Dan Poynter - Writing Nonfiction: turning thoughts into books; (Revised 5th Edition)

What Others Are Saying About DanPoynters Writing NonFiction :

Read this before you write your nextbookit will streamline your activities.

TravelwriterMarketletter

Creative people are more productivewhen they have the best tools. Get the best computer you can affordand this book.

Sandy Whelchel, National WritersAssociation

Dan shares his experience andinsights in a readable, clear and educational way.

Ray Newton, NationalCoordinator
Readers Digest Writing Workshops

I find the contents to be atreasury of wisdom, usable suggestions, and resource informationthat will be of much benefit to would-be authors. Its broadcoverage also includes much that will appeal to old hands such asmyself. I heartily recommend it.

Nat Bodian, author, The Joy of Publishing

Dan is a genius in our business.Absorb his brilliance, wisdom, and re-duplicable insights byreading and employing this book. Hell show your how to profitablybreak into print and keep the money rollin in.

Mark Victor Hansen,Co-creator,
Chicken Soup for theSoul series

Busy people have trouble findingtime to write. Savvy authors do several things at the same time.Dan Poynter shows you how.

Hannelore Hahn, Founder andExecutive Director,
International Womens Writing Guild

Writing Nonfiction is aninvaluable, recommended addition to all personal, creative writingseminar, and public library writer referencecollections.
The Bookwatch

Id trust Dans word,recommendations and predictions over about any publisher, editor,agent or book marketing consultant Ive metand Ive met thesupposed best.

Jay Abraham,
Getting Everything You Can out of All Youve Got

This book offers the best tools andthe best resources for becoming a successful writer. Maryanne Raphael, Writers World

I highly recommend this book toanyone who has a story but just cant imagine how to write itdown.
Bob Holt, Book Forum of San Diego

Dan is extremely generous with histime and the information he shares with his students, fellowauthors and potential writers.
Alan Rothman, SparetimeMagazine

Poynter is an insider. He knowsthe publishing business warts and all. Hes practical.

Curtis Casewit, Books for MatureAdults

Poynters talent is to get writersmotivated to get words on paper by showing them how to break downthe project into palpable chunks, establish a schedule, and thenbring all the parts together. LaughingBear Newsletter

Concentrating on the nonfictionbook, Poynter takes you from selection of your subject throughresearch, choosing your title and cover, to publishingchoices.

Write Now! Magazine

Every nonfiction writer needs aroadmap. Whether you are keyboarding or dictating, this book willguide your way.

Michael Larsen, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency

Every professional speaker needs towrite a book for increased credibility and a passive-income sourcethat keeps on giving. Dans system is tailor-made for road-warriorspeakers who cant seem to find the time to write.

Terry Paulson, Ph.D., pastpresident,
National Speakers Association

If Id had this approach to writingwhen I was writing ads for electronic products and BluBlockersunglasses, my life would have been a lot easier.

Joe Sugarman, president,
JS&A/BluBlocker Corporation

Carefully researched, thoroughlydocumented, and well presented.

Cape Cod WritersConference Wave Length

A handy, concise and informativesourcebook Expertly organized and chock full of hard facts,helpful hints, and pertinent illustrations Recommended for alllibraries.

TheSoutheastern Librarian

WritingNonfiction

Turning Thoughts intoBooks

Dan Poynter

Fifth Edition, CompletelyRevised

Smashwords Ebook Version(Smashwords.com)

Para Publishing, Santa Barbara,California

Writing Nonfiction

Dan Poynter

Smashwords Edition July,2009

Published by:

Para Publishing
Post Office Box 8206, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206, U.S.A.
info@ParaPublishing.com;http://ParaPublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recordingor by any information storage and retrieval system without writtenpermission from the authors, except for the inclusion of briefquotations in a review.

Copyright 2000, 2001, 2003,2005, 2009 by Dan Poynter. 5th edition, completely revised Portionsof this book previously appeared in Write& Grow Rich Printed in the UnitedStates of America

ISBN Regular Print Edition:978-1-56860-110-6 ISBN Large Print Edition: 978-1-56860-116-8 ISBNPDF eBook Edition: 978-1-56860-111-3 ISBN PDF eBook Edition:978-1-56860-122-9 ISBN LIT eBook Edition: 978-1-56860-112-0 ISBNPalm eBook Edition: 978-1-56860-113-7 ISBN MobiPocket eBookEdition: 978-1-56860-114-4 ISBN Kindle eBook Edition:978-1-56860-149-6 ISBN iPhone eBook Edition:978-1-56860-150-2

Library of CongressCataloging-in-Publication Data

Poynter, Dan. Writing nonfiction:turning thoughts into books / Dan Poynter 5th ed.

p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-56860-110-6

1. Authorship. 2.AuthorshipMarketing. I. Title. PN147 .P67 2009 00-024842 808.02dc21CIP

Contents

Chapter One

What Your Book Will Do forYou

Chapter Two

The New Book Model

Chapter Three

What to Write Selecting YourSubject

Chapter Four

Researching Your Topic andChecking for Competition

Chapter Five

Your Books Title andSubtitle

Chapter Six

Your Books Covers

Chapter Seven

Getting Organized Setting Up YourBinder

Chapter Eight

Your Writing System

Chapter Nine

Finding a Publisher Finding anAgent

Afterword

Appendix

Resources

Colophon

About the Author

Dan Poynter fell into publishing. He spent eight years researching alabor of love. Realizing that no publisher would be interested in atechnical treatise on the parachute, he went directly to a printer.The orders poured in, and the author was suddenly apublisher.

In 1973, he became interested in anew aviation sport but couldnt find a book on the subject, so theskydiver and pilot sat down and wrote one. So far, Hang Gliding has soldmore than 130,000 copiesa best seller!

Continuing to write, Dan hasproduced more than 120 books and revisions, some of which have beentranslated into Spanish, Japanese, British English, Russian andGerman. His books are loaded with facts and figures and detailedinside information. They are always up to date because he revisesthem before going back to press.

Dan is a pioneer. He wrote thefirst book on hang gliding, a circular book on Frisbee play and thefirst book on word processors. He published the first laser-typesetbook in 1981. He was the first to send a galley to Publishers Weekly electronically in 1983. He embraced the fax in the mid-80sand pioneered fax-on-demand and to sell reports. He has beenselling downloadable reports from his web site since1996.

A consultant to the book industry,the Publishers Marketing Association recently presented him withthe Benjamin Franklin Award for Lifetime Achievement. Dan is a pastvice president of the PMA (now the IBPA).