The 10 Most Important Tips for Aspiring Writers

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The 10 Most Important Tips for Aspiring Writers

Tip #1. Do your homework.

Before you write — but certainly before you start contacting agents and editors — make sure there's a market for the book you want to write, that you can express your idea succinctly in one or two sentences, and that you can distinguish your book from all the others on the market. Ask yourself:

Is it timely and fresh? Does it respond to emerging trends or needs in a distinctive way?

How many other books have been published in the last two years on this general subject? Call and visit a local independent bookstore and ask about the leading books on this subject and why they have sold (or have not). Amazon.com is also a good resource for checking out the competition.

Why do readers need what you have to offer? (That is, what is so much better or different about your approach to or treatment of this subject?)

What do you have to offer as an author that will impress publishers or agents (for example, a thriving seminar and workshop business, a widely circulated magazine or newspaper column, a previously published series of articles on the topic that makes you an expert, or some other form of notoriety that can be used to promote you and the book)?

Tip #2. Be realistic.

You feel a great personal need to write about your topic, but your book may face challenges in today's competitive marketplace. Ask yourself some questions, and be realistic and specific in your answers:

Are you highly qualified to write about this topic? List your qualifications.

Have you got a publishing track record as an author or some other claim to fame that will make you a promotable author (i.e., that will interest the media and book reviewers?)

Have you got a compelling angle or “hook” that will make this project stand out among all the others agents and publishers are seeing?

Have you worked at developing your writing skills by taking courses, attending a writer's conference, or working with professional editor?

If you can't answer a strong “Yes!” to these questions, you are not being realistic about the challenges ahead.

Tip #3. Educate yourself.

Information is power. Find out what you're up against.

What does it take to get published today?

What qualities do published first time writers share?

What large and small publishers are actively bringing out books on your subject?

What are the characteristics of best-selling authors who have written on this topic?

What are the elements of a first-class book proposal?

What are the best ways to find and contact an agent?

Many writers are so excited about writing their books that they don't take the time to inform themselves fully on the publishing environment, the market for their books, or the process. Our book You Can Write! The Inside Scoop on Publishing Your Nonfiction Book is a good resource for educating yourself, but there are others as well. See Writer's Resources.

Tip #4. Learn to write.

Many new writers who approach agents and editors today appear to think that they can be published without putting in the time to learn to write well. Many writers of personal memoirs in particular seem to believe that an incredible story is the most important element. The media tend to encourage this thinking because they often don't highlight the memoirist's credentials as a writer.

Writing matters enormously. The way a life story is shaped, narrative technique, and other elements of the craft of writing are essential to a memoir — especially if you are not already well-known. For example, before Caroline Knapp wrote Drinking: A Love Story, about her struggles with alcohol, she had been a reporter and newspaper columnist for a number of years. She had learned the craft of writing, and knew how to write an unforgettable personal story.

If you lack experience and training as a writer, consider working with a professional collaborator.

Tip #5. Be aware of the importance of your profile as an author.

Your book idea is important, but your profile as an author is equally essential. Most large publishers will not seriously consider authors who cannot command large audiences for their work - 25,000 copies and up. Whether we like it or not, the reading public places more and more importance on expertise and visibility as bases for buying books. Ask yourself:

Have you published other relevant books and articles on this subject?

Do you have the requisite credentials, experience, and expertise to qualify as the author for this book?

Have you established yourself as an expert in the broadest sense, preferably beyond your local or regional area? Are you the person journalists call when they need background or a quote?

How well have your previous books sold?

What other activities (nonprofit boards, media, newspaper and magazine columns, blogs, speaking engagements, consulting work, seminars) have you done that demonstrate a national audience?

Remember: You need to do whatever you can before you begin approaching agents and editors to demonstrate your ability to promote yourself and to be successfully promoted.

Tip #6. Make sure you have an idea for a book — not a magazine article.

Agents often get queries for books that are really articles — long articles in some cases, but still articles. There isn't enough to say, for example, about how to shop efficiently in a grocery store to make it a book. Similarly, a 60-page pamphlet on choosing a computer would not work, even if it were well done. Why? Because it can be covered in a magazine in far fewer pages. And even if it were published, it has so few pages that it has no "spine" — the edge of the book where the title is printed. Without a name prominently printed on the spine, it would get lost on the shelves. Beyond this, the logistics of pricing and stocking it in a bookstore make it impractical.

Tip #7. Create a query letter that grabs editors and agents.

The query letter is your first opportunity to develop a compelling sales pitch for your book. It should have one effect: to represent you and your book as a viable business opportunity. It should prompt an agent or editor to want to know more about you and your book. Limit it to one high-impact page that gets across the book idea and your author profile in a clear and vivid way.

Remember: You have much less than a minute to capture an agent's or editor's attention. They are flooded with mail — they won't get past the first paragraph if you don't give them a strong reason to keep reading. And if an assistant is opening and filtering the mail, you need to make your query even more potent — assistants are cautious about wasting their bosses’ time.

Tip #8. Write the best book proposal you can.

Get a good reference book on the subject, obtain editors’ or agents’ guidelines (by writing away for them or visiting their websites), hook up with an editor or collaborator who can help you, get hold of a good sample — but whatever you do, spend enough time and resources on your proposal to make it compelling. Remember, it only exists to convince those who read it that you have a promotable author profile and a viable project that fits their program. Since the proposal is a sales document, it must be written like jacket or back cover copy on a published book.

If you feel uncomfortable or unprepared to create a proposal that truly sells, you'd be wise to consider seeking professional editorial assistance.

Tip #9. Develop the ability to put yourself in others’ shoes.

Your book will be read by a variety of people. Whether it's consumers, an agent, or an editor, you'll need to understand their needs and perspectives. If you can't, you won't get your ideas across, nor will editors and agents jump at the chance to work with you. Ask yourself:

What does this person most want or need to know? (Remember: Agents and editors are businesspeople looking for economically attractive, potentially successful projects.)
How and why might this person raise objections (because they will - you can bet on it!)?
What specific objections might he or she have? How can I anticipate and overcome them? (Be especially tough on yourself here - nobody will love your book the way you do unless you convince them to.)
How can you clearly communicate what's distinctive about your book without making hollow-sounding claims that turn off editors and agents? (Hint: Avoid such phrases as "I have not written before," "There's no book like this one," "It's the first book ever to . . ." Editors and agents are allergic to empty hype.)

Tip #10. Pay attention to details.

First impressions count. Before you send out your manuscript, proposal, or query letter out, look it over carefully. Grammar, spelling, style, format, letterhead, font style, and print quality are all important. They tell agents and editors "This is who I am as a person and a writer." If you don't pay attention to these details, and if you make careless errors or use language in a sloppy or inappropriate way, agents and editors are likely to think you're not careful about other things either: like the content of your book.