Ok, you asked what I’ve learned that I might want to pass on to those who

Meg Leder was the Writer’s Digest editor who worked with me on Keeping a Journal You Love and A Year in the Life: Journaling for Self-Discovery.  Recently, she made a career move and left Cincinnati and Writer’s Digest Books to gain New York publishing house experience. This week I am sharing a recent email conversation we had.

Sheila: What press do you work for now, what is your position, and how have your responsibilities changed?

Meg: Currently, I’m an editorial assistant for McGraw-Hill. I work in their trade i division on the self-help books. At Writer’s Digest, I was an editor, and now, I’m an assistant. I see my current job as being a lot like an apprenticeship. I’m immersing myself in the field of self-help, learning what’s new, what these books need to have in them to sell, and what the “canon” of self-help consists of. With Writer’s Digest, I was in familiar territory–I love to write myself, and I was familiar with what the audience would be looking for in a writing book. I also learned a tremendous amount about the market and the books from Jack Heffron. Now, I’m learning what makes a self-help book work and am drawing from the experience and expertise of my current editor. I’m also developing my list here.ii Sheila: Meg, your editorial vision and comments helped me shape what I wrote so that readers could more easily access the information I wanted to share. How did you approach your work as a book editor?

Meg: When I’m editing nonfiction, I approach the work keeping two questions in mind: (1) Is this geared toward the reader? Successful instructional/prescriptive nonfiction always needs to be for someone, not about the author. I used to joke with a lot of my Writer’s Digest authors about the “selfish reader.” Readers don’t want to hear much about how the book is going to help the author, how it fulfills the author’s dream, etc. Readers want to know how the book is going to help them, what it’s going to give them, etc. Readers are inherently selfish–not in a bad way–but we go to books to get something from them, whether it’s advice and instruction or an enjoyable and beautiful reading experience. I’m always looking for writing that is reader-centered and benefit-centered. (2) What do I, as a reader, not an editor, think about this book? I love to read, and that’s what’s brought me to editing. Learning to edit, for me, is about learning to trust that tiny reader’s voice that’s saying, “Hmmm… that chapter seemed slow…” or “I don’t get that example….” If I find myself thinking about my grocery list when I’m reading, then that section might need work. If I notice myself stepping outside of the text to think about the writer or the writing, i.e. when I’m not being carried along by the narrative flow, then that’s a problem. Learning to trust those moments and to look carefully at why I’m having that reaction is important for editing. If I can help the author fine-tune those passages or identify what isn’t working, then it’s going to be stronger for the reader in the long run.

Sheila: You behind-the-scenes editors really work to make sure the reader gets what the reader needs.  Why do writers make the mistakes they do concerning focus?

Meg: Think of it this way–when you’re explaining something to a friend, you get excited about the topic. You may take a side trip and explain how you became interested in the craft, or how your mom taught you to do it, or how you really messed up on a project once, etc. That’s great for conversation. You’re excited, you’re passionate, and you want to convey that to a friend. With a book, however, you have to use your words as economically as possible–you only have a certain amount to spend. And you should spend your word allotment wisely, in a way that will give you the greatest gains. For a successful how-to book, that’s usually engaging the reader and teaching the reader how to effectively develop and carry out a skill, etc. If you tell the story of how your writer’s block nearly ruined a novel in progress, OK, but make sure you draw a lesson from it and explain to the reader how she can avoid the same thing.

To successfully integrate personal experience into a how-to, a writer must learn to step outside of the experience and look at it with detachment. The writer has to ask, “Am I including this because the reader can get something from it or am I including it because I want to share, I like it, etc.?”

Although with memoir and creative nonfiction, the writer can share something because of the beauty of the words or to satisfy the need to get a truth out on the page, with a how-to book, even one with a personal angle, everything needs to give the reader a direct benefit. Writers can look like novices if they don’t reign in the personal to serve the how-to nature of the book. Since readers go to a how-to with a direct need, they’re going to be distracted and irritated if the personal takes over the nature of the book.

Sheila: A good reading experience and certainly anecdotes about how the author learned or uses the instruction in her own life makes a how-to book accessible and enjoyable.  Are you talking about the mix of personal information with factual information and the tone of the personal information?

Meg: Absolutely. It’s such a careful balance. How can you achieve it? Well, with the help of a few readers or an editor who can say to you, “Hmmm…, I like this part, but what lesson can the reader draw from it,” or “I’m getting impatient to get to the instruction–this part seems slow.” If you’re working on your own, a good way to approach that balance is to look at similar books in the market. How much of the personal does the author include, and what purpose does it serve?

Sheila: What else have you learned that you might pass on to those who want to use their personal experience in writing how-to books?

Meg: I’ve learned that passion can take a writer far. If you love your topic, and you want to share it with others, that’s going to come through in the writing. A successful book, fiction, poetry, how-to, etc., has a writer on the other end who sweated and stared at the computer and despite anguish, sat through it all long enough to bring the words to the page. To write a helpful how-to book, yes, you must be knowledgeable and an expert on the subject. But you also have to love it–that will come through in your words and will carry on to the reader.

Sheila: What should writers think about when they propose how-to books to editors and agents?

Meg: A writer should always be looking for a unique slant on a hot topic. If your book is the first book on a topic, there might be a reason for that–it might be such an obscure topic that there’s no market for it. Instead, look for what’s selling, what trends are appearing, and look for your slant/take on it. Additionally, you want to focus on what you’re good at.  If diet books are hot, but you’re not a doctor or nutritionist, it’s going to be hard to make a case for it. But if you excel at amateur radio and you want to share that, well, look at what’s out there already–is it selling? What doesn’t the market address? Is there a book for young enthusiasts, etc.? Someone needs to hear what you have to share–the key is channeling your passion into a unique and marketable project that will speak to readers.

Sheila: Because many Writing It Real readers have read the how-to-write book, this kind of book could become a model for writing other how-to books. How would you compare what writers want in a writing book to what readers of other kinds of how-to books want?

Meg: Depending on the book, and the type of writer, there are a few different needs readers may have of a writing book. The first type wants the information they need to get published. They want insider advice from people who know the craft and the business. They want to know the steps to creating marketable fiction and nonfiction, and the steps and etiquette of getting it published. A second type of reader (and this isn’t necessarily exclusive of the first type) may go to writing books for inspiration and for ways to generate ideas. They’re looking more for creativity sparks, rather than the steps to a successful query letter.

In the case of the first type of writing book audience, what they’re looking for isn’t different from the needs of other how-to book readers. They’re looking for the step-by-step approach to navigating through the logistics of their “business.” Like in any profession or area of knowledge or activity, there are rules and expectations, and a novice needs an experienced guide.

However, the second type of writer may be looking more for ways to generate his or her own creative ideas. These readers need guidance to get started, but because creativity is individual, and it shifts depending on the person, it can’t necessarily be addressed in a how-to book.

Sheila: What specific lessons can those who want to write how-to books and articles based on their personal experience take from the books already on the shelves?

Meg: They should look at the structure of the books. Where do the writers start? How do the writers guide the reader by the hand, and how do the writers then encourage the reader to start trying the craft or skill on his or her own? Do they employ exercises?

Prospective how-to book writers should also look at the audience for the book. What kind of reader is the writer assuming? Someone who knows a little or a lot? How does the writer of the successful how-to book integrate their expertise in an easily understood manner?

Yes–a writer needs to remember that the reader isn’t at the same expertise level as the writer. The writer may need to explain all the ins and outs of the craft or she may need to assume the reader has some level of base knowledge, etc. The key is to always remember you’re writing for a reader who wants to learn from you, not for an experienced colleague in the field.

Sheila: As you develop your list, are you finding yourself thinking about a how-to book–How to Write the How-To Book by an Industry Insider? Courses you could teach that would help you develop a book as you create course material?

Meg: Hmmm…good ideas! I hadn’t thought about those things because I’ve been trying to work on a few creative nonfiction essays in my free time. But the how-to market is a wonderful way to share passion with readers. If you feel strongly about what you do, it’s a natural extension of your enthusiasm. It gives you a way to share the energy of something you care about, and in the process, reenergizes you.

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In our exchange, I was impressed with the way Meg communicates her use of common sense in her role as book editor. I know from experience, however, that it is sometimes hard to apply this common sense to one’s own drafts and manuscripts. Hopefully, Meg’s thoughts on the development of the nonfiction manuscript will encourage those of you writing how-to material to listen to the quiet voice inside of you that knows what audiences want from the writers they choose as their guides. You certainly can track that voice as you read others’ books. Once you hear the sound of that voice, you’ll know better what to listen for as you read your own manuscript.

In addition, if you are interested in expanding your work into the how-to area, with this conversation in your ears, you may want to jot down some how-to topics you’d like to write about, whether in book or article form: how to help the unpopular child in school, how to encourage a spouse’s weight loss, how to make your patio a real retreat, how to keep an organized pantry, how to save money every time you go grocery shopping, how to give great parties for all occasions.

Next, try your hand at outlining a book. Or try writing a preface that concentrates on why you are writing the book and what the reader will enjoy learning. Now write a 1000-3000 word article on the subject. If you are still interested in sharing what you have to say on the topic, look at the newsstands for magazines whose readers will be interested in what you have said. Consult the Writer’s Market in the reference section of your library for more possible leads. Look online at sites that those interested in your topic consult by doing a keyword search using your browser.

If you continue to believe that your ideas and slant are a good addition in the area, spend some time editing what you’ve written.  How-to involves steps and like giving directions, there is an art to being clear.  Share what you have written with others who do not know how to do what you are describing. Listen carefully to their questions and confusions. This will help you clarify your presentation.

After this, find a chance to share your work with trusted readers to confirm that your writing is accessible.

Next, write or email the editors of the magazines and sites you found, asking if they can use an article on the topic you wrote about.  Or ask if you can send the article as a sample of what you write, informing them that you are interested in assignments in this particular area.

If you do think you’ll be writing a book, remember that publishing bits of it in magazines or online along the way before you propose the book to a publisher can help attract interest in your query and improve your credibility.  Signing up to teach a course in your subject through any continuing ed or human resources channel will force you to begin setting your ideas down as you develop course material.

Even if you are not interested in writing how-to articles and books, you can use the how-to format to shape personal essays. Think about the areas of your life that trouble or annoy you:  fixing dinner when you are a busy person, helping your teenagers eat healthy diets, re-entering the job market, dealing with difficult circumstances or people.  Now think of the how-to you’d love to read on the topic:  how to fix supper in ten minutes flat every night of the week, how to keep teenagers from eating fast food, how to convince anyone that you can do the job, how to turn any situation into an amusing anecdote.  Once you start thinking this way, you may start to turn other annoyances into humorous essay ideas:  how to watch TV for an education, how to get your neighborhood to accept your wildlife garden, how to put a political view together from reading The National Inquirer.  Ideas like these can spur you into thinking about writing in an instructional voice, which offers a nice break from self-reflection writing where you must search for the deeper meaning of experience and report that journey.  With how-to writing, instead of wondering if your experience is meaningful, you adopt the attitude of believing in its meaning and believing in yourself as an authority or appropriate spokesperson. This ultimately feeds the rest of your writing, especially when you are having doubts. Moreover, as you can see from my brainstorming list and the possibilities it generates for essays, thinking as a how-to writer, you might strike a comic vein and learn to use a voice you might not otherwise use often enough.

If you want to get the hang of writing how-to and need some more ideas to bounce off of, browse the www.bookzone.com site and others like it and see what people are publishing on hobbies, self-growth, finances, elder care and more.  If one of the book’s titles and blurbs sparks an “I could write that” moment for you, think about an article you could write on some aspect of the topic. Think about how you can focus your thoughts from an angle all your own.  Browse some magazines that might ultimately be a home for such an article and read articles with an eye toward organizing your own in a similar vein.

Finally, think about a book proposal. What will the chapters cover? In what order? What else is out there on the topic? Why is your book a great addition to the literature already on the shelf?  You can get information about writing the nonfiction book proposal by going to your favorite search engine (like Yahoo! or Google) and typing in word like “nonfiction”, “book” and “proposal” in the key word search area.  Everything from reviews and announcements of books on the subject to free online information to people’s sample proposals are available to help you get the feel of what writing the nonfiction book proposal entails.

Notes:

i.          Trade books are editions published for bookstores rather than book club editions and special collection editions.

ii.          Developing a list means the editor is planning books and acquiring them. It usually refers to a new editor who is beginning to bring in her own titles and setting a direction, planning specific titles and beginning to acquire and schedule them.