Every page of this insightful and fun book has a writing tip, an explanation, an illustrative story, and an inspirational quotation. A great gift book for aspiring writers, it offers hints on developing topics, conducting research, building the book, finding an agent, and getting published.
Successful Nonfiction is a collection of pointers and affirmations for those nonfiction writers who view their books as "products" and their readers as "customers." Self-publishing guru Dan Poynter weaves together real-life publishing anecdotes, quotations from writers, and information from his own research and vast experience to comment on everything from combating procrastination to knowing when to call in a ghostwriter. He can tell you where to place your photograph (not on the cover, please), how much to invest in illustration, and when it makes sense to collaborate ("do not collaborate," he warns, "with someone you would not go camping with"). He explains why autograph parties are bad and bad reviews are good. Poynter's pagelong tidbits are short but pithy. If you want to write nonfiction but are unfamiliar with the publishing business, this is a good place to start. You'll learn to recognize when it's time to turn to a book doctor, why proofreading is not to be skimped on, and that, sometimes, self-publishing is the preferred path ("since it takes most publishers 18 months to turn a manuscript into a book, chances are high you will be first if you publish yourself"). And, just in case you were debating whether to write a novel or a how-to, remember: "Fiction writers tend to be creative, interesting people who are fun at parties. But nonfiction writers drive better cars." --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Nothing special - and some tips are increasingly outdated:
Dan Poynter is a virtual one-man self-publishing industry. Most of the books I've seen by him are more motivtional than educational. "Successful Nonfiction" carries a 2000 copyright date in the book (though not in the Amazon listing). As a result, much of the book is badly outdated. Print on demand is nowhere to be found. There is no mention of Amazon or any form of online selling. Poynter boldly advises that you get a computer and use e-mail! Even in 1999 - 2000, this was dated advice. On the... more info
Writing Secrets from a Master Publisher:
I have never met an author who was sorry he or she wrote a book. They are only sorry they did not write it sooner. ~Sam Horn Dan Poynter is famous for "The Self-Publishing Manual" and the way he coaches authors towards publishing success. His website and books are especially helpful for authors who are tired of waiting to get their work out into the world. With online publishing and opportunities to make your work available, there is no time like the present to find out how you can publish your next... more info
Rev. Kenny says "God Bless Dan Poynter.:
Thanks to Dan and his books, my bunch of random stories is soon going to be a book. "Sucessful Nonfiction" has lots of things that 1st timers won't think of, but will save you many hours and lots of dollars. Rev. Kenny D. Kozlowski
A disappointment:
This is a small book, written by a popular writer on writing, who has had several useful books published. But, this one is a disappointment. It is a short collection of one piece of advice per page, which is then briefly elaborated on in plain, first writer's terms. It is, as I find most Dan Poynter's books to be, a "cheerleading" book for aspiring published writers. For the price, it is a disappointment, though. Writers will get basic, common sense advice that could have been written in article form.
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