What is Narrative Nonfiction?

July 30, 2012

Wendy Stetina Wendy Speaks , , , , , Leave a comment

As a self-published author, you are asked to choose a genre for your book. The easy part is deciding whether your book is fiction or nonfiction. The more difficult part is determining what type of fiction or nonfiction to categorize your book.

Basically, there are two types of nonfiction books: narrative nonfiction and prescriptive nonfiction. All biographies and memoirs are considered narrative nonfiction, while how-to books are described as prescriptive nonfiction.

Remember, if you are writing a memoir, you must be able to attest to the accuracy of the details. In addition, the story must have the same elements as fiction stories: a beginning, middle, and end as well as conflict, interesting characters, setting, etc. If your memoir doesn’t meet these standards, you may want to write a fictional story loosely based on real life. This allows you to add information to create a better story and protects you from possible legal issues.

ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

The Importance of Genre

March 27, 2012

Cheri Breeding Cheri Speaks , , Leave a comment

The genre of your book is one of the most important decisions you will make when self-publishing. It will impact who buys and reads your book as well as how reads it.

The most important to thing to remember when choosing a genre is to not pick a genre too soon. Too often, authors set out thinking “I want to write children’s books” or “I want to write adult mystery novels,” but writing often takes on a life of its own and your book may not best fit in the genre you originally intended.

Once the book is finished, it is important to consider the audience you hope to reach. Are children your target audience? Are professionals in a certain field your audience, or do you want your book to appeal to a wide, general audience? A narrow genre can limit the readers who find your book. This is one of the few cases where general can be better.

Finally, think about how readers will find your book. Will they primarily search online, or will they visit a  bookstore? If your readers will be searching online, consider keywords when choosing a genre. This will ensure that your book shows up in the search results.

If you are still unsure about the genre of your book, talk to other writers and people who work in the publishing and book distribution industry. Visit your local bookstores to look at the titles in your genre and talk to the sales people. Seeing and hearing what other writers are doing and what readers are buying can help make this difficult decision easier.

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING: Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

How to Choose A Genre for Your Book

October 11, 2011

Cheri Breeding Book Marketing, Cheri Speaks , Leave a comment

Once you decide to publish your book, you must choose a genre. This sounds like an easy decision, but it can be one of the most confusing for new authors. Below are six tips to help you choose a genre that will make your book successful.

Wait Until the Manuscript is Finished

Many authors want to decide the genre of their book when they begin working on their manuscript. However, our books  often take on lives of their own and turn out different from what we expected. For instance, you may  start out writing an adult novel but later realize that it would be a great read for young adults. Don’t try to label your book to soon. Trust the creative process.

For Once, General is Better

You may think that a specific genre will help you market your book, but this is one case where general is better. If you choose a genre that is too specific, you may discourage certain buyers from purchasing your book. Don’t limit your readers by being too specific.

Think of Key Words

In today’s world of technology, readers often find books by searching key words. Consider who you want to find your book. What would they type into a search engine? However, don’t let this confuse you will being overly specific.  You want to pick a genre that is effective but not limiting.

You Can Choose More Than One

Many publishers let you choose up to three genres. The first one should be general: fiction or non-fiction. The second and third can be more specific. For instance, you may label your book as Fiction - Mystery or Fiction – Young Adult.

Search Online

Visit the websites of online retailers and search the genre you are considering for your book. Would you want your book placed next to these titles? What does your book have in common with these titles? How is it different from these titles?

Talk to Someone at Your Local Bookstore and Other Authors

The people who work at your local bookstore are up-to-date on publishing trends and can offer great advice when you are considering a genre for your book. Also, ask other authors about their experiences. It is always beneficial to seek tips from published authors. They can provide insight that no class or book can offer.

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING:
Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

Choosing a Genre for Your Book

May 3, 2011

Cheri Breeding Cheri Speaks , , , 3 Comments

With so many genres to choose from, how does an author settle on one? Should you be general in your choice or should you be very specific?

From a marketing perspective, books should be marketed to a more narrow niche group, but this advice doesn’t apply to genre selection. For example, if you select a genre of Religious – Agnostic, you can possibly eliminate yourself from consideration by online retailers/bookstores that accept religious books because they are “turned off” by the “Agnostic”. So, to answer the above question – you should be as general as possible with picking your genre. This the case whether you are self publishing a book or especially if you’re going after representation by a literary agent.

It’s important to also make sure that your genre is reflective of your book. For instance, if you’ve written a murder mystery, your shouldn’t select a genre related to romance, and vice versa.

Have you ever experienced any issues with choosing genres or sub-genres?

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING:
Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

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