| |
| |
|
Writing Information |
|
|
|
Another Way to Show Your Expertise: Write a Book!
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as difficult as it sounds. You're already an expert in a field by virtue of your work experience and/or academic credentials. And even more important, you are enthusiastic about your field and would like to share it. Fine, but with whom? Decide what specific group of people, such as lawyers or gardeners or teachers or social workers or colleagues, as an audience for your book. What would your audience be most interested in and why? How would your book address that audience's needs? Next, make a list of tentative titles for your book and keep adding to it. Words such as "how to" are effective. Find other possibilities by visiting a bookstore and browsing in the stacks of related books. Pay attention to books that you pick up and leaf through and glance at their tables of contents. What material do those books cover and who are their publishers? What aren't they covering? How could YOU fill in what is missing? Put yourself in your reader's shoes. Suppose he or she wanted a book in your topic, but was unable to locate it in a library or bookstore. What material would he or she be most interested in? Go back and review your list of titles. Which one(s) would literally grab your attention and why? Show your list to family members and friends and invite them to choose their favorite title. And finally, consider what you have and select one of the tentative titles. Now you are ready to develop a list of chapters for your book! Each chapter should support your title and "speak" to your intended audience. If your book is about developing great websites, for example, then every chapter should tell your reader how to do just that, from start to finish. Next, write 2 or 3 sample chapters and while you are at it, check references such as the Writer's Market for possible publishers. Make a list of ten of these possible publishers for your book and create a letter that describes your book. Such a letter is known as a query letter. In it, mention your book's tentative title and a few of its highlights. Explain how your book is better than competing books and why you are the best person to write it. Then send that query letter, accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, to each of the ten editors in your list. In the meantime, continue writing your chapters. Editors will probably not respond immediately and when they do, their letters may state their interest in your book, and would you submit two or three sample chapters? On the other hand, quite a few editors may politely decline. Find five or ten more possible publishers to contact about your book. In a few months from now, you may be busily at work on a book which has been commissioned by a publisher and will likely be published. Don't worry about rejections. Experienced, published writers get them all of the time, but keep going, nevertheless. That is what you should be doing too. Recognition of your expertise awaits! Happy writing. Dorothy Zjawin's writing credits include published articles and a book that are based on her teaching experience. Her website, http://www.profitable-pen.com, is a resource site for all writers and features a free forum.
MORE RESOURCES:
Writing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Common Writing Mistakes - Are These Holding You Back From Writing Success? During the years that I've been teaching writing and participating in writers' critique sessions, I've seen some real talent. There are writers who produce such sparkling prose that you know publication is only a matter of time. How to Have an Effective Writing Group The works you've written are numerous, ranging from short stories to even the novel, hidden in a storage bin (under the bed) collecting dust. But there comes a time when you must wipe away that dust, regain your pride, and prepare your babies for publication! But, how do you get such a critical, unbiased eye to analyze your works, offering both praise and criticism?It's simple-start a writing group!Creating a writing group is the easy part, but creating a functioning and beneficial writing group can be quite a task. A Writers Life Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that breathing, sweating, hungry, weary, bona fide guy does when he's not at the keyboard? How does his "day job" affect his writing? When he's mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, or babysitting grandchildren - what goes through his mind? Is he sucking up every sensation as he moves through his day, tucking tidbits away for a future piece? Or, does he simply journey through life, just - doing - these things?How do I define myself? Am I Aaron Paul Lazar, with the obligatory middle name, author of the LeGarde Mystery Series? Sometimes. At book signings, indeed. The Power of Punctuation Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when I say 'when used creatively', I don't mean that you can make up the rules. Creating Great Business Correspondence Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important; a job seeker needs to send customised job application letters. A secretary needs to send out an official invitation letter. The Self-indulgent Writier A writer can never be self indulgent whether writing fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. If one writes only to please one's self, the likelihood of publication becomes remote. How to Multiply Your Freelance Writing Work You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients, compared to individual assignments. How to Write Headlines for How-to Articles Want to write a how-to article but can't come up with a topic?Start by naming the three biggest problems your customers or clients face. You've just come up with three ideas for three different articles. Getting To Know Your Characters Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important 'ingredients' in your novel.That might sound like a fairly sweeping statement, but think about it. Writing Press Releases That Get Noticed Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to your site (ezine advertising, and search engine submitting, to name a couple) one method seems to be forgotten about by many new Internet marketers. That method is writing press releases. How To Co-Publish For Profits! The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers, printers, and mail order dealers who publish their own mailorder magazine. They make their profit by selling advertising space to others in addition to selling their own offers. Linguaphone Language Learning Solutions Language Training - A key to Global CommunicationLanguage Training is integral to success in the International setting. It is increasingly recognized as a key element in assignment success. Ten Quick Tips for Inexperienced Writers One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is simply knowing how to get started. If you've unsure of your writing skills, then here are some quick tips to help you get started. The Top Five Mistakes That Companies Make with Regard to Technical Documentation I've seen it time and again. One of the most common weaknesses that I've seen in engineering companies-indeed, an almost universal fault-is the lack of proper technical documentation. Writing Made Them Rich #5: Peter Mayle Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with France began at the age ofseventeen when, as the 'lowliest trainee' in Shell, hewas instructed to accompany his boss - a Mr. What Is The Single Worst Mistake Most People Make When Writing Classified Ads? All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's word of mouth or printed media or even electronic. To build sales, this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers. You Dont Need Inspiration! Or do you?Writers write. You shouldn't wait around for inspiration to come. You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen You may not remember this, but in the early days of the personal computer, many industry insiders were predicting a paperless society.Of course, this hasn't happened. Writers Block is No Longer a Problem "If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar with the well-known writer's block.From time to time, when you have to start writing something, be it an article, an ebook, or just a letter, there is that moment when you just stare at the blank sheet of paper (or at the vibrant colors of your monitor) and nothing seems to come out from your mind. Timer Magic for Writers If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel may seem like a sheer, unscalable cliff. ("Gee, I don't think I can write today.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |