Jerry B. Jenkins's Blog, page 8

5 Types of Conflict to Use For Memorable Stories

Stories without conflict, where the main character faces zero opposition, fail because they bore readers.

In real life, harmony and agreement are worthy goals that produce a harmonious existence. But such is no recipe for stories that captivate readers.

Readers love conflict. It’s the engine of compelling fiction.

Conflict creates tension, and tension keeps readers turning the pages.

Internal and External Conflict

At the risk of insulting your intelligence, these definitions are self-explanatory. Internal conflict is your main character’s battle with his* own demons, self-doubt, etc.

[*Note: I use male pronouns to refer to both heroes and heroines.]

For instance, he might struggle with desiring independence while fearing stepping into the world alone.

External conflict is simply the obstacle or challenge your character faces. What does he want or need, what are the stakes, and what stands in his way?

Internal and external conflict work together. Your character’s fears, doubts, or false beliefs often arise from outside forces and in turn make it tougher for him to overcome them.

5 Types of ConflictMan vs. Self

This type of conflict is usually caused by something external — but the battle itself takes place within. Your character might fight opposing desires — such as whether to violate his moral principles in the pursuit of self-gain.

Internal conflict can manifest itself in dialogue, through action or inaction, in thoughts, or even through dreams, nightmares, or hallucinations.

Example: The Narrator in Fight Club conflicts with society (which he finds empty and consumeristic), with his boss, and with others, but the story is ultimately about the internal conflict between two halves of his personality.

Man vs. Man

Don’t make the mistake of assuming this type of conflict requires physical fighting or even an argument — though, of course, those also fit the definition. Conflict between the hero and villain is common.

But a character might also oppose your protagonist with his best interest in mind. For instance, a father might try to keep his teenager close, conflicting with the teen’s desire for independence.

Example: The conflict in Iron Man is a power struggle for the future of Stark Industries — between Tony Stark and his former mentor, Obadiah Stane.

Man vs. Nature

When a character struggles to survive in a hostile environment — such as on a mountain, or in a desert, ocean, or jungle — he might face extreme cold or heat, dangerous animals, or other threats to his life.

This is one of the conflict types often present in dystopian stories where the world has been devastated by a cataclysmic event like a plague or a nuclear apocalypse.

Example: The conflict between humans and dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Man vs. Society

This type of conflict pits a character against his government, the police, the military, or some other powerful force — including social norms. It’s usually most effective when Society is personified by a specific villain.

Example: Atticus Finch defending a black man in To Kill a Mockingbird, despite the pervasive racism of the time.

Man vs. Supernatural

Characters fighting vampires, werewolves, aliens, or wizards usually occurs in science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels.

Example: Buffy (and her friends) taking on vampires and demons in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

How to Create Conflict in a Story

The best stories involve layers of conflict. Your hero might fight the villain — and his own self-doubt. Or your hero might struggle against both society and nature, perhaps thrown out of his community to survive in the wilderness.

The more types of conflict you inject in your story, the more compelling readers are likely to find it… and the more powerful your ending will be.

Stories Need Conflict — and Plenty of It

If you’ve stalled halfway through your writing because scenes seem to fall flat, do whatever you need to to inject conflict. Is it sarcasm, a character flying off the handle for seemingly no reason, a friend all of a sudden in your character’s face?

As soon as that conflict is inserted, you (and your characters) must scramble to deal with it. And that creates page-turning tension. What’s going on?

Trust your gut, and your characters to the challenge.

For more help adding conflict to your stories, check out my articles on character motivation, character empathy, and story structure.

The post 5 Types of Conflict to Use For Memorable Stories appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

6 Types of Conflict to Use For Memorable Stories

Stories without conflict, where the main character faces zero opposition, fail because they bore readers.

In real life, harmony and agreement are worthy goals that produce a harmonious existence. But such is no recipe for stories that captivate readers.

Readers love conflict. It’s the engine of compelling fiction.

Conflict creates tension, and tension keeps readers turning the pages.

Internal and External Conflict

At the risk of insulting your intelligence, these definitions are self-explanatory. Internal conflict is your main character’s battle with his* own demons, self-doubt, etc.

[*Note: I use male pronouns to refer to both heroes and heroines.]

For instance, he might struggle with desiring independence while fearing stepping into the world alone.

External conflict is simply the obstacle or challenge your character faces. What does he want or need, what are the stakes, and what stands in his way?

Internal and external conflict work together. Your character’s fears, doubts, or false beliefs often arise from outside forces and in turn make it tougher for him to overcome them.

6 Types of ConflictMan vs. Self

This type of conflict is usually caused by something external — but the battle itself takes place within. Your character might fight opposing desires — such as whether to violate his moral principles in the pursuit of self-gain.

Internal conflict can manifest itself in dialogue, through action or inaction, in thoughts, or even through dreams, nightmares, or hallucinations.

Example: The Narrator in Fight Club conflicts with society (which he finds empty and consumeristic), with his boss, and with others, but the story is ultimately about the internal conflict between two halves of his personality.

Man vs. Man

Don’t make the mistake of assuming this type of conflict requires physical fighting or even an argument — though, of course, those also fit the definition. Conflict between the hero and villain is common.

But a character might also oppose your protagonist with his best interest in mind. For instance, a father might try to keep his teenager close, conflicting with the teen’s desire for independence.

Example: The conflict in Iron Man is a power struggle for the future of Stark Industries — between Tony Stark and his former mentor, Obadiah Stane.

Man vs. Nature

When a character struggles to survive in a hostile environment — such as on a mountain, or in a desert, ocean, or jungle — he might face extreme cold or heat, dangerous animals, or other threats to his life.

This is one of the conflict types often present in dystopian stories where the world has been devastated by a cataclysmic event like a plague or a nuclear apocalypse.

Example: The conflict between humans and dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Man vs. Society

This type of conflict pits a character against his government, the police, the military, or some other powerful force — including social norms. It’s usually most effective when Society is personified by a specific villain.

Example: Atticus Finch defending a black man in To Kill a Mockingbird, despite the pervasive racism of the time.

Man vs. Supernatural

Characters fighting vampires, werewolves, aliens, or wizards usually occurs in science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels.

Example: Buffy (and her friends) taking on vampires and demons in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

How to Create Conflict in a Story

The best stories involve layers of conflict. Your hero might fight the villain — and his own self-doubt. Or your hero might struggle against both society and nature, perhaps thrown out of his community to survive in the wilderness.

The more types of conflict you inject in your story, the more compelling readers are likely to find it… and the more powerful your ending will be.

Stories Need Conflict — and Plenty of It

If you’ve stalled halfway through your writing because scenes seem to fall flat, do whatever you need to to inject conflict. Is it sarcasm, a character flying off the handle for seemingly no reason, a friend all of a sudden in your character’s face?

As soon as that conflict is inserted, you (and your characters) must scramble to deal with it. And that creates page-turning tension. What’s going on?

Trust your gut, and your characters to the challenge.

For more help adding conflict to your stories, check out my articles on character motivation, character empathy, and story structure.

The post 6 Types of Conflict to Use For Memorable Stories appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Immersive World Building

A Step-by-Step Guide to Immersive World Building

A book like A Game of Thrones, a movie like Star Wars, or even a video game like Final Fantasy can make it appear their creators have effortlessly built a fantasy world out of nothing.

In fact, these worlds may feel as real as the world you live in.

How do they do it? More importantly, how can you do it?

More than two-thirds of my 200 books are novels, but creating fictional worlds never seems to get easier.

It’s an art, and in genres such as Fantasy or Science Fiction, world building is more important than ever. It can make or break your story.

In this guide, I’ll give you tips to follow and errors to avoid. But first…

Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.
What is World Building?

Writing a story is much like building a house — you can have all the right ideas, materials, and tools, but if your foundation isn’t solid, not even the most beautiful structure will stand.

World building is how you create that foundation — the Where of your story.

World building involves more than just the setting. It can be as complex as a unique venue with exotic creatures, rich political histories, and even new religions. Or it can be as simple as tweaking the history of the world we live in.

Go as big as you want, but remember: world building is serious business.

Create a world in which readers can lose themselves.

Do this well and they become not just fans, but also fanatics. Like those who obsess over:

Star Wars
Star Trek
Harry Potter
A Game of Thrones
The Marvel Universe
Halo

Each approaches world building in a different way:

1. Real-World Fantasy

Here you set your story in the world we live in, but your plot is either based on a real event (as in Outlander) or is one in which historical events occur differently (for instance, had Germany won World War 2).

In Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, he imagines a world in which Franklin Roosevelt was assassinated in the early 1930s.

2. Second-World Fantasy

Here you create new lands, species, and government. You also invent a world rich in its own history, geography, and purpose.

Examples include:

A Game of Thrones
The Lord of the Rings
Star Wars
Discworld
Eragon

Some novels combine the Real World and Second World Fantasy. The Harry Potter series, for instance, is set in the world we live in but with rules and history foreign to us.

(The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland are also examples of this.)

Your job is to take readers on a journey so compelling they can’t help but keep reading to the very end.

A World Building Guide

Step 1: Plan but Don’t Over-Plan

Outliners prefer to map out everything before they start writing.

Pantsers (those who write by the seat of their pants) write as a process of discovery — or, as Stephen King puts it, they “put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.”

Though I’m a Pantser, I can tell you that discovering a new world is a whole lot harder than building it before you get too deep into the writing.

Build your world first, then you can better focus on your story.

However, over-planning can also be a problem.

Many fantasy writers tell me they become so engrossed in world building that they find reasons not to write.

World building must not come at the expense of your story.

If you’re like me, you may have to spend more time planning than you’re used to.

If you’re an Outliner, draw a line in the sand and start writing as soon as you’re ready, even if you suspect you’ll have more spadework to do as you go.

Step 2: Describe Your World

Once you’ve determined your genre, paint for your reader a world that transports them, allowing them to see, smell, hear, and touch their surroundings. Show them, don’t tell them.

Which idea for this new world most excites you ? An other-worldly landscape? A new language? Strange creatures? Build on that to give you the momentum you need when the going gets tough.

Consider:

Climate / Environment
Resources
Geography

When James Cameron wrote the movie Avatar, he created countless reference books on Pandora’s vegetation and climate and even botany.

In Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the main characters live in a post-apocalyptic world covered in ash and largely devoid of life. Their entire journey revolves around finding food and water and how to stay warm.

In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin went as far as creating maps.

Other stories that feature maps:

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

World Building Questions:

Was your world always the way it is now? If not, what was it like before and what caused the change?
How much of your world do you need to show to support the story?
How does the terrain influence your story?
What is the weather like and does it impact your story?
How many mountains, oceans, deserts, forests?
Where are the borders?
What are the natural resources and how do they impact your story?

Be sure to focus on all five senses, not just seeing and hearing. Touch, taste, and smell will make your world feel real and familiar, even if it’s fantasy.

Step 3: Populate Your World

Are the inhabitants people, but somehow different from you and me?
Are they aliens, monsters, or some new species?

In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gave Frodo a past, personality traits, and morals. But he first determined what a hobbit looked like and how he lived.

World Building Character Questions:

How big is their population (i.e., how big is your world)?
How did they become part of your world (their backstory )?
Do they have a class system?
What are the genders, races, and species?
Does everyone speak the same language?
How do they get along?
Are there alliances?
What resources do they enjoy?
What resources do they lack?

Step 4: Establish the History of Your World

The Lord of The Rings focuses on an ancient war.
The Hunger Games is built on decades of oppression.
The Divergent trilogy characters are unaware of what their world used to be like.

When world building, consider:

The Deep Past: What happened to fuel the present economy, environment, culture, etc.
Trauma: Wars, famines, plagues.
Power Shifts: Political, religious, or technological.

World Building Questions:

Who have been the major rulers?
What took place during their reigns?
Who are the enemies of your world?

Step 5: Determine the Culture of Your World

Religion
Society
Politics

In Star Wars, for instance, religion (The Jedi vs. The Dark Side), societal structure (slaves and free), and politics (the trade wars) play huge roles.

World Building Questions:

Is your world totalitarian, authoritarian, or democratic?
Do your inhabitants speak a common language?
How do your characters behave? Will they break the rules?
Are the rules considered fair, or is society opposed to them?
How are inhabitants punished?
What is the religious belief system?
What gods exist?
How do religious rituals or customs manifest themselves?
Is there conflict between religious groups?
How do different social classes behave?
What do they wear?
How do families, marriages, and other relationships operate?
How do inhabitants respond to love and loss?
What behaviors are forbidden?
How are gender roles defined?
What defines their success and failure?
What and how do they celebrate?
Do they work?

Step 6: Power Your World

Is your world energized by equipment or magic?

Equipment involves technology like Artificial Intelligence, space or time travel, or futuristic weaponry.

Or it could focus on simpler technology like swords, guns, or horses.

Magic allows you to take your worldbuilding to new realms.

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke explained how things worked and why, making it as realistic and factual as possible.

When writing his futuristic novels, Iain M. Banks referenced droids and spaceships but never explained how they worked.

The same applies to magic in your story.

You can either explain how it all works or simply focus on how it is used and why.

World Building Questions:

Does magic exist in your world?
How powerful is it?
Where does it come from?
How does it manifest itself?
Can it be controlled?
Who wields it?
Can it be learned or are people born with it?
Are wands or staffs, etc., needed?
How does it affect the user?
Do people fear it or embrace it, and what makes the difference?
Is there good and evil magic?
What other technologies do people use?
Who controls it?
How do they travel and communicate?
How do they use these technologies day-to-day?
Do they use technology for entertainment?
Do governments use it to gain or maintain power?

In Fantastic Beasts, J.K. Rowling wrote a guide that focuses on how the magic works.

If magic or futuristic technology play roles in your world, consider doing the same.

It doesn’t have to be as detailed or as complete as Fantastic Beasts. So long as you have a resource that keeps all the rules in one place, you’ll keep your world (and the rules it lives by) consistent.

Write Attention-Grabbing Fiction

No two writers will approach world building the same. Just be careful not to get so bogged down in world building that it keeps you from writing your story.

Have fun with it!

Write a story that keeps your readers riveted to the end.

Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.

The post A Step-by-Step Guide to Immersive World Building appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

6 Best Practices for Writing Creative Nonfiction

People browsing books usually scan the cover for the title, author, and whoever wrote the foreword. Then they glance at the back cover.

If intrigued, they’ll turn to the first chapter.

Your first paragraph—from the first sentence—must compel your reader to continue.

The power of creative nonfiction comes from using a technique common in fiction—rendering a visual to trigger the theater of the readers’ minds.

Certain stories should be told exactly as they happened. Take it from a novelist who also writes nonfiction: You don’t have to resort to fiction to captivate readers. Creative nonfiction is often the best way to go.

What is Creative Nonfiction?

Also referred to as literary or narrative nonfiction (and sometimes literary journalism), the term can be confusing. “Creative” is usually associated with make-believe. So can nonfiction be creative?

It not only can, but should be to gain the attention of an agent or publisher—and ultimately your readership.

Unlike academic and technical writing (and even objective journalism), creative nonfiction uses many of the techniques and devices employed in fiction to tell a compelling true story. The goal is the same as in fiction: a story well told.

Some nonfiction narratives carry a literary flair every bit as beautiful as classic novels.

My very favorite book ever, Rick Bragg’s memoir All Over but the Shoutin’, won rave reviews all over the country. Bragg’s haunting, poetic prose was a byproduct of the point of his book, not the reason for it.

The Best Creative Nonfiction Writers Are…1. Avid readers.

Writers are readers. Good writers are good readers. Great writers are great readers.

Read everything you can find in your genre before trying to write in it.

You’ll quickly learn the conventions and expectations, what works and what doesn’t.

2. Focused on the heart, but not preachy.

Creative nonfiction consists of an emotionally powerful message that moves readers, potentially changing their lives. But don’t preach. True art gives your reader credit for getting the point.

Readers love to be educated and entertained, but move them emotionally and they’ll never forget it.

3. Precise.

Employing fictional literary tools doesn’t mean being loose with the facts. Become an avid researcher.

Your story should be:

FactualRelevantInteresting

Are you being objective or spinning your own angle?

Your research should contribute to real stories well told.

Remember to use your research to season your main course—the point of your book. Resist the urge to show off all you learned with an information dump.

4. Rule followers.

Writing a story is like building a house—if the foundation’s not solid, even the most beautiful structure won’t stand.

Experts agree that these 7 elements must exist in a story (follow the links to study further).

ThemeCharactersSettingPoint of ViewPlotConflictResolution5. Not afraid to get personal.

Include your unique voice and perspective, even if the book or story is not about you.

6. Creative (pun intended).

Readers bore quickly, so don’t just review a Chinese restaurant—explain how they get that fortune inside the cookie without getting it soggy.

Don’t just write a standard business piece on a store. Profile one of its most loyal customers.

Examples

Autobiography: First We Have Coffee by Margaret Jensen, Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Biography: A Passion for the Impossible by Miriam Huffman Rockness, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, John Adams by David McCullough, Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert, Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir by Linnie Marsh Wolfe

Memoir: All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg, Cultivate by Lara Casey, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, Out of Africa by Karen Blixen, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

How-to: Reconcilable Differences by Jim Talley, the …For Dummies guides, The Magical Power of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

Motivational: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews, Intentional Living by John Maxwell

Christian Living: Chasing God by Angie Smith, The Search for Significance by Robert McGee, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman, Boundaries by John Townsend, Love Does by Bob Goff

Children’s Books: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, My Brother’s Book by Maurice Sendak

Inspirational: Joni by Joni Eareckson Tada with Joe Musser, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life by Michele Cushatt, You’ve Gotta Keep Dancin’ by Tim Hansel

Expository: Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, Desiring God by John Piper, Breaker Boys: How a Photograph Helped End Child Labor by Michael Burgan, Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by Russell Freedman, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Time to Get to Work

Few pleasures in life compare to getting lost in a great story. The stories we tell can live for years in the hearts of readers.

Do you have an idea, an insight, a challenge, or an experience you long to share?

Don’t let it rest just because of all the work it takes. If it was easy, anybody could do it.

Master the best practices I’ve shared above so you can do justice to the important stories you have to tell.

For additional help writing creative nonfiction:

How to Write Your Memoir: A 5-Step Guide and How to Start Writing Your MemoirHow to Write an Anecdote and Why Stories Bring Your Nonfiction to LifeHow to Write a Devotional: The Definitive GuideHow to Edit a Book: 7 Steps for Becoming a Ferocious Self Editor

The post 6 Best Practices for Writing Creative Nonfiction appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

How to Outline a Nonfiction Book in 5 Steps

There’s no way around it. You need a book outline if you’re writing nonfiction.

For a novel, if you’re a Pantser (one who writes by the seat of your pants—like I do) as opposed to an Outliner, you can get away with having a rough idea where you’re going and how to get there.

But for nonfiction, a book outline is non-negotiable.

Potential agents and publishers’ acquisitions editors require it in a proposal. They want to know you know where you’re going, chapter by chapter.

Over the past nearly 50 years, I’ve written 200 books, 21 of them New York Times bestsellers—a third of them nonfiction. I’ve come to appreciate the discipline of outlining, though that doesn’t work for me with fiction.

I’ve developed an easy-to-use book outline process I believe will help you organize your manuscript.

But first, a word about your topic…

Don’t make the mistake of trying to make a book of something that could—and should—be covered in an article or blog post.

You need a topic worthy of a book. Can it bear at least 12 chapters?

What is a Book Outline?

If you’ve forgotten the basics of classic outlining or have never felt comfortable with the concept, you can still manage this. Your book outline must serve you, not the other way around.

You don’t have to think in terms of 20+ pages of Roman numerals and capital and lowercase letters followed by Arabic numerals—unless that best serves your project. For me a bullet point list of sentences that synopsize my idea works fine.

Don’t even call it an outline if that offends your sensibilities. But fashion some sort of a document that provides direction and structure—which will also serve as a safety net to keep you on track.

A Winning Strategy for Outlining a Book

If you lose interest in your manuscript somewhere in what I call the Marathon of the Middle, you likely didn’t begin with enough ideas. A book outline will reveal such a weakness in advance. You want confidence your structure will carry you through to the end.

I recommend the novel structure illustration below for fiction, but with only slight adaptations it can work for nonfiction as well.

The same structure can turn mediocre nonfiction to something special. Arrange your points and evidence to set up a huge payoff, then make sure to deliver.

If you’re writing a memoir, an autobiography, or a biography, you or your biographical subject becomes the main character. Craft a sequence of life events like a novel, and watch the true story come to life.

But even if you’re writing a straightforward how-to or self-help book, stay as close to this structure as possible.

Make promises early, triggering readers to anticipate fresh ideas, secrets, inside information—something major that will thrill them with the finished product.

While you may not have as much action or dialogue or character development as your novelist counterpart, your crises and tension can come from showing where people have failed before and how you’re going to ensure your readers will succeed.

You can even make a how-to project look impossible until you pay off that setup with your unique solution.

How to Outline a Book in 5 Steps

Always view your outline as fluid. You can expand or condense it as you go, and of course move things around.

Your outline should answer:

What’s my ultimate goal—my message?About what am I trying to convince, inform, educate, entertain, or move my readership?What progression sequence, chapter by chapter, best serves my purpose?

Begin with a one-page road map that gives you a bird’s eye view of what you intend your book to become.

What to include:

1. Your Message in One Sentence

This can also serve as your Elevator Pitch—what you’d share with a publishing professional between the time you meet him on the elevator and the time he gets off.

Think big. This is not your book, but the idea behind it.

What message can you communicate with the potential to change lives? It should be one you’re passionate about, because it changed your life.

People love to be educated and entertained, but they never forget if you move them emotionally.

I wrote As You Leave Home: Parting Thoughts from a Loving Parent to our eldest son when he left home for college.

My elevator pitch: “I want to express my unconditional love for my child as he leaves the nest.”

Gift books for grads are a dime a dozen, so what made mine stand out and be excerpted in the in-flight magazines of United and American Airlines, and land a guest spot on James Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program?

Why did this book resonate with tens of thousands of parents facing the same season?

The emotional nature of the message.

By declaring my love for my son, I connected with the hearts of parents during this same bittersweet season.

Without contriving, by letting it bubble up through true passion, aim for the heart.

2. Your Target Readership

Resist the temptation to say it’s for everyone. We all like to think our message is for both genders and all ages, but that’s unrealistic and viewed as naïve by agents and publishers.

Three of the bestselling nonfiction books of all time eventually landed in the everyone category but were originally aimed at specific readerships:

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, released in 1936, has sold more than 30 million copies and still sells roughly a quarter million a year. Target: business people.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, released in 1989, and has sold more than 25 million copies in 40 languages. Target: business people.Written as the sequel to The Purpose Driven Church, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, released in 2002, has sold more than 50 million copies in 85 languages. Target: adult Christians.

One way to determine your target readership is to imagine a single reader.

What’s their problem (felt need)?What takeaway value can you offer?What’s the most compelling approach you can use to reach them?

I used to imagine my mother as my target reader when she was in the demographic most likely to buy inspirational books. If I could make sense to her, I’d hit the mark.

If you’re still fuzzy on your readership, look in the mirror. Write the book you’d read.

And, be specific. If your book is about your life as a veterinary surgeon, its primary target would be aspiring vets, then practicing vets, and finally animal lovers.

Research the numbers of people who populate these categories so you can give agents and publishers an idea of the potential market.

3. How You’ll Convey Your Message

Imagine you’ve confided to two friends about a personal problem.

The first says, “Here’s what you need to do…”

The second drapes an arm around your shoulder and says, “I was in your place once. Let me tell you what I learned and how I got out of it.”

Which are you more likely to listen to?

I call that second approach the Come-Alongside Method. It avoids preachiness and allows readers to get and apply the point on their own.

A story well told drives home a point much more powerfully than narrative summary.

Think reader first.

4. A One-Sentence Synopsis of Each Chapter

Think in stages, so your chapters flow logically.

Begin with a promise—a setup you’ll pay off in the end.

For example, with a how-to topic like Time Management, your first few chapters should dangle a carrot, either with a story about a chronic time waster who became a consummate success, or by simply implying, Stick with me and you’ll be a time management pro by the time you finish this book.

Then list chapters that:

cover the background of your topicanalyze current theories and opinionsreview case historiespresent innovations and experimentsfeature interviews with experts

Now summarize your chapters to help divide your research into categories.

Example Chapters:

One: In Time, You Can Be a ProTwo: Time Management Since Bible TimesThree: What the Experts SayFour: Technology and Time Management5. Your Research and Stories

Getting every fact right adds polish to your finished product.

Even a small mistake due to a lack of research can cause your reader to lose confidence—and interest—in your book.

Research Tips

Essential tools:

Atlases and World Almanacs to confirm geography and cultural norms.Online Encyclopedias.YouTube and online search engines can yield tens of thousands of results. (Just be careful to avoid getting drawn into endless clickbait videos)A Thesaurus, but not to find the most exotic word. Look for that normal word on the tip of your tongue.In-person, online, or even email interviews with experts. People love to talk about their work, and often such lead to more anecdotes to support your message.

When choosing anecdotes, remember:

A memoir, autobiography, or biography doesn’t need to be in chronological order. Sequence your stories to best serve your theme.For how-to and self-help, include only stories that support your points.

Readers love stories.

If you don’t have a story to support a point, get creative! Feel free to invent stories, but always clearly differentiate between which are true and which are imagined.

If you begin a story, “A friend of mine…,” the reader will assume it’s true.

If you begin with something like, “Consider a mother of preschoolers…,” the reader understands you’re suggesting a scenario.

Now expand each chapter summary into a synopsis of a few sentences.

Under each, list the stories you’ll use and tell how each supports your theme and message

Next, for self-help, psychology, business, or other non-character driven nonfiction books: examine the primary message of each chapter. Note whether it meets the needs of your readers.

For chapters in memoirs, biographies, historical fiction, or any other character-driven nonfiction, examine:

Your POV characterWhat’s happeningWhen it’s happeningWhere it’s happeningIts contribution to your main character’s terrible troubleYou Can Do It

Outlining a book is crucial to your success. Carefully follow the steps above to give you the structure you need to write the nonfiction book you’ve always dreamed of writing.

Click here for additional resources, like help with writing your memoir, a devotional, or my start-to-finish book writing process.

The post How to Outline a Nonfiction Book in 5 Steps appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

How to Start a Story: 5 Proven Strategies and Why They Matter

Acquisitions editors and agents reject some manuscripts within the first page or two.

That doesn’t sound fair—and maybe it isn’t—but that’s the reality we writers face.

Even if you’re self-publishing and avoiding the harsh glare of professional eyes, you must rivet your readers from the get-go or most will close your book without a second thought.

Novelist Les Edgerton started a short story this way:

He was so mean that wherever he was standing became the bad part of town.

I’d keep reading, wouldn’t you?

If you’re stuck on how to start a story, you’re not alone.

Settling on a compelling opener is critical to the success of the rest—whether you’re writing a short story or a novel, your first sentence will be the most important. If it fails, readers stop reading.

How to Start a Story

As a novelist, you owe your reader certain things from page one.

By investing in your novel, your reader tacitly agrees to willingly suspend disbelief and trust you to provide entertainment, inspiration, or education—sometimes all three.

In exchange, the reader expects to be given credit for having a brain, not spoon fed. They want to participate in the experience. Set the tone of your novel early.

Whether your opening scene is funny or serious, the rest should follow suit.

The first few paragraphs serve as your calling card not only to readers but also to the potential agents or acquisitions editors who precede them.

To help you develop a strong beginning and get out of the way so your readers can, as Canadian author Lisa Moore puts it, begin to create your story in their head:

1. Begin in medias res.

That’s Latin for “in the midst of things.” It doesn’t have to be slam-bang action, unless that fits your genre. But start with something happening. Give the reader the sense he’s in the middle of something.

Don’t waste your opener (the highest price real estate in your manuscript) on backstory or setting or description. Layer these in as the story progresses. Get to the good stuff—the guts of your story—and trust your reader to deduce what’s going on.

The goal of every sentence, in fact of every word, is to get force the reader to read the next.

2. Introduce your main character early.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to introduce your main character too late. ()

As a rule, he* should be the first person on stage.

[*I use he inclusively to refer to both genders.]

Naming your character can be almost as stressful as naming a newborn, so take the time you need to get it right. Make it interesting and memorable, but not quirky or outrageous.

Search online for baby names by ethnicity and sex. Consult World Almanacs for foreign names. Be sure they’re historically and geographically accurate. You wouldn’t have characters named Jaxon and Brandi, for instance, in a story set in Elizabethan England.

Work in just enough detail to get readers to care what happens to him. Is he a spouse, a parent, troubled, worried, hopeful? Then get to the problem, the quest, the challenge, the danger—whatever drives your story.

3. Don’t describe; layer in.

Agents and editors say a common mistake in beginners’ manuscripts is starting a story by describing the setting.

Don’t get me wrong—setting is important. But we’ve all been put to sleep by an opening scene that began something like:

The house sat in a deep wood surrounded by…

Don’t.

Rather than employing description as a separate element, layer it in as part of your story. That way the reader subconsciously becomes aware of it while you’re focusing on the plot itself—what’s happening.

For example, instead of:

The house sat in a deep wood surrounded by… (Description as a separate element.)

Try this:

Wondering what could be so urgent that he had to meet Tim in the middle of the night, Fred pulled deep into the woods on an unpaved road and came upon… (Layering in the details.)

4. Show, Don’t Tell

When you tell rather than show, you simply inform your reader of information rather than allowing him to deduce anything.

You’re supplying information by simply stating it. You might report that a character is “tall,” or “angry,” or “cold,” or “tired.”

That’s telling.

Showing paints a picture readers see in their minds’ eyes.

Telling: She could tell he had been smoking and that he was scared.

Showing: She wrapped her arms around him and smelled tobacco. He shivered.

Layered in as part of the action, what things look and feel and smell and sound like register in the theater of your readers’ minds, while they’re concentrating on the action, the dialogue, the tension and drama and conflict that keeps them turning those pages.

That way, you can subtly work in all the details they need to get the full picture and enjoy the experience from the first sentence.

5. Find your writing voice.

This isn’t as complicated as it sounds.

Put simply, your writing voice is you.

It reveals your:

PersonalityCharacterPassionEmotionPurpose

Imagine saying to your best friend, “Have I got something to tell you…”

What comes next will likely be in your most passionate voice.

You at your most engaged is the voice you want on the page.

That’s what your writing voice should sound like.

To use it in fiction, give that voice to your perspective character.

Remember, the goal of your opener is to leave your reader with no choice but to turn the page.

Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my 12-step guide to writing a novel.

4 Ways to Start a Story

Learn from those who’ve done it successfully. Examples:

1. Surprise

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” —Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967)

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” —George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

“It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not.” —Paul Auster, City of Glass (1985)

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.” —Iain M. Banks, The Crow Road (1992)

“High, high above the North Pole, on the first day of 1969, two professors of English Literature approached each other at a combined velocity of 1200 miles per hour.” —David Lodge, Changing Places (1975)

“A screaming comes across the sky.” —Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow (1973)

“It was a pleasure to burn.” —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” —Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis (1915)

“I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.” —Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle (1948)

“Marley was dead, to begin with.” —Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843)

2. Dramatic Statement

“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.” —Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (1955)

“I am an invisible man.” —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.” —Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

“Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.” —Franz Kafka, The Trial (1925)

“They shoot the white girl first.” —Toni Morrison, Paradise (1998)

“You better not never tell nobody but God.” —Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

3. Philosophical

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877)

“This is the saddest story I have ever heard.” —Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier (1915)

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” —L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between (1953)

“Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I’ve come to learn, is women.” —Charles Johnson, Middle Passage (1990)

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” —Charles Dickens, David Copperfield (1850)

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.” —Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.” —H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds (1898)

4. Poetic

“When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon.” —James Crumley, The Last Good Kiss (1978)

“It was just noon that Sunday morning when the sheriff reached the jail with Lucas Beauchamp though the whole town (the whole county too for that matter) had known since the night before that Lucas had killed a white man.” —William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust (1948)

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

“In certain latitudes there comes a span of time approaching and following the summer solstice, some weeks in all, when the twilights turn long and blue.” —Joan Didion, Blue Nights (2011)

“Francis Marion Tarwater’s uncle had been dead for only half a day when the boy got too drunk to finish digging his grave and a Negro named Buford Munson, who had come to get a jug filled, had to finish it and drag the body from the breakfast table where it was still sitting and bury it in a decent and Christian way, with the sign of its Saviour at the head of the grave and enough dirt on top to keep the dogs from digging it up.” —Flannery O’Connor, The Violent Bear it Away (1960)

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937)

Writing a Great Opening Line Is Only the Beginning

Few pleasures in life compare to getting lost in a great story.

The story worlds you and I create and the characters we birth can live in the hearts of readers for years.

It begins with writing an opener so compelling they can’t help but continue turning the pages.

The post How to Start a Story: 5 Proven Strategies and Why They Matter appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

Dynamic and Static Characters: The Difference and Why it Matters

Guest Post by Tami Nantz

Memorable, believable characters are crucial to every good story.

Consider what makes these literary classics so unforgettable:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Each has a cast of flawed characters whose growth—their character arcs—makes all the difference.

Two essential types of characters exist in a story: dynamic and static. Understanding them can help you compel readers to keep turning the pages.

What is a Dynamic Character?

One who, because of the internal and external obstacles he faces, and the lessons he learns, experiences significant change by the end of a story.

The more challenges, the better the story. The toughest challenges beget the most radical transformations.

Lead characters are usually dynamic, but not always.

Dynamic Character Examples:

Katniss Everdeen: She begins The Hunger Games trying to feed and protect her family following the death of her father.

But when Prim, her sister, is selected as Tribute for District 12, Katniss knows she won’t survive, so she volunteers to take her place alongside the baker’s son Peeta, the chosen male Tribute.

Peeta has had a crush on Katniss since childhood, but does Katniss feel the same way, or does she merely pretend for strategic reasons?

As Katniss and Peeta fight to survive, the twists and turns of the game keep readers wondering if either will. In the end, Katniss becomes a hero who inspires hope (and a rebellion) in her countrymen.

Ebenezer Scrooge: He begins A Christmas Carol selfish, miserly, and miserable, an old man who seems to despise anything good, even carolers trying to spread cheer on Christmas Eve.

But that very night he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner and then the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. He watches as not a single soul cares enough about him to mourn his death.

In the end, he becomes a generous, gracious, kindhearted gentleman bent on keeping the Christmas Spirit alive for the rest of his life.

Walter White: The main character in the hit AMC series Breaking Bad begins as a high school science teacher who learns he has cancer. His insurance company refuses to cover all his treatments, putting him on the verge of bankruptcy.

He’s already working two jobs and has taken out a second mortgage on his home. A ride-along on a drug bust with his DEA brother-in-law gives Walter an idea: he could use his scientific knowledge to develop quality meth and make a bundle.

A chance encounter with a former student results in an unlikely partnership, and so begins the secret life of Walter White. Not only is he able to quickly meet the financial needs of his family, but his drug business also becomes so lucrative it ultimately destroys everyone involved.

The opposite character arc from Scrooge, for example, White has gone from high school teacher to drug lord.

Dynamic vs. Static Characters

Static characters often get a bad rap, but that’s not always deserved.

While dynamic characters experience life-altering changes, the personalities, behaviors, and morals of static characters remain largely unchanged.

But that doesn’t have to mean they’re boring. It just means they don’t experience a major internal transformation like dynamic characters do.

Static Character Examples:

James Bond: In his 12-novel series, Ian Fleming created the perfect static character. Though he’s a charming, sophisticated, dangerous British Secret Service Agent who fights crime, he personally remains unchanged.

Smaug: The deadly, fire breathing dragon who captures Erebor in The Hobbit, sits atop a golden treasure he’ll protect at any cost.

When Bilbo steals a chalice, Smaug wakes and fights, which results in his ultimate downfall. His character remains unchanged throughout.

Albus Dumbledore: For most of the Harry Potter series, Dumbledore is seen as the beloved grandfatherly Headmaster at Hogwarts.

We readers grow fond of him too, as we learn his backstory, but his character remains unchanged during the series.

Only after his death do we learn more about his sins and virtues, and that he never fully rid himself of the dark side he hid so well.

How to Create a Dynamic Character1. Give him a history.

Your character’s history—his backstory—shaped him into the person he is today.

The more thoroughly you know him, the easier it’ll be to determine where change can occur during your story.

Things you should know, whether or not you choose to include them:

When and where was he born?Who are his parents?Does he have brothers and sisters (include names and ages)?Did he attend high school? College? Graduate school? Where and for how long?What’s his political affiliation?What’s his occupation?How much does he make?What are his goals?What are his skills and talents?What does his spiritual life look like?Who are his friends?Who is his best friend?Is he single? Dating? Married?What’s his worldview?What’s his personality type?What triggers his anger?What gives him joy?What’s he afraid of?2. Give him human qualities.

To be human is to be flawed and vulnerable.

Even superheroes have weaknesses. Superman’s is Kryptonite. Daredevil’s is a high-pitched sound. Thor is stronger when he has his hammer. The Green Lantern can stop just about anything unless it’s made of wood.

If you want readers to identify with dynamic characters, those characters must have human weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

Just make sure those faults aren’t irreparable—don’t make your protagonist a fearful, wimpy slob who can do nothing right.

3. Give him heroic qualities, too.

Plunge him into terrible trouble and allow him to learn valuable lessons as he tries (and fails) to fight his way out. But eventually allow him to show readers what he’s made of.

Have him develop courage and conviction. Make him grow strong, selfless, honest, and determined. Give him moral integrity.

Maybe he begins as the underdog deathly afraid of spiders or heights, or has an unhealthy addiction. But in the end, he must rise above his flaws, overcome the challenge, and become the hero who keeps readers turning the pages

4. Make sure there’s internal and external conflict.

Conflict is the engine of fiction—and that’s usually external.

But what happens to your character internally is also important. What your hero thinks, feels, and tells himself directly influences his eventual transformation.

Draw upon your own experience to create a whole character, inside and out.

What are your innermost doubts and fears? How do you respond to danger?

Mix and match behaviors from yourself and others to determine your hero’s natural internal and external responses.

5. Show, don’t tell.

Like Jerry always says, this is the cardinal rule of fiction.

Show readers who your character is through his thoughts, actions, and dialogue. Then trust readers enough to let them deduce the rest.

That gives readers the best reading experience.

Start Developing Dynamic Characters

Positive growth or not, a dynamic character always changes over the course of a story.

Explore dynamic characters in stories you read to learn what makes them work, and how you can do it.

Develop dynamic characters who feel real, and they’ll become unforgettable.

For additional help developing your characters, visit:

Your Ultimate Guide to Character Development: 9 Steps to Creating Memorable HeroesInternal and External Conflict: Tips for Creating Unforgettable CharactersHow to Create a Powerful Character ArcCharacter Motivation: How to Craft Realistic Characters12 Character Archetypes You Can Use to Create Heroes Your Reader Will Love

The post Dynamic and Static Characters: The Difference and Why it Matters appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

How to Edit a Book: 7 Steps For Becoming a Ferocious Self-Editor

So you want to get published?

To give yourself the best chance, you need to learn how to edit your manuscript so a publisher will want to turn it into a book.

Whether you want to self-publish or land a traditional publishing deal (where they take all the financial risk and pay you, rather than the other way around), your manuscript must be the best it can be.

With self-publishing, anyone can get anything printed or turned into an ebook.

It doesn’t even have to be good. If you have the money, someone will print whatever you submit. Or you can create an ebook by simply uploading your manuscript to Amazon and other online stores.

But you’re not likely to impress readers if your book is full of typos or lacks proper formatting.

Admittedly, the odds of landing a traditional publishing contract are slim.

So you must separate yourself from the competition by ensuring your manuscript is the best you can imagine.

Yes, a traditional publisher will have its own editors and proofreaders. But to get that far, your manuscript has to be better than about a thousand other submissions.

And if you’re self-publishing, the way to stand out is by ferociously editing your manuscript until it’s as crisp and clean as possible and you’re happy with every word.

There’s little worse than a self-published book that looks like one.

Learning to Ferociously Self-Edit

Whether you’re going to hire an editor, or be assigned one by a traditional publisher, your responsibility is to get your book manuscript to the highest level it can be before you pass it on.

Never settle for, “That’s the best I can do; now fix it for me.”

Why?

Because sadly, if you attempt the traditional publishing route, you could pour your whole life into a manuscript and get just five minutes of an editor’s time before your book is rejected.

Sounds unfair, doesn’t it?

But as one who has been on both sides of the desk for more half a century, let me tell you there are reasons for it:

Why Agents and Publishers Reject Some Manuscripts After Just Two Pages

Professionals can tell within a page or two how much editing would be required to make a manuscript publishable; if it would take a lot of work in every sentence, the labor cost alone would disqualify it.

They’ll consider:

Does the writer grab readers by the throat from the get-go?Have too many characters been introduced too quickly?Does the writer understand point of view?Are the setting and tone compelling?Is there too much throat clearing (explanation below)?Is the story subtle and evocative, or is it on-the-nose (also clarified below)?

Yes, an agent or acquisitions editor often determines all this with a read of the first two to three pages.

If you’re thinking, But they didn’t even get to the good stuff, put the good stuff earlier in your manuscript.

So today, I want to zero in on tight writing and self-editing.

Author Francine Prose says:

For any writer, the ability to look at a sentence and see what’s superfluous, what can be altered, revised, expanded, or especially cut, is essential. It’s satisfying to see that sentence shrink, snap into place, and ultimately emerge in a more polished form: clear, economical, sharp.

Seven Steps to Self-Editing Your Book Manuscript Click here to download your copy of the ultimate self-editing checklist. Step 1. First, Separate Writing From Revising

I start every writing day by first conducting a heavy edit and rewrite of what I wrote the day before. Don’t try to edit as you write. That’s likely to slow you to a crawl.

Why?

Because rough draft writing is vastly different from revising. The latter accommodates our perfectionist tendencies. Writing needs to be done with our perfectionist caps off.

Step 2. Read Through Your Manuscript

For best results, read it out loud.

Have a notebook (or blank document) open to make notes as you spot pacing or character development issues, or even easily fixable issues like that are too similar.

Step 3. Start With the Big Picture

The editing process begins with big picture edits: major changes, like moving scenes, removing characters, or even changing the plot.

As you begin to self-edit:

Make sure you’ve introduced your main character early.Ensure the reader understands what motivates your characters (including the villain)—both internally and externally, their goals, strengths, and weaknesses.Remove scenes (or even chapters) that don’t move the story along.Fix issues with the plot of your story, like gaps or inconsistencies. If you’re a Pantser, pay particular attention to the logic of your plot.Be sure the structure of your story works.Ensure you’ve established character empathy for your hero and supporting cast. You even want some degree of reader empathy for your villain.Ensure your hero’s growth (character arc) is clear.Rework any scenes that seem rushed—and trim scenes that drag.Remember that conflict is the engine of fiction—both internal and external conflict.Make sure each scene is told from a single point of view. Failing is a mistake made by too many beginning writers. You can switch between points of view (multiple main characters), but never within the same scene.Conduct further research if necessary to strengthen your plot or make your novel more believable.Step 4. Hone Each Scene

At this stage of editing a manuscript, you should be confident that each scene develops your story or reveals character.

As you refine each scene:

Avoid throat-clearing—a literary term for a story or chapter that finally begins after a page or two of scene setting and background. Get on with it.Avoid too much stage direction. You don’t need to tell every action of every character in each scene, what they’re doing with each hand, etc.Avoid cliches. This doesn’t just apply to words and phrases. There are also clichéd situations, like starting your story with the main character waking to an alarm clock; having a character describe herself while looking in a full-length mirror; having future love interests literally bump into each other upon first meeting, etc.Use specifics. They add the ring of truth (even to fiction). Not tree, but oak. Not bird, but magpie.Avoid telling what’s not happening, like “He didn’t respond,” “She didn’t say anything,” or “The crowded room never got quiet.” If you don’t say these things happened, the reader will assume they didn’t.Give the reader credit. Example: “They walked through the open door and sat down across from each other in chairs.” If they walked in and sat, we can assume the door was open, the direction was down, and—unless told otherwise—there were chairs. Instead, try: “They walked in and sat across from each other.”Resist the urge to explain. Marian was mad. She pounded the table. “George, you’re going to drive me crazy,” she said, angrily. We don’t need to be told Marian was mad, or that she spoke angrily. It’s clear how she feels from her pounding the table and from the words she chooses.Show, don’t tell. As above, don’t tell us “Marian was mad.” Show us through her actions.Cut on-the-nose writing—a Hollywood term for writing that mirrors real life but fails to propel the story. Don’t distract the reader with minutia; stick to what matters.
Avoid passive voice. Eliminate as many state-of-being verbs as possible to make your writing more powerful.Make sure your dialogue provides information, advances the plot, or reveals character. If it doesn’t, cut it.Step 5. Root Out Weasel or Crutch Words

Words and phrases you overuse weaken your sentences and distract readers. You might already be aware of some of yours.

For instance, maybe you describe eyes as sparkling more than once, or you use really or very a lot. Watch out for these as you self-edit your book.

As you root out such words:

Choose the normal word over the obtuse. When you’re tempted to show off your vocabulary or a fancy turn of phrase, think reader-first and keep your content king. Don’t intrude. Get out of the way of your message.Avoid the words up and down…unless they’re really needed. They can be cut from sentences like “He rigged [up] the device” and “She sat [down] on the couch.”Usually, delete the word that. Use it only for clarity. “I told Joe that he needed to come home” is stronger as “I told Joe he needed to come home.”Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc.Refrain from using literally when you mean figuratively. “My eyes literally fell out of my head.” There’s a story I’d like to read.Avoid mannerisms of attribution. People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, snort, reply, retort, exclaim, or declare them. Such descriptors distract from the dialogue.Where appropriate, drop the attribution and use actions instead. Jim sighed. “I just can’t take any more.” This doesn’t need a he said at the end: we know it’s Jim speaking from the action preceding the dialogue.Step 6. Conduct a Final Run-Thorough

The final revision stage checks every word to be sure it’s as strong as possible. Also watch for typos or grammatical errors. Writing and editing tools like ProWritingAid can help.

When you copy edit:

Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes. “He…was… DEAD !” doesn’t make a character any more dramatically expired than “He was dead.”Use adjectives sparingly. Good writing is a thing of strong nouns and verbs, not adjectives. Novelist and editor Sol Stein says one plus one equals one-half (1+1=1/2), meaning the power of your words is diminished by not picking just the better one. “He proved a scrappy, active fighter,” is more powerful if you settle on the stronger of those two adjectives. Where possible, use a strong verb in place of an adjective plus a weaker verb.Omit needless words. This should be the hallmark of every writer.Avoid subtle redundancies. “She nodded her head in agreement.” Those last four words could be deleted. What else would she nod but her head? And when she nods, we need not be told she’s in agreement.Read your book aloud to spot sentences that are confusing, too long, or poorly constructed.Look for typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies. You may want to keep a running list of how you spell specific words (e.g. ebook, eBook, or e-book).Fix punctuation errors.Remove double spaces at the ends of sentences: yes, you might’ve learned to use them in school, but the modern standard is a single space between sentences.Step 7. Conduct a Final Proofread

During this step, you’re simply checking for things like spelling mistakes, stray punctuation, or misformatted dialogue.

It can be tricky to spot your own mistakes,so you might want to ask someone to help.
Proofreading is particularly vital if you’re self-publishing. You may not notice your mistakes, but readers will.

Your Assignment

I’ve added a downloadable self-editing checklist below to help you master these seven steps. The more boxes you can check for your manuscript, the leaner, meaner, and more ready it will be for submission to an agent or publisher.

Click here to download your copy of the ultimate self-editing checklist.

The post How to Edit a Book: 7 Steps For Becoming a Ferocious Self-Editor appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

A Comprehensive Guide to Creating an Effective Author Website

If you’re an author, published or not, you need your own website. Period.

Why am I so forthright about this? Because of the realities of publishing today.

You’ve heard and read of your need for an author platform—a following, a tribe, visibility. Well, that all starts with having your own author website.

Regardless of what you say about yourself and your work when pitching agents and publishers, one of the first things they do—sometimes even before reading the rest of your proposal—is conduct an internet search for your name.

The first thing that ought to pop up is your author website. Google my name and you’ll be directed to JerryJenkins.com.

In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to Google any published author’s name and not find their author website with a custom domain name (usually, like mine, their own name).

No way around it, an author website is crucial.

The Purpose of an Author Website

It’s where agents, publishers, readers, and fans learn about your work and communicate with you. It gives you:

1. Instant credibility.

A professional-looking author website puts your best foot forward and implies you’re a serious professional.

2. A showcase for your work.

Once you’re a published author, it’s where you can connect directly with your readers.

3. An opportunity to build a following.

This is what publishers and agents look for in potential authors. It’s where you collect email addresses and build a list.

Get your growing audience interacting with you and each other by posing a simple question or taking a brief survey on their favorite things: books, movies, celebrities—you name it.

If the Idea of an Author Website Intimidates You

Maybe, like me, you’re not a techie. Don’t worry. Below are simple instructions to get you started.

1. Choose Your Platform

A website platform is the foundation on which a website is built. It provides the best interactive experience for your readers.

Forty percent of all websites use WordPress, including me. Its user-friendly platform offers a huge variety of themes and allows us laypeople to build a professional looking website quickly and for very little or no cost.

In addition to WordPress, my team also recommends Squarespace, Blogger, or Wix.

2. Select a Domain Host

If even the idea of “hosting” a site sounds foreign to you (it did to me at first), think of the Internet as an apartment complex. Tenants decorate their apartments the way they want—but they don’t own that space. The landlord does.

Landlords own the hardware that makes websites work. These are also called hosting companies, so you rent your online space from them.

Of course, they don’t own your author website. You are responsible for everything posted there. Your hosting company makes sure your website is broadcast on the internet 24/7.

Free hosting is available. Most free host sites require you to either use their address (for example: yourname.wordpress.com or Ilovebooks.wordpress.com) or purchase the domain name from them.

In exchange for using their “free” space, they’ll place ads on your author website. You have little control over what those include.

If you can afford to pay for web hosting, you’ll find companies like GoDaddy, HostGator, and others. I recommend Bluehost. Until you start reaching hundreds of thousands of readers, Bluehost should be all you need.

It broadcasts a website for less than $9 per month and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.Bluehost customer service is accessible 24/7.

And should you choose WordPress, Bluehost has supported that platform for more than 10 years and has in-house WordPress experts.

To get started with Bluehost, click this link.

Full disclosure: I get a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to sign up for a Bluehost service. But I’d recommend Bluehost regardless.

3. Pick a Domain Name (URL)

This is your web address, your URL. (which stands for Universal Resource Locator—I had to look that up). The most economical way to purchase one is through your hosting site. I pay an annual fee to own JerryJenkins.com.

Choosing yours is easier than it sounds—just use the name under which you publish or plan to publish.

I recommend capitalizing each of your names for easier readability, but that’s not mandatory.

If your domain name is already in use, you’ll get a message that says your choice is “not available for registration” or something similar.

You have a couple options:

Choose a different website extension. “.com” is preferred because it’s most common, but “.net” or “.co” work just as wellChoose a new domain name

Keep it simple—“TimothyWoodfordWriting.com” is good; “TimothyWoodfordsGreatWritingWebsite.com” is not. Keep your domain name simple, professional, and clear—not quirky or extravagant.

Other ideas:

[YourName]Author.com[YourName]Writer.com[YourName]Books.com[YourName]Writes.com[YourName]Blog.com4. Add Domain Security

When you purchase a domain name, ICANN requires you to provide your personal contact information, making it publicly available.

When you purchase domain security, a third party becomes the owner, thus protecting your personal information by taking over as landlord.

Bluehost calls it Domain Privacy Protection. It’s included in the Prime Plan at no additional charge. If you opt for the Plus or Basic plans, the fee is well worth the extra 99¢ per month.

Build and Design Your Author Website Yourself

Avoid the temptation to settle for one of the quick and easy website designs that look like everyone else’s, giving it a small-time feel. Creating your own great-looking custom site has become easier and cheaper than ever.

If, however, you simply don’t want the hassle, and your budget allows it, hire someone to do it.

Pages to Include on Your Website

Keep your menu simple and uncluttered. The last thing you want is to confuse your visitors.

Home

The homepage is the landing page, the reader’s first impression.

As you choose your design and layout, keep in mind the real estate at the top of your homepage is the most valuable on your entire website.

Most designs include:

A header that identifies you, and offers a tagline that usually appears at the top of every page. My tagline is “New York Times Bestselling Novelist.” Novelist Brandilyn Collins uses Seatbelt Suspense®. Novelist DiAnn Mills uses Expect an adventure.The cover of your most recent book, or the latest work you wish to promote. I offer a link to a free writing assessment to help writers find the guidance they need to begin writing the book they’ve always dreamed of writing.Links to the social media sites you appear on.A unique invitation to connect via email (called a lead magnet), so you can communicate with visitors regularly. I offer a quiz to help writers reveal what’s holding them back. I offer to email free material that will help them grow as a writer.Reader reviews and media coverage.

Do not include “Home” as part of your website’s navigation. Since it’s the landing page readers see first, that’s obvious.

Whatever your design, be sure it quickly identifies who you are and what you offer.

About

This is one of the highest ranked (and most overlooked) pages on most websites. A reader wouldn’t visit your website if they weren’t curious about you, so use this to get them up to speed.

On my About Jerry page, I begin with a brief bio and immediately focus on engaging my readers and what I offer them. I link to a longer Bio and close with a note about my family and home.

Contact

Make it as easy as possible for readers to communicate with you by posting a brief list of reasons they might contact you:

“I’d love to hear your thoughts on…”“If you’re looking for a speaker on…”“If you’re looking for a writer who…”

And then, of course, link to your contact information and include an invitation to opt-in to your email list.

Books Page

If you’re a published author, include a list of your book(s).

I mention my bestselling series at the top of my ‘About Jerry’ page, and numerous titles and links to books I’ve written, as well as a link to the complete list on my Biography page.

Wherever you place yours, include:

Your book cover(s)A brief description of the book(s)A link to where your book(s) can be purchasedA link to any other materials you offer, like the introduction or first chapter, FAQs, or a study guide.

If you’re unpublished, you could link to any work you’ve published online or describe your work-in-progress.

Blog

A blog helps establish your credibility as an expert in your area of expertise.

If you add a blog, don’t make it your homepage. Linking to specific posts that direct them to your blog makes for a less cluttered appearance.

Regularity is more important than quantity. Visitors to your site appreciate knowing when they can expect a new entry.

Make more content visible on your blog page by offering the image, title, and the beginning of your most recent posts.

Because of the variety I offer writers, I include a dropdown menu that categorizes my content.

Events

If you host book signings or speaking events, post your schedule on this page.

The Fine Print

Your website should include:

A link to your Terms of Service: what happens when you collect an email address, what you’ll send, whether you’ll sell your email list, etc. (here’s mine)A Copyright notificationTrack Your Website’s Performance

Now what?

How do you know readers are finding your site and reading your content?

Many free tools can tell you everything you need to know.

Google Analytics

This is the most in-depth and is used by more than half of all websites.

It’ll help you understand:

Who’s visitingWhere they’re coming from (online source and geographical location)Whether they’re on a mobile or desktop deviceHow many and which pages they’re visitingHow long the visits lastWhich page they visit before they exitHow long the entire visit lasted

How to set it up:

You’ll need a Google account. Then go to Google Analytics and click “Start for Free.”That will lead you to a page that invites you to “start measuring.”Click there and enter the requested information. When finished, click on “Get Tracking ID.”Accept the Terms and Services to obtain a tracking ID, a number that looks like this: UA-123456-7. Beware: this number is unique to the security of your website.Once you have your tracking ID, you’ll be directed to the Admin page where your tracking code will be provided.Copy the tracking code and install it on every page of your website. This will enable Google Analytics to measure and report your activity.Search Engine Optimization (SEO)…

…is a way to increase traffic to your website and improve your ranking on search engines like Google, Bing,Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Dogpile, and others.

A tool like this can greatly contribute to your success.

A Google search will yield far more detailed information on SEO than I can provide, but meanwhile, make this incredible tool work for you by:

Writing great in-depth content.

Gone are the days of “shorter is better” for a blog. What works now are 1,000+ word posts that go in depth and use a variety of targeted keywords.

An easy way to determine what keywords people are searching for is to use your favorite search engine and try a few.

For instance, I searched for “Author Website.” Before I even finished typing the second word, I began getting results:

Use terms from that list in your blog, and you’ll trigger popular searches.

Build visibility through link building.

Described as currency for the internet, link building is getting other websites to link to yours, which requires relationships with other writers, experts, and influencers.

It improves your ranking on search engine results pages (SERP’s), and should yield an increase in traffic to your website.

The best way to do it? Create share-worthy content that establishes you as an expert, and builds a following.

Grow relationships by looking for great content you can share on your blog and social media platforms. Communicate with the author to get them to return the favor and share your work, and also to build a genuine relationship.

Exchange guest posts.

As you build relationships, invite writers to guest post on your site, and offer to return the favor to expand your following.

Using Your Author Website to Market Your Books

In today’s digitally driven world, an author website is an important part of marketing your book, but beware. Your webpage must benefit your readers more than it benefits you, and visitors quickly tire of being sold.

Give them regular takeaway value and they will be happy to occasionally hear what you have to offer.

Your author website is your home—where agents, publishers, and readers come to get to know you.

Your voice becomes your brand.

It’s your distinct:

PersonalityCharacterPassionEmotionPurpose

Your voice sets the tone for your brand. I want my brand to be known for visitor benefits, not for book sales—though those will come if I succeed in offering those benefits.

Examples

Websites I find professional-looking:

The Creative Penn

Joanna Penn tells what she can do for you and why she’s qualified to do it. Everything you need to know about her is on the home page.

Eric Metaxas

You learn who Eric is, that he’s a New York Times bestselling author, what he’s written, what others say about him and his work, where you can get his email newsletter, and how to contact him. The website is easily navigated and has a dropdown menu of his other books.

K.M. Weiland

Simple, easy to navigate. A header offers a free copy of one of her books, tells who she is, and what kind of fiction she writes. The bottom of the page offers a glance at all her work.

DiAnn Mills

Beautiful, bright, and easy to navigate.

The header provides a glance at her work, who she is, social media profiles, speaking engagements, awards, mentoring opportunities, and email newsletter sign-up. The bottom displays her latest work, and a menu of other books she’s written.

Anthony Horowitz

Anthony’s website immediately tells you who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s working on. The menu is uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Your author website should serve you well for years, but it can and should evolve, just like your writing.

Looking for ways to grow as a writer? Here’s a list of online creative writing courses I offer.

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Creating an Effective Author Website appeared first on Jerry Jenkins | Proven Writing Tips.

How to Become an Author: Your Complete Guide

So you want to become an author…

Well, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news first:

Writing your book won’t be easy. If you’re in the middle of that right now, you know exactly what I mean.

But here’s the good news:

All that work could open some amazing possibilities for you:

Getting publishedA career you loveImpacting peopleMedia attentionAdded income

In this extensive guide, my goal is to give you an honest look at how to become an author—using lessons I’ve learned from nearly 50 years working with some of the top publishers in the world.

Having written 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, I’m confident I can advise you in your writing journey.

Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Click here to download my ultimate guide to writing a book for FREE. What You Will Learn

Everything I cover in this step-by-step post on becoming an author:

DON’T Try to Become an Author Until You’ve…
…Studied the Craft and Polished Your Skills
…Written and Published Things Shorter Than a Book
…Joined a Community of Writers
…Started Building Your Platform Writing Your Book
Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick to
Identify Your Target Audience
Research and Plan
Keep Your Day Job
Become a Ferocious Self-Editor Landing a Publishing Contract
How to Get an Agent
Selling a Publisher
Editing Your Book Whether to Self-Publish
An Overview
How to Set Your Manuscript Apart
Choosing the Right Company
The #1 Killer of Self-Published BooksHow to Become an Author in 4 Steps

1. DON’T Try to Become a Writer Until You’ve…

I get it. You’re antsy. You’re ready to pen your bestseller right now. You’ve heard of writers who scored with a million-seller on their first try.

Throttle back. Those stories become big news because they’re so rare. Don’t bank on winning the lottery. If you want your book (and your message) to go anywhere, make sure you’ve:

…Studied the Craft

There’s no need to write by trial and error anymore. Your best bet is to follow proven methods.

Here’s a list of my favorite 12 books on writing to get you started.

The competition has gotten so fierce, you do yourself a favor if you learn how successful authors write before you try to get a look from a publisher.

…Written Things Shorter Than a Book

You shouldn’t start your writing career with a book any more than you should enroll in grad school as a kindergartner. A book is where you arrive.

Start small, learn the craft, hone your writing skills, write daily.

Journal. Write short stories. Write a newsletter. Start a blog. Write for magazines, newspapers, ezines. Take a night school or online course in journalism or creative writing.

Bottom line: Work a quarter-million clichés out of your system, learn what it means to be edited, become an expert in something, build your platform (more on that below), and only then think about writing a book.

…Joined a Community of Writers

Think you can do it alone?

Almost every traditionally published author I know is part of a helpful community. That’s one way they deal with:

FrustrationDiscouragementProcrastinationWanting to quit

I’ve written 200 books, and at this stage, community means I can bounce ideas off colleagues when I need to.

When you first become a writer, another pair of eyes on your work can prove invaluable. Ten pairs of eyes can be even better.

Join a writers’ group. Find a mentor. Stay open to criticism.

One caveat with writers’ groups: make sure at least one person, preferably the leader, is widely published and understands the publishing landscape. Otherwise you risk the blind leading the blind.

…Started Building Your Platform

When you eventually pitch agents and publishers, one of the first things they’ll do is conduct an Internet search for your name.

They’re looking for authors with a platform. If platform is a new term to you, it simply means the extent of your influence—how many people are interested in what you do? So start building yours now.

Bottom line, to become a published author you’ll need your own author website.

Add a blog and invite readers to comment, then interact with them. Join your favorite social media platforms and interact with readers there regularly.

Publishing short pieces can boost your name recognition.

With all the social media vehicles available, building a following has never been easier.

2. Writing Your Book

Most people never get this far. Writer’s fear leads to procrastination, and few ever make it to the first page.

To avoid this, you need a plan like the following:

Create a Writing Schedule You Can Stick To

Successful writers show up and do the work whether or not they feel like it.

Writer’s block is no excuse. In no other profession could you claim worker’s block.

Carve out at least six hours a week to write. You won’t find it, you’ll have to make the time by sacrificing something else. Lock these hours into your calendar and keep them sacred.

You’ll get a lot done when you finally plant yourself in your chair.

Identify Your Audience

Once you’ve determined your genre, identify the readers you want to read your book. Agents and publishers need to know the audience you’re targeting so they can market your book.

But resist the temptation to say it’s for everybody. Naturally, it’s tempting to wonder who wouldn’t want to read our work. But the truth is, that kind of thinking makes you look like an amateur.

Even mega-bestselling books don’t appeal to everyone. They’re written to specific audiences, and if they cross over to other markets (like the Harry Potter Young Adult titles—which have become vastly popular to adults as well), that’s a bonus.

Research books in your genre. You should read dozens and dozens of them to learn the conventions and expectations of readers. And who are those readers?

Primarily Male or Female?Age RangeEducational backgroundHobbiesLifestyle

Get to know readers by regularly interacting with them through your website, on social media, or in person.

Research and Plan

To give your manuscript the best chance to succeed, don’t skip this step. Excellent preparation can make or break your book.

Two main ways to prepare:

1. Outline.
Regardless how you feel about outlining, you need an idea of where you’re going before you start. If you’re writing a novel, you’re either an Outliner or a Pantser (who writes by the seat of your pants. If you’re writing a nonfiction book, you must outline.)

On the fiction side, Pantsers write by process of discovery—or as Stephen King puts it, they “put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.”

If you’re an Outliner and a novelist, you’ll benefit from Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. But if you’re a Pantser, check out this post. It’ll teach you how to work within a structure without actually outlining.

2. Do the research.
Great stories can be sunk with less than solid research.

If your character drives 10 miles east out of the Chicago Loop—as I once read in a bad novel, he’d better be in an amphibious vehicle, because he’d be in Lake Michigan.

Immerse yourself in the details of your setting. Accuracy adds flavor and authenticity. Get them wrong and your reader loses confidence—and interest.

Research tools:

Atlases and World Almanacs offer geography and cultural norms and can provide character names to align with the setting, period, and customs. If your character flashes someone a thumbs up, be sure that means the same in his culture as it does in yours.Encyclopedias. Buy your own, access one at a library, or find one online.YouTube and online search engines can yield tens of thousands of resources.Use a Thesaurus not to find the most exotic word but that normal one on the tip of your tongue.Interview experts. People love to talk about their work, and that often leads to more story ideas.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

I didn’t become a full-time freelance author until I had written and published nearly 90 books. A veteran author advised me that my freelance income ought to be around three times what I made at my job before I considered going solo.

Why so much?

He listed everything I would have to pay for: insurance, retirement, benefits, travel, equipment, office supplies—in short, everything.

Your job doesn’t have to keep you from writing. Keep it and write after hours.
Why?

You’ll have steady income—one less thing to worry about—while trying to build your writing career.You’ll be forced to be productive with limited hours.

How big a sacrifice is that for your writing dream? How badly do you want to become an author?

Become a Ferocious Self-Editor

This section is so important that it has the power to determine whether your manuscript sells—or slides into the editor’s reject pile.

Get serious about self-editing.

Editors know from the first page or two whether your manuscript is worth pursuing. I know that doesn’t sound fair or even logical. You’re thinking, It took me months, maybe years, to write hundreds of pages and you didn’t even get to the good stuff!

How could they do that to you? Why did they?

First, the good stuff ought to appear from word one. And if they see 15 needed adjustments on the first two pages, they know the cost of editing three or four hundred pages of the same would eat whatever profits they could hope for.

To avoid the dreaded “Thank you, but this doesn’t meet a current need” letter, your manuscript must be lean and mean and a great read.

My 21 rules of ferocious self-editing:Develop a thick skin. If you can’t take a critique, this may be the wrong pursuit for you.Avoid throat-clearing—scene setting, description, philosophizing—anything that slows getting to your story or your point.Choose the normal word over the obtuse.Omit needless words.Avoid subtle redundancies, like: “She nodded her head in agreement.” Those last four words could be deleted.Avoid the words up and down, unless they’re needed for clarity.Usually delete the word that. Again, use it only when necessary.Give readers credit. They understand more than you think.Avoid telling what’s not happening. If you don’t say it happened, we’ll assume it didn’t.Avoid being an adjectival maniac. Good writing is a thing of powerful nouns and verbs, not a plethora of adjectives.Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc.Avoid the term literally when you mean figuratively. [NOTE: I literally died when I heard that.]Avoid too much stage direction, describing every action of every character ad nauseum.Maintain a single point of view (POV) character for every scene.Avoid clichés, and not just words and phrases, but situations—like beginning your story with a character waking to a jangling alarm clock.Resist the urge to explain (RUE). If a character enters a room, we need not be told he came through the open door.Show, don’t tell. Telling: John was cold. Showing: John turned up his collar and faced away from the biting wind.People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, or retort them.Specifics add the ring of truth, even to fiction.Avoid . In fact, avoid even the same first initials.Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes, like overusing ellipses, italics, boldfacing, exclamation points, etc.3. Trying to Land a Publishing Contract

Becoming a published author isn’t easy. But let me show you the available options and suggest the best practices to increase your chances.

Acquiring an Agent

Once you’ve finished your manuscript and have ferociously self-edited it until you’re happy with every word, your first step in trying to land a traditional publishing deal (in other words, one where the publisher takes all the financial risk and also pays you) should be to try to land an agent.

There may seem a dichotomy, especially if you write for altruistic reasons—you have a mission, a passion, a message, something you want to share with the world. Yet agents and publishers appear to base their decisions solely on the bottom line.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t share your passion. They simply must make a profit to stay in business—even faith-based publishers who are all about ministry.

Though it’s hard to find an agent, it’s also rare to get traditionally published without one. Most publishers will not consider unsolicited manuscripts, though some allow you to submit at writers conferences or with the recommendation of other clients of theirs.

Check The Writer’s Market Guide and The Christian Writer’s Market Guide for agents and publishers.

An agent can make your life a lot easier.

Besides the instant credibility of an agent’s approval, evidence that your writing has survived a vetting process, you also get valuable input and coaching on how to fashion your query and proposal from someone who understands the publishing industry, knows the players and who’s looking for what, and has experience pitching publishers.

Obviously, there are good and bad agents. Whom can you trust? Credible agents welcome scrutiny. Check with their clients. Ask:

Were you happy?Did you feel taken care of?Were they pleased with the results?Feel free to ask agents:How do you like to work with an author?Have they succeeded in my genre?And any other question you have.

Once you compile a list of agents who seem to be a good fit, follow their submission guidelines. They’ll likely ask for a query letter, synopsis, proposal, and perhaps a few chapters.

If any ask for any sort of reading fee or other payment up front, eliminate them as candidates and do not respond. Agents make their money when they sell your book to a publisher.

Check out the submission guidelines for any agent by going to their website.
You may be asked for:

1. A query letter

This is just what its name implies—a letter querying the interest of the agent in your book idea.

Four parts of an effective query letter:a. Your elevator pitch

This is a summary of your book’s premise, told in the time it would take the editor to reach his floor if you happened to find yourself in the same elevator. So it has to be fast and easily understood.

The elevator pitch for my very first novel:

“A judge tries a man for a murder that the judge committed.”

While today I might have added a few more specifics, that either interested an agent or an editor, or it didn’t. Fortunately, it did.

b. Your synopsis

In a paragraph, tell what your nonfiction book is about and what you hope to accomplish with it. Or tell the basic premise of the plot of your novel. The synopsis would naturally go beyond the elevator pitch and tell what happens and how things turn out. Don’t make the mistake of trying to tease an agent into reading your manuscript to find out what happens. Tell him up front.

c. Your target audience and why they’ll enjoy your book

Agents need to envision how to pitch it to publishers, but be careful not to oversell. They know the business better than you do and will not be swayed by your assurance that “everyone will find this amazing.”

Tell what readers it’s intended for.

d. Your personal information

Sell the agent on yourself. What qualifies you to write this book? What else have you published? What kind of platform have you built? Where can they read your blog? Include your contact information.

Other query letter tips:Keep it to one page, single-spaced, and 12 pt. serif type.Don’t gush—let your premise speak for itself.Follow the agent’s submission guidelines to a T.Have someone you trust proofread your letter. Any typo on such a short document makes you look like an amateur.

A great example of a query letter, with a breakdown of why it works, by Brian Klems of Writer’s Digest.

2. A book proposal

Most agents want only this. Succinctly describe your idea, your goal being to make them want to read your manuscript in its enentirety as soon as it’s ready. For nonfiction, include every major issue you’ll cover and the basics of what you’ll say about it. For fiction, synopsize the plot.

Three trusted colleagues have produced masterful works on how to write book proposals:

Michael Hyatt: Writing a Winning Book Proposal

Jane Friedman: How to Write a Book Proposal

(Jane also has great material on query letters.)

Terry Whalin: Book Proposals That Sell

Proposals contain components such as:

PremiseElevator pitchOverviewTarget audienceChapter synopsesMarketing ideasEndorsementsYour analysis of competing booksUp to three sample chapters

Every word should be designed to pique an agent’s interest in seeing your entire manuscript.

Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Click here to download my ultimate guide to writing a book for FREE.
Connecting with the Right Publisher

Should you choose to approach publishers on your own (without an agent):

Precisely follow their submission guidelines.Personalize your cover letter to each.Avoid flattery and obvious sentiments like, “I’ll do anything you say, make any changes you want, meet any deadline…” Just express that you look forward to hearing from them.A rule of thumb:

If you’re writing fiction, most publishers require a complete manuscript before offering a contract.

Many writers come up with great ideas, and some produce promising starts. But few see their way through to the end. They want to know you can finish.

If the publisher offers input for the rest of the writing, you’ll have a much better chance of success if you can accommodate their wishes.

Professionally presented manuscripts follow these submission guidelines:

Use Times New Roman font (avoid sans serif fonts).Use 12-point type.Left-justify your page. (This means your text should be aligned at the left margin, but not the right. This is also called “flush left, ragged right.”)Double-space your page with no extra space between paragraphs.Each paragraph should be indented one-half inch.One space between sentences.Microsoft Word .doc or .docx file format.1” top, bottom, and side margins (or whatever is standard in your Word program).

Editing Your Book

Though you’ve already spent countless hours editing your own work, be ready to do more.

Once a publisher accepts your manuscript, they assign an editor to suggest changes, maybe major ones.

Develop a thick skin and avoid defensiveness. You can argue your points, if necessary, but remember, they’re on your side and want the best finished product. A published book is not a solo. It’s a duet between the writer and an editor.

Let them do their job. Keep an open mind and remain easy to work with. They’ll remember.

4. Should You Self-Publish?

Exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish before resorting to self-publishing. Even honest self-publishing executives would advise this. Why? Because with traditional publishing, the publisher takes all the risks, and you’re paid an advance against royalties and royalties based on sales. So nothing comes out of your pocket.

With self-publishing, however, you pay for everything, and packages can cost upwards of $10,000. Even so called co-op publishers, who ask you to cover only publicity or invest in an initial press run, require a significant investment.

Back when self-publishing was referred to as “vanity publishing,” you could always tell a self-published book from a traditionally published book due to schlocky covers, boring titles, the word by before the author’s name on the cover, a misspelling of the word Foreword or Acknowledgments, too much copy on the front and back, sans serif typeface and interior design, shoddy editing and proofreading, etc.

Admittedly, the game has changed.

Publishing your own book is vastly different than it used to be. Your end product can now look much more professional, and your price per book much more reasonable.

Print-on-demand technology allows for low-cost printing, so you can order as few as two or three books at a time for the same cost per book as you’d pay if you were buying hundreds.

So, you no longer need to store countless copies in your garage or basement. And self-published books look nicer these days too, because writers have demanded it.

How to Set Your Self-Published Book Apart

If you go this route, realize that it falls to you to advertise, promote, and market your own book. And though you’re earning profits after expenses, not just a royalty, don’t assume this will net you more money per copy. You’ll be amazed at the expenses required before you see income. But of course it happens.

It’s also rare that a self-published book finds its way to bookstore shelves outside the author’s home town.

(The hard truth is that it’s not easy for even traditionally published authors to place their books in bookstores. Experts say as few as one percent of all published books can be accommodated by bookstores and that the rest must be sold through other channels like the Internet, direct mail, and by hand.)

To give your self-published title the best chance to succeed, you need to invest in:A great cover, which will involve purchasing a photo or artwork, type design, and layoutInside layout, type design, and typesettingEditing (resist the urge to use a relative who majored in English or even teaches English; book editing is a specific art)Proofreading (same caveat as above; friends and loved ones who are meticulous spellers are not enough; there are myriad style matters to deal with)

Each of these elements will dramatically increase the professional look of your final product and, thus, your hope of selling more books. Do NOT skimp on them.

If you’ve ever built a house without a contractor, you have an idea of how complex this can be to do right.

So despite that many self-published authors swear by it and believe it’s fairer to the author than traditional publishing, I maintain that traditional remains the ideal—except for those unique titles targeted to deserving but very limited audiences.

Choosing the Right Company to Self-Publish Your Book

More than 2 million books are self-published every year in the United States alone, so there are many companies to choose from. But sadly, many are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

They’ll let you create a poor product and tell you it’s great.

They’ll “award” you a contract, telling you their publication board has “evaluated” your manuscript and “found it worthy” to be published.

They’ll tell you they’re “not a subsidy publisher” or “not a self-publisher” or “not an independent publisher.”

But they’ll use another euphemism to justify the fact that you’re paying “only for promotion” or “only for [this many] copies,” or “only for…” something else, when the fact is that the fee will cover all their costs and will include their profit.

They’ll imply they can get your title before the eyes of every bookstore owner and manager in the country. They might even give examples of a few titles of theirs that have sold in some stores or even made some bestseller list.

But they can’t guarantee your title will be sold in any store. Because that list your title is on that is “available” to every store owner and manager is merely a master list of all the books on some distributor’s internet site of every title in their catalogue. That means your book will get no personal attention from a salesperson and no more emphasis than any of the tens of thousands of other titles on the list.

Such companies are using you as little more than a content generator, pretending to have “chosen” your book from among the many they have to choose from, when the fact is they would publish anything you send them in any form, provided your accompanying check clears the bank.

Be wary of any company that:Doesn’t take seriously the editing and proofreading of your bookLets you commit embarrassing typosAllows the word by before your name on the coverOver-promises what you should expect in the way of personal sales representation, public relations, marketing, distribution, and advertising

That said, when you do need to self-publish, legitimate companies with proven track records are ready and eager to assist you. Do your homework and go beyond an internet search, which will likely turn up beautiful websites for countless companies putting their best foot forward.

Find previous customers and ask about their experience. You want a company who will answer every question straightforwardly and without hesitation. If you feel hard-sold, run.

A litmus test question for the publisher: ask if they would advise you to exhaust your efforts to traditionally publish first. I asked this of the head of WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, and he said he always advises customers that this is the ideal route.

That kind of refreshing honesty bodes well for a company.

The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books

When writers run out of money to invest in their book, too often the first place that suffers is the content itself.

Writers may understand that they are not experts in cover design, layout and typesetting, marketing and promotion, warehousing, distribution, and sales. But they overrate their writing and editing and proofreading abilities.

So, they invest in those other services and cut corners on editing and proofreading.

What they wind up with is a handsome product that looks like a real book but reads like the manuscript that made the rounds of the traditional houses and was rejected.

You must determine what will set you apart in a noisy marketplace.

That certain something that will set you apart is what it has always been:

Writing quality.

Having been in the writing game for 50 years and an author for more than 45, that is something I am able to tell you with certainty.

To use an ancient adage, cream rises. Readers recognize quality.

You or your agent may be looking for a deal from a traditional publisher. Or you may have chosen to self-publish online, in print, or both.

Regardless, you want your manuscript to be of the highest editorial quality you can make it.

What does that mean?

It means you must:

Learn the craft and hone your skills. Rigorously study writing, do exercises, write stories, ferociously edit your work. It can all pay off. Just as with physical exercise, the more the better, but anything is better than nothing.Recognize that writing well is much harder and more involved than you ever dreamed. If you thought writing was merely a hobby, this realization could crush you. So, to push through, remember why you wanted to become a writer in the first place: you have a message, and people need to hear it.Don’t trust friends’ and relatives’ flattery. Sure, they’re great for encouragement, or keeping you from quitting. But when you need solid input on your writing, their enthusiasm won’t translate to sales.Accept criticism and input from people who know what they’re talking about. Find an experienced writer or editor who’ll offer honest feedback on your work. Join a writers group. Attend writers conferences. Get a mentor.

If you really want to become an author, it can be done. Don’t allow the magnitude of the process to overwhelm you. You’ll know you’re ready when you’re willing to carve the time from your schedule to write. You won’t find the time; you’ll have to create it.

Something on your calendar will have to give so you’ll make the time to write. What’ll it be? What you’re willing to sacrifice will tell you how important your writing dream is to you. Welcome to the journey.

Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Click here to download my ultimate guide to writing a book for FREE.

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