Writing nonfiction, finding literary agents, writing book proposals and query letters ... Do you know what it really takes to get published?

Welcome to YouCanWrite.com, the online reality check for aspiring nonfiction writers.

We want you to succeed, and we’re also realists: We know that getting published is one part talent, one part luck, and one part savvy insight into how the publishing business operates.

By now you've heard all the stories of instant bestsellers and first-time authors who become media darlings. Yet most aspiring nonfiction writers find a far different world: getting an agent to represent them or getting a publisher to buy their manuscript can be a bewildering journey of slammed doors and polite rejections. Many new writers begin with great confidence, but quickly discover that being taken seriously by editors and literary agents is not as easy as they thought it would be. A few determined souls keep at it despite a growing pile of rejection slips, some decide to self-publish, and others simply give up the dream.

As long-time publishing professionals, we've seen this repeated again and again. Yet we know that with some insight and information — about how editors and agents and publishers think, and about how the publishing world really works — these authors might have had a far more satisfying experience.

And that's why we started YouCanWrite.com: We don't want to keep all this great information to ourselves! Between us, we’ve worked as an acquisitions editor for a major book publisher, a magazine editor, a developmental editor, a copy editor, a literary agent, a ghostwriter, a published author, and a publishing consultant. We know how publishers think and how the market works. Instead of letting our private clients in on these "secrets" one at a time, we decided to share the wealth with aspiring new writers everywhere.

We invite you to take advantage of our knowledge and experience. Explore YouCanWrite.com and learn what insiders know about the market for books and the secrets of crafting effective book proposals, finding the right literary agent, developing your manuscript, and much more.

Get an Inside Look at How Publishers and Agents Make Buying Decisions About Your Manuscript

You Can Write! The Inside Scoop on Publishing Your Nonfiction Book

"Your advice is great!"—Kris Clerkin, Vice President, Houghton Mifflin

Why waste time submitting book proposals that don't sell your book, or proposing book ideas that have little chance of selling? With just a little bit of real insight into how publishing works and how editors, publishers, and agents think, you can improve your chances of getting published.

This comprehensive, no-nonsense guide is filled with practical and realistic yet compassionate advice and insight from the founders of the award-winning website YouCanWrite.com. You'll learn the why's and how-to's of crafting book proposals and query letters, pumping up your own author resume, how the market for books operates — everything you need to know to move your nonfiction book from idea to publishable project.

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contract: A formal agreement made between an author and a publisher that specifies the nature of the work (title, length, due date, and other details), lays out the rights that the author grants to the publisher, and carefully defines the obligations, warranties, and responsibilities of their legal relationship and association.

Getting Started

	The 10 Most Important Tips for Aspiring Nonfiction Writers
	Test Your Publishing IQ
	The 5-Minute Manuscript Assessment
	The 10 Best Ways to Get an Agent's Attention

Inside the Editor’s Brain: A Day in the Life Dispatches from the Front Lines of Publishing I got an urgent email from my marketing manager this week: “We need your sales tip sheets for spring 2006 books by July 1.” Then came another from the cover designer: “I'm confirming our meeting on July 5 to talk about covers for spring 2006 books.” I was not exactly surprised; I know well that marketing and sales start working on upcoming books a LONG time in advance — 6 to 9 months, in fact. And I know the designer has to have covers ready for the spring catalog early, too. But it’s always a slight shock to the system. The books that will be published between March and July of 2006 are not even finished manuscripts yet. We don't have final titles for some of them. How in the world will I give all the other departments what they need to market and sell these unfinished masterpieces? Read Full Article

YouCanWrite.com Insider Guides: Essential E-Books for Writers

Inking the Deal: An Author's Guide to Publishing Deals and Contracts

Sheryl Fullerton's fact-filled handbook is a must for new authors! If your publisher writes the contract, and you sign it without understanding its terms, you may be giving up more than you need to.

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Getting from "Pretty Good" to Publishable! A Writer's Guide to Working with Editors, Collaborators, Coaches, and Other Publishing Professionals

Here's a secret most new authors don't know: Every published manuscript — either before it goes out or before publication — has been shaped and vetted by a professional coach, writer, or editor, and often by all three. Getting professional coaching or assistance with editing, writing, or book proposals can help you achieve your goal of being published, and may cut months or even years off the process.

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