nonfiction
Anaya_1de said:
Thanks guys, I was expecting something along these lines. I just needed to see some real figures to fully understand that you don't get rich of just one book alone.
@Julie: Why exactly is it harder to sell non-ficition if you've already written the book?
It isn't harder to sell a nonfiction book if you've already written it. The thing is, written or not, you will sell the book through a proposal, and many changes may be asked of you, depending on exactly what the publisher wants, and how it wants it.
A new writer usually must finish a novel before selling it, but with nonfiction all you need is a proposal, and maybe three sample chapters to show your writing skill. The point being, you don't usually have to actually write a nonfiction book before selling it, you just have to have a good proposal, some market research showing why this book is needed, and who your competition is.
As for money, there's no way of knowing. It all depends on projected sales of the book, and on the size of the publisher. All things being equal, nonfiction generaly receives higher advances than novels because nonfiction usually sells considerably better on average. A first novel from a large publisher might draw a $7,500 advance, while a nonfiction book from the same writer might well pull a $20,000 advance. It all depends on what marketing has to say, but if a large publisher wants the book, the advance will be higher than it would be for a novel.
Nonfiction also stands a much better chance of earning out than does fiction, and this is another reason for higher advances. Nonfiction simply sells better, tough any book of any type can tank.
Fiction is about the story and the characters, but nonfiction is about the idea and the information. This does not mean you can write nonfiction any old way you want, but it does mean that a publisher will be far more willing to work with you, to give needed help, if the writing isn't up to par than they would be for a novel.
If you have the right idea, and the right information on the right subject, and can show you're the one to write it, it's one heck of a lot easier to get published in nonfiction than in fiction. And you'll likely make a good deal more money, and make it sooner, than you would with fiction.
But there is a lot of competition, and you have to have the right idea, and be able to show the publisher you're the one to turn it into a book. So learn to write a great book proposal, and start it making the rounds before you write the full book.
