My focus up to now has been fiction. Today I’ll consider nonfiction as well. But first, a bit of reality to help new writers focus on a goal.
Just as there are various categories of fiction (thriller, romance, mystery, literary, etc) each having subgenres, there are many more categories and subgenres of nonfiction works.
As I stated in a previous post, well over one million titles are published worldwide each year (per United Nations Education, Science, and Culture statistics based on ISBN). This includes fiction and nonfiction, both first publications and new editions of existing works.
More women read fiction than nonfiction. More men read nonfiction than fiction. Women buy and read more books than men. A simple exercise in logic.
From this it would seem more fiction is published than non-fiction. This isn’t the case. Based on ISBN, the ratio of published nonfiction to published fiction is approximately 5:1.
With so many books to consider, I find it is easier to imagine them as boats, each assembled by the loving hands of their author.
For a work of fiction, the new author is the ten-year-old who sets a foot-long sloop loose on a lake dotted with jet skis, runabouts, house boats, and yachts. The author hopes to navigate to the other side through the wakes of writers such as James Patterson, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, among others.
A daunting task at best. An impossible undertaking at worst. Yet, every year, some young author’s “boat” makes that distant shore.
For a work of nonfiction, the new writer is joined by thousands of others in putting their boat on a river. They watch it begin to progress downstream. The writer then rushes ahead and around the bend to wait at the finish line.
And they wait.
And as they wait, some “boats” make it through (a compliment to the writing and marketing). But most will be found in a log jam among those other thousands. A few might break free and make the goal. Most will never see the view from around the bend.
I don’t write this as a discouragement. I want to emphasize a point I’ve made several times. Successful new writers know their target audience. They aren’t afraid of failure. They are aware of the wake and the logjams, but they keep putting their work afloat in constant hope.
One key to nonfiction success is finding a hot-button topic. An inside story from an ISIS informant, for example, might be an immediate bestseller. Likewise, Bill O’Reilly has found remarkable success with his “Killing” series, although many readers say the works are far more fiction than nonfiction.
While some works of nonfiction are written for the purpose of entertainment (primarily biographies/autobiographies) many are written to highlight areas of concern or interest.
Without a hot button topic, a writer has to focus on the specifics of the subject matter. They often try to bring something new. This is where some writers get pigeonholed. Their point of view within the narrative is often skewed. This creates an open door for opposition writers.
In the year 2002, the Library of Congress cited 70,000 books that had been written about the civil war. That number has grown every year since. Viewpoints of the Generals, of foot soldiers, civilians, and of cavalry. Books dealing with economics and society, with industry and change; Differing viewpoints, new insights, recent conjecture., books upon books.
But…
For a nonfiction work to be successful, it must be well written and well researched. It is often creative. For example, “Who Moved My Cheese?” is an allegory for dealing with change in the family and workplace. It takes a real problem (stagnation in the face of change) and presents it couched in fiction. It is creative nonfiction.
In the end, success is different for everyone.
A book might have geographic appeal. A biography of Jimmy Carter would certainly sell better in Georgia than in Iowa.
A book might be written for young mothers. For art majors. For people in need of help. And as such, the self-help and DIY market continues to grow.
Books that stand out might have the best advice. Or perhaps they have the most appealing cover design. But rest assured, there will always be several to choose from.
And why?
People read nonfiction to learn, to understand, to bring fresh perspectives, and to connect. If you are writing nonfiction, your challenge is:
Do I have something more to contribute.
I'm currently working on three projects. I will post some of those pages in the near future. For the moment, I'm including a recent poem. It's a bit maudlin, but I hope you enjoy.
**I've moved all my poetry to the poetry section of my site. Use the click to read button below for quick access to this section.**
Thanks for reading.