The Renegade Writer Blog

Andrea Campbell is teaching our e-course Publish That Book: How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal that Sells, which starts in January. Andrea is the author of twelve traditionally published nonfiction books on a variety of topics including forensic science, criminal law, and entertaining using interactive games, among others. We asked her about platforms, how to know if your idea is a good one, how the industry has changed, and more.

Q. How did you get started authoring books?

A. I thought I wanted to write children’s books and went to Chautauqua with Highlights magazine, but found I couldn’t capture the voice needed. Soon after, around 1990, I was writing for the local newspaper and was a member in a lot of clubs and organizations and always found my way onto the entertainment committee. I became an expert at interactive game-playing for parties and events. I decided that someone else might need that type of information too, and created what I thought was a book proposal. I was so naïve I used a Roman numeral outline. Apparently Sterling Publishers thought the content was more important than the outline, and offered me $1750. to write Great Games for Great Parties: How to throw a perfect party. Now the really great part about that is, Great Games was on the shelf for about 14 years and I think I made over $35,000. on it altogether.

Q. How difficult is it for magazine writers to make the leap to book authoring?

A. Magazine writers have some good preparation for the transition. They are good at research, they write on a regular basis, and are able to communicate good stories or they wouldn’t get published. They also have clips or tear sheets to demonstrate their appeal. And the good ones have a regular readership. All great things to have under your belt. I’ve had many magazine writers, editors and now, even an editor-in-chief in my eclasses.

Q. Everyone seems to have an idea for a book. What are some ways to know if your idea is a good one?

You’ve heard the phrase, “no new ideas under the sun”? There is a terrible dichotomy with book ideas; you want a subject that is universal, something we all think about or deal with, but you also want a new take on that subject and the only way to find that is through marketing and parsing—two ideas my class is heavily based on.

I also have a list of 12 ways to “test market” your ideas. But what I can say here is that this is the key to book proposal frustration: not being able to recognize the idea that will sell. A New York editor can work with a great idea and perhaps lesser writing, but they cannot work with a bad idea and great writing. There is also a psychological bent to finding your idea. You need to be able to adapt enough to find the true kernel of shaping your idea and most writers are very resistant to try. They get stuck in what I call, “first level thinking,” that’s why I’m around, to help them push past that.

Q. If you’re interested in writing a nonfiction book, should you write the book first or write the proposal?

A. Ack! Don’t even say that! Wow! what wasted time and effort. But I guess if you have a year to blow and want to write a book that no one will buy, yes, write it. It will never see the light of day. Nonfiction books are only sold by proposal. The editor can only sell your idea to the company based upon a proposal (and one or two sample chapters).

Q. What is a platform, and what are a couple of ways to build yours?

A. You probably won’t hear this from anyone else but platform is about positioning. Platform is what you bring to the table. Platform allows you to enter into a negotiation because you are prepared. That’s what platform is. Now what it consists of are: expertise, a built-in audience vehicle, your standing, past success, and your skill set for the task. This too, sounds complicated but the definition here is exacting and fairly easy to understand. Your expertise means you are either an expert in your subject area or you are fast becoming recognized; (your standing) as a go-to person in the field. Your past success is your experience with creating other book projects showing that you are able to go through the rigorous hoops a book implies and that you can be edited. Your built-in audience vehicle is: students you teach on a regular basis, speaking engagements you give often, a radio show, regular TV appearances, a newspaper column, etc.

Q. What are the top mistakes aspiring book authors make?

A. Thinking that it’s easy. Thinking that it moves fast. Thinking that you can control it. There’s a lot of sweat equity that goes into book writing and most people can’t tough it out.

Q. Do you think that the opportunities for book authors have changed in the last few years? If so, how?

A. I have mixed emotions about it right now. I think that the economy is a difficult taskmaster and is making everyone confused and angry (of course it is artificially being driven by the government and the media who reports it).

But Americans need new ideas, as much as just-about anything else (other than supporting life that is). I think that publishers are trying to figure out where they’ll be after this financial shakedown. But I also have to believe that people still like books. They like the feel of the paper and the portability of books. But in a depressed fiscally-challenged period, books are a luxury. And writers need to keep that in mind. And I am also so over Amazon! what it has done to the book industry. By fostering the “used books” program, they have devalued books and taken the money out of the system for authors completely (and the true accounting of it) and I will never forgive them for that. (Whew, sorry, I guess I just need to spew.)

But I think as long as the author has realistic expectations about what they are doing and where their commodity lies, they can achieve happiness with authoring a book.

Q. What are the biggest challenges book authors face, and how can they overcome them?

A. Outside challenges are their competition. For example, if they have a business topic, MBAs and business tycoons get published, college professors get published and company CEOs get published, based on platform. If they have a health topic, it’s the doctors who get published, the high profile trainers who get published, and so on. So, depending on category, they may have stiff competition.

But basically, if they are ignorant about the principles of the publishing industry, they can only hurt themselves. [lf]

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