As someone who writes non-fiction and has a longstanding blog where I release free content, I feel I am a great example of an author that has faced and conquered the challenge of convincing people to buy non-fiction books. There is tons of free information out there, and it can be hard to compete -- both with other authors and also with yourself!
I see many non-fiction authors leave this factor out when planning and executing their book releases and promotions. The fact that they’re not just competing with other books, but they’re also competing with Google and all the free information available out there on pretty much any topic is a crucial element in any book's success.
So, let’s talk about ways to make your non-fiction book stand out in today’s crowded and distracting market.
You Need Your Own Unique Approach
This goes without saying, but you need to stand out from your competition. What are your key selling points? Why should people buy your book? You have to have a better answer than simply saying, “My way works better!” because that’s not convincing enough if you’re a potential buyer. Trust me; everyone says that.
Once you create your list of key selling points, you need to include them in your Amazon description in an easily digestible way, for example, a bulleted list. Bullets draw attention and should be extremely compelling. What if the bullets were all potential buyers got to read about your book? How convincing will you be? Take the time to make sure your first impression persuades your buyer.
Your Buyer Should Be Your Focus
Yes, you have to sell your book’s content, but people don’t buy a book just because of the content. They buy a book because of what they hope it will do for them.
So your unique selling points are essential, but so is convincing people you’ll make their lives better in some way. That’s something a lot of free online content doesn’t get a chance to do!
Use your book description to convince potential buyers you wrote your book with their needs in mind. Make it about them and what you can do for them, and I assure you they will be interested.
Don’t Leave Out All The Free Information
You have your unique selling points and your emotional appeal, and now you should also be hitting people over the head with Google and free info reference! There’s no such thing as making it too easy for someone to make a buying decision.
You may be hesitant to give out information for free, but it allows readers to trust you as a resource. Plus, since you’re not giving away everything, buyers will be eager to buy your book to learn more.
Never assume!
Too often, I see authors miss key sales opportunities in their book description because the value of the book seems so incredibly obvious to them. But you should never assume the value is obvious to the buyer. You have to convince them.
Work it into your description WHY your book will serve someone better than simply Googling info about your topic online. If you don’t have a strong argument at the ready, then you have some serious work to do.
You Need a Clear Plan
Having a clear plan for what you give away for free on your platform and what you include in your book or books is extremely important. Otherwise, your strategy can become a jumbled mess.
There’s a lot you can accomplish for your sales funnel by giving away quality info on your blog or in your podcast, but if you give away too much, it makes your book less competitive.
Don’t wing it; figure out your boundaries and justify why that division serves your long-term goals. You have to give a little to get a lot in this area- but every author needs to decide their limits for themselves.
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About Penny
Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine.
Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon visibility campaigns as well offering national media pitching, online book marketing, author events, and other strategies designed to build the author/book visibility.
She is the author of 18 books, including "How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon," "Revise and Re-Release Your Book", "5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors," and the newly-released “From Book to Bestseller.”
AME has had dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.
Remember that great scene in “Jaws” 1 -– no, not “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” -- where Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss are showing each other their scars? Well, I’m going to do that in this essay. (Forge on, gentle reader, to see how I’ve taken my lumps and lived to tell the tale.) Hopefully, my adventures will help illustrate who, in the final analysis, is responsible for your work.
I wrote the back cover “blurb” for my new book and I was really happy with it. It was funny, it described the story accurately, and I thought it would make people want to read the book. Hey, I got my start writing advertising copy while I was in college. I can do this stuff. Sure, I can. Then my publisher sent it out for comments.
More on that later.
Let’s talk about feedback.
Whenshould you solicit it?
Whoshould you ask to comment?
Whatshould you do with the comments?
Creating a book-length story is a lot of work, a long process that can be lonely and discouraging. Getting feedback can be important — but...
When in the process should you solicit opinions?
At the Concept stage.
Talking about a story before it’s on paper comes in two forms. You can be doing the talking or you can be listening.
If you have been writing for any length of time you’ve probably had the following experience: somebody comes up to you and says, “I’ve got this great idea for a story . . .” They probably want you to do the actual writing.
It is not harsh to say that you should try very hard to discourage this individual, for two reasons.
First, you have your own work and almost certainly don’t need another idea. Let them down gently but let them down.
Second, and way more serious, if you do listen to their idea, decline the offer and years later the concept turns up even in a mutated form in your work, you are open to serious charges of, “You stole my idea!”
The other side of the equation is even worse.
Talking about an idea before you have worked it out in your head can cripple the poor thing. Get something down on paper first. I’ve done it (talked before writing) and the story survived but only because I chose the individuals to tell my idea to very carefully.
You can kill an idea by talking about it too early or — just as bad — you can get encouragement for an idea that you will be reluctant to change.
My advice: don’t talk.
What about after your First Draft?
Probably not. Your readers can get distracted by nonessential features like misplaced commas. At the very least carefully proofread the manuscript before handing it out.
Happy with it? Yes.
Then it's time! Which leads us to our next question.
Who do you send it to?
The answer to “Who” falls into three main groups.
1. A Critique Group
Very early in my writing career, I read all of the Matt Helm books by Donald Hamilton.
Side note: the novels are excellent, on a par with Fleming, and must never be confused with the silly, practically-unwatchable Dean Martin movies. Don’t believe me? He’s a singing spy.
In the novels, Matt Helm is a writer and when a young woman asks him to read her story he thinks, “Why do they do it? When I was starting out, I never asked for opinions from anybody who wasn’t in a position to buy the work.”2
That’s a bit extreme but you get the idea. Assuming you want feedback from other sources, the first is probably a critique group, other writers that share their work and comments.
I am not part of such a group at present, but my advice would be to choose carefully. Blanket approval is as useless as blanket criticism. If you are uncomfortable do not hesitate to leave the group. You can turn to . . .
2. Beta Readers
Before my experience with my new book, I might well have said to choose carefully, but now I say widen the net of readers.
Other writers are your first source. They will look carefully at the story for characterization, plot holes, and ping-pong dialog. Now, about widening that net — try for some pure readers. They will look for different things and may well surprise you. Remember, they are your audience, not other professionals.
3. Editors
The types of editors you might send to:
Editors you pay.
I use an editing group that is based in Great Britain. It’s not cheap, but for me it’s worth it. My particular editor is very good, likes my work, and provides detailed, insightful comments. The good news is that no feelings will be hurt over comments that you choose not to incorporate.
Then there is, of course, the cost, and the effort on your part. You need to very clearly explain the kind of edit you are looking for, and after the edits arrive you need to process them.
An editor who is offering to buy the book.
Try to negotiate out of any changes you don’t like. If that fails, do it. For an example of this process, see the Introduction to the revised edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s Red Planet(1949).3
The editor, a lady named Alice Dalgliesh, took exception to parts of the book, like girls carrying guns. "Girls don’t do that!"
Side note: my mother was a Heinlein contemporary who grew up on a farm in Texas and I assure you she could handle weapons.
And Ms. Dalgliesh didn’t like the weird alien sleeping in the hero’s bed.
Heinlein didn’t like it but he made the changes. A writer of his stature made changes that are to my mind poor at best. Nevertheless, Red Planet was published, was a success, and is still read today (in Heinlein’s original version in some editions).
Who the feedback is from can be important. Once upon a time, my cat threw up on a manuscript I was editing. What does he know?
So now you have the comments from those you submitted to. Hopefully, the wounds are not too deep and will provide material for interesting stories like Richard Dreyfuss and the moray eel. Hopefully, you are continuing with the project. The next question is...
What do you do with those comments?
There are some suggestions I can make.
When two or more readers say the same thing
Take it seriously.
Do you remember that sparkling, witty, back cover copy that my publisher sent out for comments? I think nine individuals responded with thoughtful edits.
They hated it.
It was too long
It gave away too much of the story
It failed to communicate the nature of the book
It wasn’t interesting
(At this point I wondered if the McPherson Driveline Dynamometer that I wrote about extolling the virtues of so many years ago ever sold.)
The writing rule is this:
If more than one person says the same thing, you should probably do it.
Examine the nature of the comment
A real comment from a beta reader on my new book was, “I had to read this three times to be sure who was talking.” Yikes! That has to be fixed. If a reader says they don’t understand something — fix it!
Your writer's mind fills in blank spots. You know more about your characters, what they are doing, where they are standing in a particular scene, and why they act the way they do. That’s a problem I have in action scenes. I tend to know where everybody is and what they are doing and neglect to spell it out on paper.
And in the End . . .
We can now answer the question we started with. Who’s in charge? You are. It’s your story. If you feel a comment from anybody at any time, regardless of what it is, is wrong, it’s up to you. Make the change or don’t and take the consequences.
I hope these guidelines help. Good luck!
How many beta readers do you have? How do you deal with their comments? Do you use a paid editing service? Have you ever talked about a story at the concept stage and did it work? C’mon, we’re all in this together - please share your experience in the comments.
3 Robert A. Heinlein, Red Planet. Look for the Baen edition that restores the parts his editor removed. I have also seen references to an essay called “Red Planet Blue Pencil” but I have not tracked down a copy. It apparently tells the whole story of the revisions.
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About James
James R. Preston is the author of the award-winning Surf City Mysteries and two historical novellas set in the swingin' sixties. Kirkus Reviews called Buzzkill, one of the historicals, "a historical thriller enriched by characters who sparkle and refuse to be forgotten." The hat isRobicheaux's Dock & Bait Shop, New Iberia, LA. It was captured at Bouchercon Chicago.
When your story stalls take heart—it’s not the end of your novel.
It stinks, but every writer gets stuck from time to time. Some days, it’s a short stall and you struggle with a single scene for a few hours before figuring out how to move forward. Other days, the problem is bigger than a scene, and it keeps you from writing for days or even weeks at a time. You write a scene, scrap it, write it again, but it just doesn’t want to work. You get frustrated and that keeps you away from the keyboard.
Which can actually be a good thing.
Getting stuck is your writer’s subconscious telling you there’s a problem, and keeping you from making it worse.
Your brain knows there’s something not right and it’s putting on the brakes before you write nine chapters and then realize you have to scrap the whole things and start over. Yes, it’s hard, and de-motivating, but so is throwing out all that work—or worse—forcing it into the story when it doesn’t belong there.
Most often, getting stuck is due to a plot or story issue. Once you figure out what you’re missing, the words start flowing and you can get on with your manuscript.
Here are ten ways to get moving again:
1. Look at your protagonist’s goals and motivations. Is it the wrong goal or the wrong reason?
The wrong goal or motivation can keep a story from moving forward. Maybe the plot says the protagonist needs to do X, but your subconscious knows there's no way she’d do that and it doesn’t let you write in the wrong direction (and so you get stuck in that scene).
What does the protagonist really want? Forget what you think she ought to do for the plot, what does she want now, based on everything you’ve written? Sometimes characters grow as you write them, and their goals and motivations shift.
Why does she want it? Maybe the goal isn’t the issue, but she’s lost sight of why she’s pursuing that goal and that's making it hard to go forward.
Identify what your protagonist wants and why she wants it, then check if it’s still fits and works with the planned plot. If not, brainstorm ways to adjust either the plot, or the character.
2. Reexamine your external conflict. Do you have one?
Since stories are about overcoming a problem, not having an external conflict gives your character nothing to overcome.
Maybe the conflict is more of an idea than a physical challenge to resolve, and you need to focus on the specifics of how the protagonists solves that conflict. It’s hard to plot individual scenes with a concept.
Make sure the conflict facing your protagonist is an external problem he can physically interact with. For example, “finding loving” is impossible from a plotting standpoint. It’s too vague, and gives the protagonist nothing specific to do (and nothing for you to write about). But “asking friends to fix me up” is a task the character can physically do, and that specific action moves the story forward.
3. Double check the backstory. Is it serving the story?
Sometimes you can't move forward because you haven't laid the right foundation for the story. The protagonist’s backstory doesn’t support her reasons for acting, or maybe she doesn’t even have one. It’s possible something in her past is actually contradicting what she needs to do for the plot to work, so her actions feel wrong for the scene and trigger your “something’s not right” writer sense.
Try adding information that provides the drive needed to move your protagonist to the next step. Or maybe revise the character’s history so it fits what the protagonist is doing now, and supports her goals and motivations.
4. Reevaluate the story itself. Has it changed from your original idea and outline?
Plots can change when you write them, and what you thought was going to happen might turn out to be the wrong thing for the novel.
Review your plot objectively. Has it changed? Did it veer off to a more interesting direction? A less interesting direction? Has a subplot developed that’s drawing more attention? Is a character arc overshadowing the main story? Is the plot overshadowing the character arc?
Look at the story you’re actually writing versus the one you set out to write. Maybe it’s time to throw away (or revise) that original plan. If not, then maybe it’s time to start over, or find where you veered off track and begin from there.
5. Review what you’ve written. Is something wrong?
First drafts are brain dumps, and not everything you dump onto the page is a keeper. Look at the draft so far. Is there something in the story that contradicts what you want to do next? Are you duplicating an event or plot point? Has a character acted out of character? Have you written something that is going to mess up something else you have planned?
The subconscious is really good and noticing problems, and it might be trying to rein you in before you write any further in a direction that’s not going to work.
6. Check the setting. Is it right for the scene?
Not every location serves the story, and the setting in a scene might not work for that scene. Maybe it’s not creating the right emotion in your characters, or it’s not providing any conflict to add tension to the scene. For example, if it’s supposed to be a tense scene, but there’s nothing tense in the setting, that might be leeching the worry from the situation. Are there ways you can tweak the setting to support the emotion of the scene?
Also consider if the scene would work better if you changed where it took place. If you need your character to feel uncomfortable, don’t set it where the character feels the most relaxed.
7. Rearrange the scenes. Do they flow better in a different sequence?
If a scene feels like it ought to work, but doesn’t, that could indicate it’s just in the wrong place. Maybe the protagonist needs to experience something before that scene takes place, or maybe he knows too much by then, so the scene falls flat.
What happens if you move it to another spot in the novel? What if it happened earlier or later? Pay particular attention to how the stakes and/or tension escalates. A low-tension scene right after a high-tension scene might not have the same impact, and could even kill the pacing instead of tightening it.
8. Check in with the antagonist. Are they all in or just going through the motions?
Sometimes the bad guy is bad for no reason, so their actions and “evil plans” feel two-dimensional and weak. A weak antagonist gives the protagonist nothing to struggle against, so all their actions end up feeling weak as well (which often stalls the story).
Have you been spending so much time on your protagonist that your antagonist's goals and motives are now weak and unbelievable? Maybe you need to shore up the villain's plan to get back on track.
9. Stop writing. Maybe you’re trying too hard?
It’s easy to get caught up in the text itself, so try sitting down with a blank page and writing out what you feel is supposed to happen. Describe it like you were telling a friend—no pressure, just casual. Sometimes writing it down before you "write" it down helps jar the sticky points loose. At the very least, it gives you the freedom to brainstorm and see how you can fix it.
Stepping away also gives your brain and that crafty subconscious time to work the problem. Go for a walk, take a shower, do some chores—anything that lets your mind work in the background. I can’t tell you how often I’ve solved a problem while washing my hair and not thinking about the problem.
10. Reconsider the scene. Do you really need it?
Sometimes a scene gives you trouble because deep down, you know it’s not necessary for the story. Something has changed, or the story unfolded a little differently, or the characters evolved beyond it, so the scene no longer works.
Don’t be afraid to skip a scene if it doesn’t want to be written. Either you’ll discover you didn’t need it, or you’ll figure out why you couldn't write it later on in the story. Often, a missing piece turns up in later scene, and that piece fixes whatever didn’t work early on. This is especially true in opening scenes—it isn’t until you write the last chapter that you figure out what the first chapter needs to be.
When we get stuck in a story, it’s because we haven’t figured something out, and we aren’t sure what to write next. Most often, that “something” is a goal, motivation, or conflict issue, so look there first. Focus on “How can I fix this?” not “How can I force this back on track?” If the scene was working, you wouldn’t be stuck in the first place, so don’t try to “make it work” without identifying why is it’s working.
Most of all…Don’t stress when you get stuck. It’ll be okay.
Getting stuck in your story is no fun, but there’s always a path out of the mud. Take a deep breath, step away from the keyboard, and approach the problem with objectivity.
What do you do when you get stuck in your story?
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About Janice
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. Not only does she write about writing, she teaches workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. She also spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting (in a good way). She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones.
Find out more about writing at www.Fiction-University.com, or visit her author’s site at www.JaniceHardy.com. Subscribe to her newsletter to stay updated on future books, workshops, and events and receive her book, 25 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing Right Now, free.
