Nonfiction Ink

Author John Peragine has a Master’s and PhD in Natural Health and worked as a social worker in child protective services before becoming a full-time writer in 2007. He has written for a number of magazines, including Precognito, and Winemaker Magazine, he also ghost writes ebooks, articles, and blogs, and is a work-for-hire author of more than 10 nonfiction books.

Q: Tell us about your latest book “How To Open and Operate a Financially Successful Personal and Executive Coaching Business”.

This book has actually been two years in the making. It is about how to set up a lucrative and successful coaching business. Now there are all types of coaches and I try to mention as many as I can, but the field is expanding every day. It is not so much about the techniques of coaching, but rather how to create a business that will succeed. It includes information about accounting, IRS, marketing, and everything else that will make the business more financially sound. There is even a CD that comes with the book with plenty of extra goodies and forms that can be used.

I did this book for two reasons. First I had done other small business start up books – one on wedding planning and the other about how to start a successful personal trainer business. So I already had the foundations about how to create a successful small business.

The other thing that sparked my interest in this project was that I have been working with coaches worldwide, providing them marketing copy, ghost writing articles and writing eBooks and print books with them. So I already had an insider’s understanding of coaching and I had a number of contacts- coaches from every walk-of-life circling the globe. I did the logical thing and included them and their insights in this book. So readers will hear directly from the mouths of successful coaches how they propelled their business.

Q: How did you land your book deal?

It was a work-for-hire arrangement with a small nonfiction publisher.

Q. What is your writing process?

First I create two outlines- one that is a basic skeleton and the next a detailed outline with content about each of the chapters. I gather all my research materials – both in book form and online form. The first thing I do is to begin to create the bibliography. This way I will not forget any of the resources I am using.

I contact experts in the field and create a questionnaire or a list of questions I will ask them in an interview. In the meantime as I am collecting interviews I begin writing the book.

I work about 6 days a week, about 5-6 hours a day. For me, I cannot work much more than that, before my writing begins to suffer. In between I walk, exercise and move around. I have a small office in the top of my 100-year-old house to get away from everyone while I work. Everyone knows when I am there – unless someone is on fire they do not disturb me.

The books I have written take between 3-4 months on average, some like this latest one can take longer.

Q. Are you working on your next project and can you tell us about it?

Right now I have two books in layout ready for print: The Complete Guide to Making Your Own Wine at Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics) and Ebay Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, And/Or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business With Ebay (co-written 2nd edition)

I have two projects that will take me until probably the fall or winter to complete. They are both about beer making. The first one deals with making beer using materials you can grow in a garden. This one is fun because I have made beer for years and even won some competitions. In my two wine books I got to visit wineries, do taste testing and talk to some of the most influential people in the wine world.  So this time around- microbreweries.

The second book will about more of the how to of the actual process of beer making and will contain many different recipes that people can use to create awesome beer in their garage or kitchen.

Q. What advice or tips can you give other writers?

Follow your dream about writing. Put your all into it, because it pays you back in so many ways. Write every day. Keep a notebook handy for ideas, because the great ones I have had were on the fly. If I did not write it down on the spot I may have forgotten them.

Put yourself out there. You will get one acceptance for a pile of rejections, so never give up. Keep plodding through, and believe in yourself.

Finally, have your work proofread by professionals. Before submitting manuscripts or any other material have someone with a keen eye look it over. Nothing looks more amateurish than bad copy.

YOUR TURN: Post your questions for John Peragine in the comments section.

You can connect with John Peragine via his Website, Blog, or Twitter @JohnPeragine.

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Tags: interviews with nonfiction authors

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