Nonfiction Ink

To establish credibility with your nonfiction book you need to support your statements with convincing evidence. Here are ten ways you can back up what you say:

1. Reveal how you reached your conclusion(s). Support your assertion by letting readers know what steps you took or information you gathered to arrive at your conclusion. If you declare in your earthquake preparedness book that “Southern California will experience a large earthquake in the next 30 years”, readers are going to want to know how you came to that conclusion – did you talk to scientists or confer with a psychic? Experienced readers expect a writer to explain his or her methods.

2. Cite statistics or research examples.

3. Address opposing views or alternate methods and offer a counterargument. If health-guru author’s bestselling book’s thesis is that eating too many carbohydrates is bad for you and your book’s fitness diet is based on eating carbs all-the-time-everyday-as-much-as-you-can-get, you better address health-guru author’s premise or many readers will dismiss your claims.

4. Justify the results. If your book presents a method or framework for achieving a goal, explain how and why the method works.

5. Back-up your statement with a story from your own experience or personal observation. If you declare in your social media book, “Writing articles for A-list blogs will increase traffic to your own site” and you have experienced that in your own business, then include a story that proves your statement.

6. Use case studies.

7. Explain the effects. If you make the assertion that “personal branding is essential for entrepreneurs” you can highlight the positive effects personal branding provides a small business, and list what the negative effects might be if an entrepreneur fails to brand his business effectively.

8. List the benefits and then “show” the benefits by painting a picture of what the end result/goal “looks” like.

9. Identify similarities and differences. If your claim is “social media marketing with Twitter is the same as old-school direct marketing campaigns”, you can identify the similarities between the two methods. If your argument is “old-school direct marketing campaigns are out-dated and ineffective compared to social networking strategies”, you can show the differences between the two to back up your assertion.

10. List your credentials and experience, and those of your sources. If you’re a psychologist who has worked with at-risk children for more than 20 years, stating your experience and credentials will help establish your authority on the topic and support your statements.

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Now that you’ve designed a writing schedule, gathered and organized all your research, prepared a theme or thesis statement to keep you focused, and created a detail chapter-by-chapter outline, you’re ready to start writing the book. Your book sections, chapters, topic headings, sub-headings, and sub-sub categories are all laid out in your manuscript document like a roadmap allowing you to follow them — topic-by-topic, point-by-point — and write the content in focused, manageable chunks.

THE OPENING
You want to capture the reader’s interest with an engaging opening that entices him to continue turning the pages. Here are 12 techniques (with samples) for beginning your nonfiction book:

Part 1 – Overview of methods and how to select the opening that’s right for your book

Part 2 – Anecdotes, case studies, quotations, descriptive, and narrative leads

Part 3 – One-line hook, statistical information, thematic lead, question, and comparison

Part 4 – Addressing the reader directly, journalistic lead, factual, and summary opening

If you’re still feeling challenged with your opening, here are a few more tips:

1. Think about why your idea is important and convey to readers how they will benefit from reading your book.

2. Connect with your reader by identifying a shared experience or view that ties into your theme (“Do you remember how you felt when you first learned to drive – the thrill, the exhilaration, the sense of impending freedom…..”)

3. Consider if there is any background information you could share about your idea that would engage readers.

4. There is no rule that you have to write in chronological order. Proceed to other topics and come back to your opening later.

YOUR TURN: How did you select the best opening for your latest book?

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If you’re considering co-authoring a book, it’s important to be aware of each writer’s strengths and weaknesses, and set guidelines for the process. Here are six tips for a successful collaboration:

1. DEFINE YOUR GOALS & EXPECTATIONS
Both you and your writing partner should have similar expectations and goals for the book. If your purpose is to uncover unfair practices in the mortgage lending industry and you expect to heavily market the book yourself, and your co-author’s goal is to land a six-figure book deal advance, and expects the publisher to handle all the promotional aspects, then the two of you are not on the same page. Agree upon the primary goal for the project, write it down, and post it where you can see it during the writing process to help stay focused and on track.

2. ENSURE YOU ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ONE ANOTHER
It’s important to collaborate with someone with a similar working style and who meshes with your personality. If you’re a very detailed and organized person, you may have difficulty working along side someone who is chaotic and can’t seem to manage details. Consider co-authoring a feature article together before committing to an entire book. If the feature article collaboration is problematic, than co-authoring a manuscript will be a greater challenge.

3. CAPITALIZE ON YOUR STRENGTHS, BE AWARE OF YOUR WEAKNESSES
Each of you will bring particular strengths and weaknesses to the project. One of you may be an exceptional writer and editor, while the other is good at researching and interviewing. Know what each of you is good at and where your weaknesses lie so you can work more efficiently and effectively.

4. DEFINE EACH WRITER’S JOB
Assign and outline what each of you will be responsible for. Perhaps you will divide the writing evenly, with each of you writing specific chapters separately and then editing them together. Or perhaps your co-author will contribute the ideas while you handle writing all the material. It’s important to clearly define the duties prior to beginning the book to avoid any headaches later.

5. SIGN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT
A co-authoring contract is essential. It should outline all the details of the writing project, including the division of labor, deadlines, how expenses will be shared, and how advances and royalties will be split.

6. ESTABLISH A PLAN FOR RESOLVING CONFLICT
Even if you’re collaborating with your best friend or your twin sister, disagreements are bound to occur, which can cause delays in the project or even threaten to derail it entirely. Establish a plan for resolving conflict before beginning the book. Perhaps you will designate a third party to help settle disagreements, or require that each of you create a list of both pros and cons for each issue that arises, or maybe you will agree to simply flip a coin to determine how you will proceed. Whatever your plan for resolving conflict entails, just be sure to create it before a disagreement happens.

YOUR TURN: Have you had a successful writing collaboration, what worked and what was challenging?

Unlike prescriptive / practical nonfiction, which is written from the perspective of the author and addresses readers directly (using “you” and “we”), narrative nonfiction writing requires authors to select a viewpoint that most effectively conveys the story.

Narrative nonfiction employs three main viewpoint (or point of view) perspectives:

1. First-Person Narrative
The first-person perspective injects the author into the story. The writer becomes a character in the story with feelings, thoughts, opinions and biases related to the subject or topic. First-person perspective is used best in memoir and autobiography. Inserting “I” in the narrative of other types of stories can be challenging for the writer and distracting for the reader – critics of John Kraukuer’s books (Into Thin Air, Into The Wild) cite his constant interjection of himself into the stories as annoying and unnecessary. While the use of the first-person narrative in The Men Who Stare At Goats by Jon Ronson, works because the author presents himself in the story as the “everyman” and becomes that character for readers. “As told to the author” books also employ the first-person narrative.

2. Third-Person Objective Narrative
The third-person objective narrative presents a more journalistic, unbiased approach to the material. The story is conveyed through a neutral narrator (using “he”, “she”, “they”), devoid of the characters’ feelings, thoughts, or opinions. Truman Capote uses this technique for In Cold Blood:

“The black Chervrolet was again parked, this time in front of a Catholic hospital on the outskirts of Emporia. While Perry waited in the car, Dick had gone into the hospital to try and buy a pair of black stockings from a nun. This rather unorthodox method of obtaining them had been Perry’s inspiration; nuns, he had argued, were certain to have a supply.”

3. Third-Person Subjective Narrative
The third-person subjective narrative tells the story from the perspective of a narrator (using “he”, “she”, “they”) and presents the feelings, thoughts, opinions, biases and knowledge (time, people, places, and events related to the story) of one (limited perspective) or all characters (omniscient perspective.) Author Anthony Flacco uses this method in The Road Out Of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders:

“Thirteen-year-old Sanford Clark felt his stomach lurch when he realized that his mother was really going to send him away. He stared down at the floor and fought to control his breathing while his brain reeled from the news. Everything about it felt wrong. The atmosphere in the room took on a poisonous feel, as if a thin mist of acid had just rolled in through the window. He knew that his mother and uncle were telling him a pack of lies. It was so off-kilter and strange that the moment belonged in a bad dream.”

YOUR TURN: What viewpoint are you employing in your narrative nonfiction book and why?

In writing, “style” is the way you deliver your message – it’s the words you choose, the tone you use, and the way you structure sentences. Many successful practical-nonfiction books deliver their messages in a clear, concise, friendly, warm, and encouraging manner. Here are five ways to achieve a winning writing style:

1. Use Conversational Style
Write as if you were speaking to a good friend. Use informal, personal, casual words that create a comfortable trust and connect with the reader. Incorporate personal stories, anecdotes, and humor when appropriate.

2. Avoid Judgmental Language
A reader wants an author who understands and sympathizes with her problem – whether the reader needs to learn how to manage money, be a better parent, market her business, or lose 20 pounds. Avoid using judgmental stigmatizing language. Focus on what the reader can do to make good choices and improve her situation.

3. Be Reassuring and Positive
How-to and self-help readers often lack confidence. They may feel insecure about their ability to achieve the desired results. Keep your writing upbeat and optimistic. Reassure your readers that by using your program, techniques, instructions, method, or information they can reach their goals. Let them know it’s easy and many others “just like them” have achieved success. Always be supportive and create a sense of hope.

4. Address the Reader Directly
Personalize your sentences. Whenever possible, address the reader as “you.” Readers searching for answers and solutions to their problems want to hear about themselves – they want you to speak to “them” directly.

5. Keep It Simple
Clear and concise writing is the most effective. Keep your sentences short and simple – use words the average person can easily understand. Avoid technical terms when possible and always define words that may be new to the reader.

YOUR TURN: What are some of the techniques you use to create an engaging writing style?

Writing a book requires planning and efficient action. Here are five steps to take to help keep you on track to completing your book!

1. Set aside time to write
Create an area in your home that is conducive for writing and set aside time each week to write. Schedule it on your calendar and keep that appointment with yourself.

2. Set a specific writing goal
Whether you commit to writing one page per day or 1,000 words per day, research shows that when you set a clearly defined goal you are more likely to accomplish it.

3. Use an outline
Writing from a detailed table of contents or an outline provides a framework for each writing session. It keeps you focused and eliminates the stress of staring a blank sheet of paper.

4. Dictate your manuscript
Many nonfiction authors feel more comfortable speaking than writing. If you fall into that camp, consider dictating your manuscript using speech recognition software, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking.

5. Delegate work
Writing a book consists of much more than just the writing element. Consider delegating non-writing tasks such as research and line-editing (if you are dictating your manuscript this service would be especially helpful.) To find freelance editors visit The Freelancer’s Union. Virtual Author’s Assistants lists individuals who provide research, administrative, and other services for writers.

In the previous three posts we looked at how to select which opening works best for your book or specific chapters and reviewed eight effective leads: the Anecdote / Case Study, the Quotation opening, the Descriptive or Narrative lead, the One-Line Hook, beginning with Statistical Information, launching with a Theme, the Question lead, and the Comparison method. In this final installment, we look at four more opening techniques.

9. DIRECTLY ADDRESSING THE READER
Direct address uses the second-person “you” to directly connect with the reader and is often combined with another type of lead.

We have some ideas about you, and we were curious to see whether they’re correct. If you’re reading this book, you’re most likely a business professional, perhaps a small business owner, or maybe someone in marketing, public relations, or some other communications world. Or perhaps you’re a technologist, such as Web designer or a software engineer. (“Trust Agents” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith)

10. JOURNALISTIC LEAD
The journalistic lead contains all the necessary information in the opening: who, what, where, when, and why.

November 26, 2008 – Mumbai Rocked By Shooting. The first news headlines and photos of the devastating terror attack in India shocked the world as more than 300 people lost their lives and countless more were injured. We banded together as civilized people and poured out our compassion and aid for those affected by this senseless tragedy. What was equally amazing was the medium in which those first headlines and photos were delivered. It wasn’t CNN. It wasn’t National Public Radio. And it wasn’t “The New York Times”. (“Twitter Power” by Joel Comm)

11. FACTUAL OPENING
Factual leads contain facts that may be specific or general. They are often used to generate anticipation and interest in the information that will be developed further later in the chapter or book.

It took New Orleans 300 years to etch its image on the public consciousness – a city known around the world for food and music, pageantry and debauchery, and an irreverent, laissez-faire culture more attuned to the Caribbean than the Heartland. But it took one great storm a matter of hours to sear a new picture. (“Remembering Katrina”)

12. SUMMARY
Summary openings provide a preview of what is forthcoming in the book or particular chapter. It is a round-up and overview of all the information that you will be presenting.

Madrid is a rich amalgam of differing worlds. Narrow-laned old quarters and handsome plazas filled with regal statues are bordered by wide avenues and modern skyscrapers. World-class art galleries and museums vie for attention with secretive convents and tiny 17^th-century churches. The Plaza Mayor is filled with strolling families, tourists, lively cafes and souvenir shops. Madrid has more bars and cafes than most cities. Madrilenos love to eat well – be it a favorite neighborhood tasca or a fabled culinary mecca. And the city’s shoppers have their pick from ultrachic stores and boutiques selling the latest in international fashion to street markets where an elusive antique can be found. You name it, Madrid has got it. (Frommer’s Madrid)

YOUR TURN: Do you have any other techniques you use to launch your book or chapters?

In the previous two posts we looked at how to select which opening works best for your book or specific chapters and reviewed three effective leads: the Anecdote / CaseStudy, the Quotation opening, and the Descriptive or Narrative lead. In this post we analyze five additional opening techniques.

4. ONE-LINE HOOK
The one line hook captures your entire thesis, theory, or belief in one sentence (or two short sentences). It is a powerful statement that immediately tells the reader what to expect.

Other cities have histories. Los Angeles has legends. (“L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City” by John Buntin)

5. STATISTICAL INFORMATION
Leads that contain statistical information are not reserved for purely academic books. When used effectively, they can draw the reader into the topic, especially when they reveal the unexpected.

You have a burning desire to write a nonfiction book. Join the crowd. You might be surprised to learn how many people are writing a book. According to a survey from the Jenkins Group, Inc., a Michigan publishing service firm, 81 percent of Americans feel they should write a book. They estimate that more than 6 million Americans have actually written a manuscript – just over 2 percent of the population. Publisher’s Weekly recently reported that more than 1,000 books were published each week in 2003. (“Book Proposals That Sell” by W. Terry Whalin)

6. THEMATIC LEAD
Thematic leads begin with a statement expressing the theme of your book. They engage readers through sharing a universal quality of the human experience. Or they may provide a wrap-up of your thesis. They can work well for books based on research as well as personal stories, such as travelogues, adventures, and memoir.

To go beyond the anthropological and social symbolism of wolves we must rely on the fieldwork of the researcher, for it is the researcher who confronts the questions in the minds and on the lips of the public, and who tries to sort out, in a systematic way, the factors that induce the wolf to behave as it does. (“Following the Pack: The World of Wolf Research” by Mike Link and Kate Crowley)

7. QUESTION
An effective and well-constructed question can evoke careful thought and consideration, causing a desire in the reader to continue reading. But a poorly written, rhetorical question often leads to a reader feeling annoyed, manipulated, and bored (“Do you want to make a lot of money?”)

Does your brand ace the “Worth-It Test” in the minds of buyers? In side-by-side comparisons to key competitors, does your brand prevail? If your firm is like most, very little time gets spent on probing these fundamental questions. Yet, ironically, your customers are surely asking them. Using the Internet search engines, your customers are relentlessly comparing… (“Taming the Search and Switch Customer” by Jill Griffin)

8. COMPARISON
Comparing two items, ideas, people, or places and contrasting their differences or affirming their similarities can create an intriguing lead. Comparisons or analogies can be literal, metaphorical, or symbolic. (“A good book is like a best friend…”)

The publishing world is changing. If you’re reading this book, you probably already know that. Most traditional publishers – those who front all the costs associated with publishing – are no longer risking dollars on new authors the way they did five years ago. Luckily, thanks to advances in digital printing and the Internet, new authors are realizing that they don’t really need traditional publishers. They can self-publish. (“The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing” by Mark Levine

STAY-TUNED: the final installment of How To Begin Your Nonfiction Book will explore 4 more lead techniques.

In the last post we explored how to select which opening works best for your book or specific chapters. In this post, we will look at three effective leads: the Anecdote / Case Study, the Quotation opening, and the Descriptive or Narrative lead.

1. ANECDOTE OR CASE STUDY
Anecdotes and case histories create an immediate connection with the reader and engage him or her in the human experience. Effective stories reflect the demographic of the reader and may be based on real or fictionalized people.

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in six words. Papa came back swinging with, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” some say he called it his best work. Others dismiss the anecdote as folktale. Either way, the six-word story was born, and it’s been popping around the writing world for years. (“Six-Word Memoirs” edited by Smith Magazine)

2. QUOTATION
If you begin the first chapter with a quotation, it should speak directly to the topic and style of your book.

Andy Warhol, the successful American painter, said “In the future, everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame.” In truth, we Americans love our celebrities, and we are always creating new ones. This is becoming even more prevalent in our rapidly increasing ‘reality’ culture of blockbuster television shows like ‘American Idol’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ If you can become a celebrity, the world is yours, albeit hopefully for more than 15 minutes. (“Celebrity Branding You” by J.W. Dicks and Nick Nanton)

3. DESCRIPTIVE OR NARRATIVE LEAD
These openings tell a narrative or descriptive story. Unlike an anecdote or case history, a descriptive or narrative lead does not focus on a case study or personal problem. They may highlight description, places, people, events or an inciting incident. They are most often used for narrative nonfiction: memoir, historical, current events, travelogues, true crime and biography.

In a tourist town on the white-sun Spanish coast, an old man was passing his last years an American grandfather with a snowy white crewcut and a glint in his turquoise eyes. At seventy he was still lean and alert, with high, slanting cheekbones, a sharp chin, and those clear-frame eyeglasses that made him look like a minor-league academic. He spent much of his time holed up in his cluttered garage apartment, watching the BBC on a flickering black-and-white television, surrpunded by bottles of Jack Daniel’s and pills and his memories. If you met him down on the beach, he came across as a gentle soul with a soft laugh. Almost certainly he was the most pleasant murderer you’d ever want to meet. (“Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934” by Bryan Burrough)

STAY-TUNED: the next post will explore 5 more effective opening techniques.

Beginning the actual writing process of your first book can be intimidating. But with an understanding of the most common techniques and a few options to choose from, you should have the confidence to begin. Once you have your research completed and your outline drafted, it’s time to start writing.

The length of your beginning, the style, and the tone will depend on your specific subject. For nonfiction books the opening section is often the entire first chapter and may launch with one of the following:

1. Anecdote or Case Study
2. Quotation
3. Descriptive or Narrative Lead
4. One-Line Hook
5. Statistical Information
6. Theme
7. Question
8. Comparison
9. Directly Addressing the Reader
10. Journalistic Lead
11. Factual
12. Summary

Each of these techniques can be used to open a book or subsequent chapters.

How Do You Select The Opening That Is Right For Your Book (or Book Chapters)?
One technique for crafting an effective opening is to analyze the needs, expectations, and intent of the lead. Here are questions you can ask to determine the best opening for your subject.

• Who is your reader? Is your reader over 50 years old and retired, a twenty-something, recent graduate looking to launch a tech start-up, or a single 30 year-old mom, trying to balance career and family?
• What is the purpose of the opening? Is it to inform, entertain, educate, instruct, motivate, inspire, persuade, enrage, provoke, or connect?
• What is the promise you want to deliver? Is it how to obtain wealth, fitness, love, knowledge, understanding, appreciate, explore, travel, learn, etc.?
• What is the emotional reaction you want to evoke in the reader? Is it to capture their attention, create intrigue, make them laugh, arouse curiosity, deliver motivation, etc?
• Evaluate how well your opening lead achieves your goals. Does it speak to your reader, serve its purpose, deliver what’s promised, and evoke the intended emotion?

STAY-TUNED: the next three posts will examine and provide an example of each type of opening technique.