How to Sell, Then Write Your Nonfiction Book

by Blythe Camenson

From idea to contract to execution, this is the first all-in-one guide for prospective nonfiction writers. How to Sell, Then Write Your Nonfiction Book is uniquely structured to help you sell your ideas or yourself before you invest time and effort in a lengthy book project. This comprehensive reference guide provides specific tips for pitching and writing various nonfiction categories, with suggestions from agents, editors, and published authors. With expert advice on the technical elements of voice and style, useful resource listings, and sample proposals, you will find all the tools necessary to ultimately earn a living from nonfiction writing.

Genres: Writing, Business

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2002

Reviews

[Lina Slavova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the publishing world for those like me who are unfamiliar with the industry. The writing style is very straightforward! The book contains real life examples of query letters and book proposals but it is also very clear about the necessity for a new writer to backup his or her proposal with solid credentials and a promotional platform. As it turns out writing, although important and at the core of publishing a book, is not sufficient by itself to get a new writer a book deal. Literary agents and publishers attentions are not so easy to attract. The question now is when and how am I to find time for all the other related activities, such as building credentials and a platform??? Just finding time to write blogposts is a juggling act...Does anyone relate?

[Amanda Breeden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dated information and only a section is dedicated to book proposal writing.

[Adam Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit outdated, but some good basic ideas for a very specific situation

[Nili Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate the samples, none of them are comparable to my project, and it makes the book feel geared to a particular mainstream audience which I am not a part of. If you stay away from the appendices, the rest of the book is wonderful in how much it details the procedures necessary to get your book from idea to sending it out to agents & publishers, and successfully get published.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most useful: details on doing queries and proposals. Least useful: more than a decade old. Many points will still carry over, but it's still pretty old.