Guest Post by Nancy L.
Baumann “The Book Professor”
TheBookProfessor.com
I own a professional publishing company and receive numerous submissions each
year from writers who want to be published. I only work with nonfiction, so the
manuscripts are usually from nonprofessional writers who have experienced or
learned something that will either save lives, change lives, or have a positive
impact on society. Because the writers are amateurs, their writing is usually
substandard, and I rarely find a manuscript I can publish. Here are ten common
mistakes that send their work to my recycling bin
1. They think
they have a great idea.
Before you start writing, make sure you have an
original idea. How do you do that? Research, research, research! Read other
books in the same genre and on the same topic, and if you find that your
message has already been delivered, then save yourself the time and aggravation
of writing a book. Better yet, find a unique angle about that topic and write to
that perspective.
2. They love
their own writing.
Seasoned authors know the value of outside criticism
and will seek it at every opportunity. Amateur writers think that if they
scored well in high school English, that they write well and don’t need any
feedback. That’s a big mistake. You’re probably not as good as you think you
are, and neither am I. An overconfident attitude produces the kind of sloppy
writing I toss aside.
3.
They think writing will be easy.
Writing isn’t easy and it never has been. It’s a
hard discipline and very few can hack it. If it were easy, you would have
already written your book! No one has ever accidentally written a book, and neither
will you. You must create disciplined deadlines and be accountable to them.
Write all the time; practice makes perfect. As Agatha Christie said, “Write
even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't
writing particularly well.”
4.
They don't know how to start a book.
Think about how you would start any multi-layered
project, like building a house. You’d start with a plan wouldn’t you? Your book
project should also begin with a plan that you can execute, which will carry
you from concept to cover. You must know what you’re trying to accomplish in
order to hit the goal. Begin by answering these foundational questions, then
write a book that is targeted to your answers.
·
What purpose will the book serve?
·
How is it different from other books published on
this same subject?
·
What is the main theme of your story? Secondary
themes?
·
What new information or angle does your story
present that hasn’t already been heard?
·
Why will people want to read this story?
·
Who is your audience? Define your primary and
secondary markets.
·
How will this work impact that audience?
·
What change do you want to invoke in the reader?
·
Why would other recommend this book to others?
·
Finish the sentence: “The purpose of this book is to
___________________.”
· Who would you like to endorse your book? Another
expert in the field? A celebrity? Figure that out, then write the kind of book
that person would endorse.
5. They don't
exhaust the language or expand their style.
Readers appreciate a varied vocabulary, but
are impatient with the repetition of words, phrases, and sentence structure. Be
sure that your writing is interesting, that there’s a mixture of sentence
styles, that you’ve employed active language, and that your verbs are sharp and
distinctive. Language matters.
6. They don’t
understand grammar and punctuation.
You may not understand the rules of grammar and
punctuation, but that
doesn’t mean that others don’t. They do, and they’ll spot your mistakes in a
flash. There are strict rules for both grammar and punctuation, and you better
sharpen those skills if you don’t want to be dismissed.
7. They won’t
invest.
So maybe you’re not good at grammar and punctuation?
Hire an editor. Not sure if there are mistakes in your manuscript? Hire a
proofreader. If you want to self-publish, then hire a professional cover
designer and interior designer. Just because you can do everything yourself,
that doesn’t mean you should. This is a specialized, professional industry, and
you should work with professionals.
8.
They trust the opinions of their friends.
Friends and family are great, but they have
limitations when it comes to offering you objective feedback. When it comes to
writing a book, their opinion doesn’t count. They are inexperienced, care too
much about your feelings, and may only tell you what you want to hear. Seek an
outside opinion from a professional editor who is trained to critique writing. But brace yourself—this could hurt! Be eager to make the necessary changes to
meet professional standards.
9.
They don’t know how to end the book.
Your opening line is important, but the ending can
make or break a book. How and where do you stop? Decide if you want to tie your
story in a neat bow or allow it to continue. Write three or four endings, then
choose the one that is most satisfying. Moreover, be sure to tie up loose
strings on all subplots, and revisit those foundational questions to be sure
you’ve accomplished your stated goals.
10.
They are in a hurry.
Amateur authors often set unreasonable deadlines,
then latch onto them for dear life. Come hell or high water, they’re going to
get their book finished by Christmas, or their birthday, or by any other
manufactured deadline that has nothing to do with the book itself. Know this:
by the time you’re in the home stretch, you’re going to be sick of your book.
You may even hate it. But that doesn’t mean that you push it out the door just
to get rid of it. Pull back and be thorough with every edit, with every
research item, with every jot and tittle. Exercise a firm discipline and slow
down, so you can produce a professional and polished manuscript and become an
author, not merely a writer.
NANCY L. BAUMANN is the owner of Stonebrook Enterprises, LLC, which operates under two distinct branches: Stonebrook Publishing and Stonebrook Studios.
Stonebrook Publishing is an independent press dedicated to publishing high-impact nonfiction works that will either save lives, change lives, or have a positive impact on society. We are “Publishing with a Purpose.”
To learn about our Oct. 9 release, A LIFE IN PARTS, go to: www.ALifeinParts.com
Stonebrook Studios is the education, coaching, and contract-writing branch of Stonebrook Enterprises, and is home of “The Book Professor.” Nancy used her experience as a university professor and a professional publisher to develop a methodology that steps a writer through each phase of writing a book—from concept to cover—so they may produce a marketable manuscript that is what publishers want. Upon completion, the author may self-publish or seek an agent and professional publisher.
Websites:
StonebrookPublishing.net
TheBookProfessor.com
GetMyBookOut.com
ALifeinParts.com
StormingTheTulips.com
GET MY BOOK OUT! WRITING PROGRAM FOR AUTHORS
Personal Consultation
Writers in all stages of their projects come to me for help. Some are at the idea stage, and others have written quite a bit of their book, and some writers just want to kick around a few ideas for titles.
How do you know where to start in the Get My Book Out! program? A personal consultation can help you identify where you are in the process, what your next steps should be, and which module of the Get My Book Out! program is right for you.
Personal Consultation: $250 Will be applied towards future modules if you purchase the program
Module One: From Concept to Concrete Plan
At the conclusion of this 16-week course, you will have a comprehensive BookMap to follow that will
lead to a publishable manuscript. This course will guide you to:
• Clearly state what you are writing (what problem are you trying to solve?)
• Determine the purpose for writing it (what’s the solution to the problem?)
• Clearly identify what the book will accomplish and how (how does this solution solve the problem?)
• Pinpoint your primary and secondary markets (who will benefit?)
• Construct the book’s themes and sub-themes (what are the layers?)
• Determine why the market will accept your book (how are you different?)
• State the call to action for readers (what should the reader do?)
• Develop a masterful message for the book (what’s your marketing message?)
• Create a detailed BookMap that lays out the step-by-step process for writing a book that is what publishers want. (where’s the blueprint?)
• Develop a project budget
Module 1: Concept to Concrete Plan $1,500
Email: Nancy @TheBookProfessor.com
Module Two: Write Without Ruts
Now that you’ve constructed your BookMap, you will expand it in this course to develop a path-to-draft writing plan, using the push-play method of writing. Your writing plan will have accountability checkpoints to keep you pushing forward to produce the first draft of your manuscript. This 16-week course will guide you to:
• Identify research tasks
• Construct a path-to-draft writing plan
• Execute that plan with accountability controls
• Introduce crucial writing tools to organize your work
• Construct your manuscript in a timeless manner, so it will have a long shelf life
• Identify the weaknesses in your writing and shore them up
• Avoid the common barriers to good writing
• Produce a first draft of your manuscript
Module Two: Write Without Ruts $1,500
Module Three: Polish and Perfect
Now that you have a working draft of your book manuscript, it’s time to polish and perfect your writing. Editing your work is a crucial part of writing a book, and can feel even more tedious than producing the first draft. It’s also more important than producing the first draft. Don’t make the mistake that many self-published authors make. You must polish your manuscript!
This 16-week course will guide you to:
• Segment your manuscript for maximum editing potential
• Pinpoint the problem areas and learn how to strengthen them
• Intense concentration on grammar, verb use, passive vs. active language, and elements of writing style
• Punch up your language to give it more life
• Tear down weak areas for greater focus
• Scrub the work for inconsistencies
• Identify errors before the book goes to print
• Write effective chapter titles to maximize your marketing potential
• Find a killer book title that pulls in readers
• Create a cover that sells books
Module Three: Polish and Perfect $1,800
Monthly payment plan available!
The Book Professor services were designed by Nancy L. Baumann, university professor and owner of Stonebrook Publishing, in order to help more writers produce marketable manuscripts, which is what both authors and publishers want.
______________________
This is T.W. Fendley. Thanks for reading and commenting on The Writers' Lens.You can find out more about me at www.twfendley.com.
