Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference

by Anne Janzer

Write the book you want to see in the world.

Get the Word Out is a guide to writing a nonfiction book or memoir grounded in a sense of purpose.

This practical and inspiring book offers advice for every phase of the journey, from clarifying your concept and owning your authority to drafting the manuscript and doing the important work after publishing.

Whether you’re an industry thought leader seeking to expand your impact or someone with a tiny following and a big idea, this book will help you approach your book project with clarity, confidence, and commitment:

• Clarity about your message, your audience, and your vision for the work

• Confidence in your expertise, authority, and ability to write the book

• Commitment to see the book through to publication and spread the word beyond

If you’re looking for a quick-and-easy recipe or a promise of a best-seller, you won’t find it here. You will find suggested exercises, original research from a survey of hundreds of nonfiction authors, and stories and advice from other authors who have written meaningful, purposeful books.

Many authors report that they wish they’d written their books sooner. What are you waiting for?

Read this book now and start getting your word out.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim while looking for something out of my comfort zone to read. I couldn't have asked for a better random pick for myself than this book at this particular time. As a poet who self published my first collection of poetry, I have been debating on how to go about writing my next book. I wanted to venture out and explore other genres than poetry. Thanks to this audiobook I am inspired to write a memoir because of the amazing advice given in this book! I definitely recommend it even if you aren't interested in writing a nonfiction book.

[Lisa Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an audiobook copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

This audiobook version was read by the author.

Get the word out, is a guide for those of us that are interested in writing a non fiction book or memoir grounded in the sense of purpose, from defining your concept to publishing and promoting your book it offers phase of that journey.

This book offer step by step through the process, helping you get all your words in your thoughts out, well organized, and therefore, well written.

We all have a story worth telling,so to all those inspiring writers out there. I recommend this book to be used as your guide.

Any easy and enjoyable listen.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for sharing this audiobook with me. I have considered writing, but I have been leaning toward fiction. After hearing this book, I am convinced my path should take me to write a book that helps others. I love the concept of servant authorship. The author offers many resources on her website, that I for one, will take full advantage of.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had owned this book when I was writing THE MEMBERSHIP ECONOMY, the whole process would have been so much easier and more fun.

Anne understands how writers write, and also understands how publishers prioritize. Most importantly, she knows that in order to write a great book, you need to know why you're doing it and who its for.

This book takes new authors step-by-step through the process, helping them avoid the challenges and frustrations that can throw you off balance when you're trying to get your book from your head to the page.

If you're writing a book, you need GET THE WORD OUT!

[Dave Bartell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's daunting to get words out of your head and well organized. Anne's book helps by delivering well-grounded straight advice on the craft of writing, publishing, and marketing. Her tangible directions on gathering your story together and flowing into a narrative are some of the best I’ve seen. If you have a story worth telling, then Anne’s book will guide you through the process.

[Nancy Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always on the lookout for books about writing books, and I recently had the good fortune to receive an advance copy of Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference by Anne Janzer.

I’ve been a fan of Anne’s work since I read her book, The Writer's Process: Getting Your Brain in Gear, and was lucky enough to also have her contribute to my book, Rut-Busting Book for Authors.

So when she reached out to me for a review, of course I agreed, knowing that her book would be full of useful information.

And I was right. Get the Word Out is geared toward those who are writing a nonfiction book or memoir, with advice for every stage of the process, from defining your concept to publishing and promoting the book. But even though right now I am focused more on writing fiction books, there was still a lot of useful tips and encouraging words that applied to my writing journey.

For example, in the “Ditch the Niche and Pick a Pond” chapter, she talks about the idea of writing for niche market. This is something I am struggling with since I am transitioning from writing literary short stories to women’s novels and need to get out of one niche and into another yet am not sure how to gain a following in a totally new (for me) category.

Anne writes, “The advice to write for a niche makes sense. It’s much easier to market books when they address discrete audiences or solve specific problems… But this advice is tough to hear and act on. For me, the word niche summons an image of a small nook in a wall that might hold a single vase. It is, by definition, restrictive and confining. No one wants to crawl into a tiny box and commit to spending their career there. (That sounds boring!) You have grander ambitions for your book.”

But while she notes that you must “differentiate your book from the thousands of others on your topic”—or in my case, in the genre I am now entering—she suggests looking at it not as pigeon-holing yourself into a niche but rather as starting in a specific “pond.” Your goal, she says, is to have your book “work its way to a broader ecosystem of lakes. When you write a book that all the fish in one pond love, a few of those fish will swim to an adjacent pond and tell their friends.”

More advice from Anne: “As an author, you will want to choose one or two ponds for the book you are planning to write. The size of your pond depends, in part, on who you are, your subject matter, and the people you hope to reach”—equally applicable for both fiction and nonfiction authors.

I was also reassured by these words: “Your book doesn’t necessarily define you. You may write several books and you will do other things. Your life’s work may change directions… I’ve interviewed many authors who started in one area, only to discover that their readers drew them into entirely different, but adjacent, topics…Most of all, telling a person to stick to a niche sounds an awful lot like the dismissive ‘Stay in your lane.’ No one wants to hear that.”

Get the Word Out also covers finding your expertise, establishing your own authority on the subject matter and doing market research—both to determine who your readers are and to create a list of books similar to yours. (That’s the complementary/competitive titles part of the market research process.) Again, this is something that fiction authors also have to do.

The book details the elements of the writing process, from doing the research to curating stories, anecdotes and insights from other experts, as well as those times when the words just won’t come (see the “Prime the Pump” chapter). As for choosing which publishing path to follow, Anne provides detailed insights on all three options: traditional, hybrid and self-publishing.

And no book on writing a book would be complete without focusing on the dreaded revision and proofreading stages and the all-important marketing plan creation. Regarding the latter, she writes, “How you get to publication day and what happens immediately after will vary depending on how your book is published, the size of your author platform, and how much time, money, and effort you put into supporting the launch. No matter how you’re launching, you’ll be the one doing the heavy lifting of getting your book out into the world.” She has solid information on various book promotion strategies: what to do and how to do it, as well as where to find your fans and readers.

There is so much more in Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference, and I heartily recommend it as useful for all those who are thinking of writing a book or are in the midst of the book-writing process.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I decided that I wanted to become a better non-fiction writer, I discovered Anne Janzer, and she is my absolute favorite when it comes to this type of book. I’ve been waiting months for the audio version of this book, and when I got it, I finished it within a few days. I’ve personally been going through a bit of a shift with my branding this year and trying to figure out who my target audience is and how to reach them. This book gave me more than enough tools to narrow down my focus and get to work. It also helped me stop worrying about some really trivial things that I’ve been over-thinking. And aside from the book, Anne provides a ton of resources on her website as well. I think what I appreciate the most about Anne’s work is that you can tell that she legitimately just wants to help people be better writers and “get the word out”.

[Evelyn Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Janzer is the compassionate cheerleader and trusted guide I would have loved to have had before writing my book.

In Get the Word Out, Anne debunks the myths that prevent prospective authors from starting their books. She shows you how you are probably readier and more qualified to write than you think. Her straightforward guidance demystifies the writing process, from how to choose your topic and determine your publishing route, to how to get the writing done (even with a day job), through how to get readers to buy your book and build community with your audience.

I'm already benefiting from that last part. If you are considering writing a book, read this book to save yourself time, heartache and headaches.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many authors of how-to and self-help books fail miserably at their intended (or suggested) goal, presented by the title and description. Not Anne Janzer. Get the Word Out is a no-nonsense, easy to read layout of how to write to share your message.

Janzer explores the possibility of publishing from the initial idea and purpose, through the challenges and pitfalls, throwing in plenty of advice and inspiration- to help would be authors reach their goal. Lots of good, solid advice here and presented realistically. Janzer is not pretentious, and does not give false hope in her writing. She is exact and informative. One of the best 'how to/self-help' books I've read in years.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference by Anne Janzer is an excellent book for aspiring writers. I listened to the audiobook version of this book, read by the author. I love the premise of this book and I think the author is successful at accomplishing it. She breaks down the process of figuring out what to write and makes it accessible to anyone. This book is ideal for nonfiction writers, but I think that fiction writers could also benefit from parts of it as well. Great book to pick up when you need to focus and figure out where to start. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

[Misti · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has a complete non-fiction memoir written and only need to take that leap to getting it published, this was a very helpful book to listen to. I have other writing goals on deck that I haven't gotten around to dealing with but this book was inspirational and helpful in guiding me down that path again.

The audio was easy to listen to, though I do wish I had a paper copy so I could thumb through it again in the future!

*I received and ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review*

[Claudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The process of moving from the idea to the written book is really daunting. Many books have been written on the subject, good and bad. This book delivers well-described advice on the craft of writing, publishing, and marketing.
This book practical directions on weaving a story together and making it into a narrative are surely good, at the level of the best on the market. Definitely a book that needs to be on the shelf of the novice author.
Thanks to Netgalley.

[Carey’s Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5 Stars!! If you want to write a book, you really should read this book first! It’s got a lot of helpful tips that will help anyone looking at writing a book, especially nonfiction and memoirs! The author gives tips for more than just writing, also publishing and marketing your book. I highly recommend this to any aspiring writers! You will NOT be sorry you read this book!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an ARC that was provided to me by the publisher!*

[Kidron Tirey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer, I gained exceptional value from Janzer's prose, organization and methodology. She clearly cares about the quality of her reader's takeaway. This book is easy to read--concise yet not too brief. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any person who cares about communicating through the written word.

[Brian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, concise and motivational. As a first time author, I find this book to be a great resource. Plan on reading more of Anne Janzer's books.

[Karen Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a late-bloomer non-fiction author (and, full disclosure, Anne Janzer interviewed me for "Get The Word Out"). I truly wish I could have read this book earlier in my career. I know Anne would have inspired me to get writing years before I finally took the plunge.