader of Sail for many years and receiving my monthlymagazine in the mail each month helps remind me why I love sailing so much.

Over the course of years I’ve enjoyed Sail, I’ve noticed you periodicallyfeature articles about cruising the Caribbean. These articles have all been terrific andthey speak to me. Here’s why.

For over twenty years I was skipper of a Pearson ’32 based in St. Thomas,USVI taking visitors on cruises throughout both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

I don’t mind telling you it was a lucrative business and one that I waspassionate about. Cruising News did an article focused on my business in 2010. Oneway I expressed this passion was my service as editor of our Virgin Island Sailingmonthly newsletter.

“Deconstructing” An Example (II)

I have read several articles in Sail that talk about cruising in the USVI in ageneral way, but none that get deep into specifics. I lived this adventure for over twodecades and believe there is so much more to tell.

One of the things that kept customers coming back to my business was the“secret coves” in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Most of these coves could only bereached by small boat.

I believe an article, “The Ten Secret Coves of the Virgin Islands” would be ofinterest to your informed readership. I can have a 1,500-word article to you on thissubject in short order. Additionally, I have attached a JPG file of a photo of one of myfavorite coves, “Crescent Cove,” on the southern shore of St. John. Should you decideto publish this article I have a large collection of illustrations of various Virgin Islandcoves I’m happy to share.

I look forward to hearing from you and look forward to continuing thedialogue.

Yours in sailing,

Building Relationships With Editors

• A win-win for both parties

• Enables you to tilt the board in your favor!

• Deconstruct each publication – there are differences

• This allows you to adapt your narrative to their needs

• Once you have built that relationship:

– They could well contact you for a topical publication

– You can query them before you write in earnest

Recycling and Building Content

• So now you’re placed your first article in a journal

• Do you get a rush?

• Recycle and build upon it for other publications

• Here are some examples:

– My realtor friend

– A helo ride

– Law of the Sea

– And there are many more….

Where Else Might These Articles Lead?

• Recognition as an expert in a field

• Invitations to present at conferences & symposia

• Invitations to teach

• Invitations to collaborate

• Invitations to do a portion of a book on the subject

• Your own book on the subject (My example 67 = 1)

Pursuing a Subject:Or Letting Life Happen

“Being a comparatively successful writer is a good life.You don’t have to work at it all the time and you carryyour office around in your head. And you are far moreaware of the world around you. Writing makes youmore alive to your surroundings and, since the mainingredient of living, though you might not think so tolook at most human beings, is to be alive, this is quite aworthwhile by-product, even if you only write thrillers.”

Ian FlemingHow to Write a Thriller

Pursuing a Subject-or Letting Life Happen?

• Beyond the Law of the Sea

• Leave No Man Behind

• The Kissing Sailor

• Other examples

• And this leads us to a question….

Are You Scratching Itches:or Entertaining?

“I do not over-intellectualize the production process. Itry to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.”

Tom Clancy

Scratching Itches-Or Entertaining?

• Scratching Itches: Beyond the Law of the Sea:– We had a mission

– We had a message

– We wanted people to do something

– It gave us a platform

• Entertaining: The Kissing Sailor– We had a mission

– We were on a “Mission from God”

– In some ways, the day the book was published – we were done

– And…the book “percolated” into downstream goodness

• Leave No Man Behind – Both goals

How Much to Tell and What’s Next?

• Getting past: “It’s an article, not a book”

• A comfort zone and an “article to book ratio”

• One book – or a series

• Above all else – the purpose of the book (LNMB)

• At the end of the day – you decide, not the editor

• If you haven’t written articles – now you should!

You’re in the Starting Blocks!

• You know what you’re going to write about

• You know why you’re going to write about it

• You know who is going to write it (solo….or….)

• You know roughly when you’ll write

• You already have the where figured out:

– Solo

– With collaborator (the “how” question)

• Now all you have to do is get someone interested in publishing the book!

Solo or with a Wingman?

The Pros and Cons of Collaboration

• Does someone share your passion?

• Does working solo work best for you?

• Does working with a partner work best…or not?

• Start solo – and partner up later is one approach

Getting a Publisher to Buy Your

Non-Fiction Book

“The toughest hurdle you must scale is getting apublisher to agree to handle your book. You are a newname, a new risk to them. They will judge you on whatyou send, the thought behind it, the obviousprofessionalism, how it reaches them, sometimes yourexpertise or previous writing output, and always onhow your book will increase their profit line.”

Gordon BurgettBefore You Write Your First Book

“It’s already

been done, or

it’s on Wikipedia”

“It’s an article,

not a book”

“You don’t have

a platform”You must

overcome

all three!

Getting a Publisher to Buy Your Book

• Due diligence – with a vengeance!

• Finding the right agent or publisher

• The query letter – address those three circles

• Your book proposal – and some examples

Due Diligence – With a Vengeance!

• Once you get past the “It’s an article, not a book” roadblock, the next one is…

• “It’s already been done before or enough information on the subject is on Wikipedia”

• You have to convince yourself it hasn’t been done and then you have to convince an agent or editor

• How to you do that? (Your “Mission from God”)

Due Diligence – With a Vengeance!

• Meet Your Two Best Friends:– The library– The internet

• The library– Books– Journals and magazines

• The internet– Subject searches– Writer searches

• Other friends– Your colleagues and fellow travelers– Bookstores – large and small

What is the End Game –What Are You Looking For?

• Publishers who publish this kind of book

• Agents who agent this kind of book

• Once you know that, it’s all about the query

• Persistence on steroids!

The Query Letter

• There is a cottage industry of courses on how to write a query letter

• There are a number of books on how to write a query letter

• There is a cottage industry of experts on how to write a query letter

• There is a massive amount of information on the internet on how to write a query letter

• One source:– Google: http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx

– But this is only one, there is a universe of them out there

The Query LetterThe “Bell Shaped Curve” For Most

• The hook

• Mini-synopsis

• Your bio

• Your closing – “where’s the beef?”– High Concept

– Outline

– Table of Contents

– Sample Chapters

• “Bound the problem” for how much time you’re going to spend on getting an “A” in query letters

The Magic Words….

…Yes, I’d be interested in reading it

How long will the editor have to wait to see your proposal?…

“Interest” has a half life….

Before You Write the Proposal

• Come up with a “purpose statement” for your book and write it down in one sentence

• Then put this into a working question: This book is the answer to….

• Two sources (there are a multitude of them in print):

– John Boswell – The Awful Truth About Publishing

– Jeff Herman – Write the Perfect Book Proposal

The Proposal – The 100,000-Foot View

• Who would read your book?

• Why would they buy it?

• Where would they use it?

• What else is available like your book?

• How does your book differ from others?

• When did you decide it’s better than Wikipedia?

Think about your competition today – not just books, but the internet? Is your book better than Wikipedia?

Your Book Proposal

• This is not the time for humility

• Think back to when you wrote your first resume

• Advice from John Boswell: The Awful Truth About Publishing

– Define the book’s audience

– Describe the book generally and specifically

– Show that your book fills a need for your audience

– Show that you are uniquely qualified to write this book

Today – You Are the Publisher’s Marketing Department

• Part of your proposal must include how you are going to do their work for them!

• What is your platform?

– Media of all kinds (talks, interviews, print, et al)

– Internet presence• Facebook

• Twitter

• And more….

– How you are going to make promoting our book a constant drumbeat

Let’s look at two examples….

Leave No Man Behind

• The “Hook” – Rescue Story (Clyde Lassen – Medal of Honor)

• About the Book

• Table of Contents

• Chapter Summaries

• The Market

• The Authors

• Promotion

• Length and Delivery

Leave No Man Behind“An important and comprehensive work on that most American of military imperatives--going in harm's way to get one of our own.” Dick Couch (NYT bestselling author)

“Leave No Man Behind is a solid piece of history. Well written, well told, well done!” Darrel Whitcomb Author of The Rescue of Bat 21

“This story has never been told before! Leave No Man Behind offers a unique blend of operational experience and technical description.” Dr. Norman Friedman – author of over 30 books.

“George Galdorisi and Tom Phillips have provided a comprehensive, and well-written history of the development of combat rescue up to the present, including dramatic accounts of rescues, among them many never before revealed.” Norman Polmar –author of over 40 naval books.

The Kissing SailorCoverQuoteTable of ContentsConcept (Why this book?)Competition (Surely this story has been told before?)Timing (Why are we doing this book at this time?)Methodology (How are we going to pull this off?)About the AuthorsChapter SummaryThe MarketPromotionLength and Delivery

The Kissing Sailor

“What a wonderful detective storyabout a kissing sailor and a beautifulnurse – the most famous couplecelebrating the end of WWII. Famousbut anonymous - until now. I loved it.”Tom Brokaw, author of The GreatestGeneration

“The Kissing Sailor is a whodunit thatprovides once and for all theidentification of the world’s best-known smoochers…You have to readthis book!” David Hume Kennerly,Pulitzer Prize winning photographer

Ensuring What You Produce Is Embraced & Accepted

• Editors don’t have time to block and tackle

• You don’t have to be Tolstoy – but can’t turn in junk

• Have some friends in your corner:

– Exploit Microsoft Word!

– Give yourself time to review

– We all learned tricks of the trade in school….

– Build your own reference library….

A “Taste” of Your Platformand

Some Iconic Non-Fiction Writersand Helpful Resources

The Three Elements of the “Online You”

Engagement Design

VisibilityDo all three

and you are

marketing

successfully

Design

What Makes Your Online Material Unique?

• Are you providing something people can’t get anywhere else or get as easily?

• Are you aiming at the right attention span of online tourists?

• Determining the right level of effort in refreshing your online content

• Balancing what you give away online and what you want to sell to visitors

Beating the Competition for Online Eyes

• Above all else, when someone “Googles” your name your website must pop up at the top

• It’s not just about getting that initial visitor – it’s about getting him or her to keep coming back

• Most online visitors are taking a break from what they have to do at work or home

• Think of your website the same way as what you write – tell people a story

Balancing Content and Entertainment

• People will tire of the monotonous “professor” telling them “like this damn you” (from Ian Fleming)

• People will tire of dancing bears, dwarfs throwing rose petals and fireworks

• Achieving the right blend and balance is your online presence style

• Press the “Easy Button” with your due diligence: Visit the websites of writers whose work you enjoy

Doing It Yourself Or Having It Done

• Your website is “you” to people you will likely never meet – but who you want to entertain

• There are cottage industries of books, seminars, tools and coaches to help you build your own website

• There are legions of people and businesses who will do it for you

• If you have the time and energy and want to use your left and right brain – try doing it yourself

“There comes a time when you realize that everything is a dream, and only those things preserved in writinghave any possibility of being real.”

James Salter

“All That Is”

NYT Magazine

December 27, 2015

Some Iconic Non-Fiction Writersand Helpful Resources

• David McCullough• Walter Isaacson • Malcolm Gladwell• Laura Hillenbrand• Writers on Writing (I)• Writers on Writing (II)• NYT Book Review• NYT Book Review – Last Page

Build Your Own Reference Library

• Pocket dictionary

• Pocket thesaurus

• William Strunk: The Elements of Style

• Jacques Barzun: Simple and Direct

• The Great Courses: The Art of Reading

• The Great Courses: Building Great Sentences

A Summing Up of What We’ve Covered:Whew – is it Worth It?

Breaking Into the Nonfiction Market:Step-by-Step

• Some preliminaries - and non-fiction in general

• Being - or becoming - the expert

• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen

• Scratching itches - or entertaining

• Getting a publisher to buy your book

• Examples and resources

Your Action Plan

• This week….or• This month….or• Long term….

“I work like a pack mule, but it’s my own choice. I’m likea galley slave who’s chained for life to his oar but wholoves the oar. Everything about it…I go over eachsentence time and time again.”

Isaac Babel

Slides Posted This Week:http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/

E-mail address:george@georgegaldorisi.com

For San Diego Writer’s Ink Attendees only. Contact me for:

Book proposal for: Leave No Man Behind

Book proposal for: The Kissing Sailor

Backups

A Helo Ride

• “LAMPS Mk III: Carrier Battle Group Synergist?” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, August 1986.

• “Turning on LAMPS Mk III,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, October 1986.

• “LAMPS Mk III and Carrier Battle Groups,” Technical Directions, Winter 1986.

• “The SH-60F: New Capabilities for the Fleet,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, February 87.

• “The SH-60F Helicopter,” Rotor Review, May 1987.• “LAMPS Mk III – A View From the Fleet,” Rotor Review, February

1988.• “How to Procure a Winner,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings,

January 1989.• “Helo Air-to-Surface Missiles,” Rotor Review, Summer 1989.

A Helo Ride

• “Anti-ship Missiles for U.S. Navy Helicopters,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, April 1990.

• “LAMPS Mk III…Battle Group Asset,” Wings of Gold, September 1990.

• “Reorganizing our Helo Squadrons,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, April 1991.

• “Strike Force Air Power for the Twenty-First Century,” Rotor Review, Fall 1981.

• “LAMPS Mk III Update,” Rotor Review, Winter 1991.

• “LAMPS Mk III and Air Sea Battle Concepts,” Shipmate, May 1992.

• “High Tech Trainers for LAMPS Mk III,” Wings of Gold, Winter 1992.

• ….

The Law of the Sea

• “U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea: Time for a U.S. Re-evaluation?” Naval Law Review, May 1992 (with James Stavridis).

• “Revisit the Law of the Sea,” Law of the Sea Leider, January 1993.

• “Who Needs the Law of the Sea,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, July 1993.

• “Time to Revisit the Law of the Sea,” Ocean Development and International Law, Fall 1993 (with James Stavridis).

• “The United States and the Law of the Sea: Time for a Decision,” Law of the Sea Leider, December 1993.

• U.S. Will Benefit by Signing the Law of the Sea Treaty,” San Diego Union-Tribune, April 1994.

The Law of the Sea

• “U.S. Accession to the Law of the Sea Convention: The Issue of the Freedom of Navigation Program," Law of the Sea Leider, June 1994.

• “The United States and the Law of the Sea: A Narrow Window of Opportunity,” Naval Institute Proceedings, July 1994.

• The United States and the Law of the Sea: A Decision is Coming Due,” Naval War College Review, Autumn 1994.

• “Time for the U.S. to Hoist Sails, Adopt Law of the Sea Treaty,” San Diego Union-Tribune, December 1994.

• “The United States and the Law of the Sea: A Window of Opportunity for Maritime Leadership,” Ocean Development and International Law, January 1995.

• “The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A National Security Perspective,” American Journal of International Law, January 1995.

The Law of the Sea

• “The U.S. and the Law of the Sea – Time for an Immediate Decision,” Ocean and Coastal Management, February 1995.

• “Battle Lines are Drawn for the Law of the Sea Debate,” Law of the Sea Leider, February 1995.

• “The U.S. Freedom of Navigation Program: Preserving the Law of the Sea,” Ocean and Coastal Management, June 1995.

• “Progress Toward Senate Consideration of the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention,” Law of the Sea Professional Newsletter, October 1995.

• “A Chance to Codify the Law of the Sea,” San Diego Union-Tribune, November 1995.

• “The U.S. and the Law of the Sea: A Strategic Window of Opportunity,” Strategic Review, Fall 1995.

The Law of the Sea

• “Time to Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty,” Christian Science Monitor, April 1996.

• “Law of the Sea is Vital to Our Interests,” Wall Street Journal, May 1996.

• “The United States Freedom of Navigation Program: A Bridge to Compliance with UNCLOS III,” Ocean Development and International Law, Fall 1996.

• “Law of the Sea at the Crossroads,” Law of the Sea Professional Newsletter, Fall 1996.

• ….

• “China and the South China Sea: It’s Time to Stop China’s Creeping Jurisdiction,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, April 2011 (with Caitlyn Antrim).