Nonfiction credentials

paqart · Aug 20, 2020

Old Hack said:
As a non-fiction editor, I don't care how much street cred or social media standing most authors have. What I want is expertise, reputation, understanding. A good masters degree in the subject, preferably a PhD, or years of working in the field. Name recognition. A good history of publications, if possible. Something meaty we can use to show that this is the book people should buy, out of all the others out there which are similar.

How do you react to someone who has found their ideal subject after publishing on other, unrelated subjects previously? I ask because I now have five published books, six peer-reviewed journal articles, and a published (not produced) screenplay under my belt. All of these are in different subjects. One of the books and five of the peer-reviewed articles are on paranormal dreams (something I am considered an expert researcher on), three of the books are computer graphics textbooks, the most recent book and one of the journal articles are on how expertise is developed. The screenplay is a paranormal thriller.

I don't want my prior writing credentials to detract from what I am doing now or to obscure the kind of writer I am. I have enjoyed a moderately successful career in the visual arts, so I haven't made any serious effort to sell my work as a writer. That is, not with the idea of becoming a full-time writer.

When I have sold my work, it tends to be one of two scenarios. In the first, someone offers to pay me to write something for them. This usually happens in the middle of a conversation about something else, when they'll stop and tell me, "I think you'd be a good writer," and then they make me an offer.

In the other scenario, someone has asked me to write something, but not for publication, and it has occurred to me that it might be salable. I have on those occasions looked for and found a way to publish those and get paid for the work. I should note that I have written two books that I wasn't able to sell, both on request from my daughter. She asked me to write her a novel, and I did, all 85,000 words of it, and then a memoir, and I did that too. It wasn't even her birthday, but at least she can't ever say I didn't go over the top for some of the presents I gave her.

Most recently, I was approached by two different web publishers to write on current events for them. I had nothing else to do that week, so I agreed to start writing for them. One was paid, the other wasn't. It's been a month now and I've written 40 articles and started a book. Finally, I am writing about subjects that, though handed to me like all the rest, seem a natural fit. I will be sending a submission out once I'm happy with the outline for the book and the first three chapters. Until then, I am concerned that my PhD (Education) and earlier writing are unrelated to current events and that a prospective literary agent or editor would be less interested in my proposal for that reason. Is that a fair concern?

veinglory · Aug 20, 2020

I am only an editor on the academic side but I suspect it is the same elsewhere. People are often experts on multiple unrelated subjects. It doesn't matter what they have done on other unrelated topics so long as they can demonstrate standing in the area they are currently writing on. And even if this is their debut work in the area, it's not a lost cause if they did the right upskilling and can show it.

mewellsmfu · Aug 20, 2020

I can't speak for academic nonfiction, but on the commercial side, one of the things you need to show an agent/publisher is that you are the right person to write the book you proposed. It's an entire section of your book proposal.

Publication credits are a plus, particularly if they are for recognizable and legitimate media or commercial/academic publishers. Self-publishing, unpaid or little-known work with tiny readerships less so, although self-publishing with very large sales numbers can be a plus.

As for establishing whether you are the right person for the job, depth of knowledge, personal connection or experience in relation to the subject matter, and platform figure heavily into your chances of being commercially published. Again, I claim no knowledge of academic publishing (I believe the AW Admin and several of the mods are very knowledgeable in that segment of publishing and can address those requirements), so I won't presume to address that end of the spectrum.

Also, good writing plays a big role in snagging a book contract. It doesn't hurt your chances to have written extensively in the same or a comparable field and illustrate that you understand competent research and accuracy, particularly in fields like true crime or where you drop the names of living individuals. People are particularly litigious these days and publishers don't like being sued.

Good luck on your journey.

paqart · Aug 20, 2020

Not sure if your reply was to me or the OP, but will answer regardless. In my case, although I have published several academic books and papers, I am not writing on academic subjects any longer. I do have research skills thanks to the rigorous (sometimes painful) education received at King's for my doctorate. My understanding is that the reason I have been asked to write about current events is the quality of my analysis, as opposed to depth of knowledge. I do not have much experience writing this type of subject, only 40 articles so far, but do have decades of experience analyzing various subjects to discover their meaning. Apparently, that shows in the writing.

mewellsmfu said:
I can't speak for academic nonfiction, but on the commercial side, one of the things you need to show an agent/publisher is that you are the right person to write the book you proposed. It's an entire section of your book proposal.

Publication credits are a plus, particularly if they are for recognizable and legitimate media or commercial/academic publishers. Self-publishing, unpaid or little-known work with tiny readerships less so, although self-publishing with very large sales numbers can be a plus.

As for establishing whether you are the right person for the job, depth of knowledge, personal connection or experience in relation to the subject matter, and platform figure heavily into your chances of being commercially published. Again, I claim no knowledge of academic publishing (I believe the AW Admin and several of the mods are very knowledgeable in that segment of publishing and can address those requirements), so I won't presume to address that end of the spectrum.

Also, good writing plays a big role in snagging a book contract. It doesn't hurt your chances to have written extensively in the same or a comparable field and illustrate that you understand competent research and accuracy, particularly in fields like true crime or where you drop the names of living individuals. People are particularly litigious these days and publishers don't like being sued.

Good luck on your journey.

mewellsmfu · Aug 20, 2020

Sorry, paqart. I clicked into the second page and didn't realize it, so good catch.

You never know until you try. Do a proposal, write your sample chapters and go for it. Being an excellent researcher is a great quality to have.

Much luck.

paqart · Aug 20, 2020

By "can show it", I assume you mean in the writing sample as opposed to the CV or other materials?

veinglory said:
I am only an editor on the academic side but I suspect it is the same elsewhere. People are often experts on multiple unrelated subjects. It doesn't matter what they have done on other unrelated topics so long as they can demonstrate standing in the area they are currently writing on. And even if this is their debut work in the area, it's not a lost cause if they did the right upskilling and can show it.

veinglory · Aug 21, 2020

Showing that you are well positioned to write the book can be done all sorts of ways. Just being able to see how the book is right for the publisher, and you are the right author for the book is quite a skill. Most people seem to be quite rigid in their outlooks and just want to say they are great went ofte what is needed is just the right guy for the job, not a super-awesome-genius guy.

I personally recently took over co-authorship of a contracted textbook that is noticeably just outside my skill set. One thing I did was describe how I would upskill and identified times I had successfully done it in the past in relation to other successful projects. The message being: I will get the job done according to your specs and on time. I knew that for more technical works that is a leading concern.

veinglory · Aug 21, 2020

Showing that you are well positioned to write the book can be done all sorts of ways. Just being able to see how the book is right for the publisher, and you are the right author for the book is quite a skill. Most people seem to be quite rigid in their outlooks and just want to say they are great -- when often what is needed is just the right guy for the job, not a super-awesome-genius guy.

I personally recently took over co-authorship of a contracted textbook that is noticeably just outside my skill set for a major academic publisher I've had no previous contact with. One thing I did was describe how I would upskill and identified times I had successfully done it in the past in relation to other successful projects. The message being: I will get the job done according to your specs and on time. I knew that for more technical works that is probably a leading concern.

Professorjpj · Oct 6, 2021

Eddyz Aquila said:
As my understanding goes, nonfiction is different than fiction in the sense that you propose to the agent/editor the idea of the book and then you write it. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Now, my question is this - I can propose / pitch but what about those credentials?

I want to write a book on a legal/history topic, something that I did in my university and Masters but I have no credentials to back it up. Completely new to this.

Help please!

Funny promoting education as a writing credential. I never went beyond the 6th grade, yet I'm writing the longest and most profound autobiography in human history! Yet I'm considered a neanderthal eduction wise. Interesting and ironic to me.

paqart · May 31, 2023

Old Hack said:
As a non-fiction editor, I don't care how much street cred or social media standing most authors have. What I want is expertise, reputation, understanding. A good masters degree in the subject, preferably a PhD, or years of working in the field. Name recognition. A good history of publications, if possible. Something meaty we can use to show that this is the book people should buy, out of all the others out there which are similar.

When I received my PhD from King's College, London, my publisher asked to see my thesis. I don't know how much time they put into reviewing it but it couldn't have been much because they sent me an advance to publish it as a book a day or two later. In other words: I didn't pitch them. I sent it as a courtesy only, thinking they were curious what I had been working on for seven years.

bunny hugger · May 31, 2023

With thesis work, you need to be careful to check its a real publisher, these days. Its become a target of mill publishers.

paqart · Jun 3, 2023

Taylor Harbin said:
This is a great thread, and I'd like some thoughts on my situation.

I have a Master's in Historic Preservation, and as of January, four years experience researching topics and interacting with the public in state parks. I recently became aware of a murder case that was highly publicized. It involved an eccentric rich old man who practiced mysticism, a bizarre will, a fight over his fortune, three governors, packed court rooms, and even the Pinkerton Detective Agency. It relates directly to my work, since it happened in the same county where I now live, but nobody has written about it in over 100 years! I'm working on a collaboration with a colleague to see if we can get an article in a peer journal, but the more research I do, the more I'm beginning to think I could write a book on it. I live close to a major university that has it's own press, and I think it would be of local/regional interest, especially since the murder remains unsolved and some of the buildings have survived. Yet, being over 100 years old, I sincerely doubt there are any living people who can remember it, which means my research is limited to newspapers, books, and whatever archival papers are left. Part of me wants to wait and see how this article pans out, to test the waters, you know?

I think I have a strong case for writing it, but I'd like some experienced advice on whether it's worth the time, and how best to go about it. I have no publication credits.

That sounds like a very interesting book, provided you are able to dig up enough material in your research to justify a book length treatment.

paqart · Jun 3, 2023

bunny hugger said:
With thesis work, you need to be careful to check its a real publisher, these days. Its become a target of mill publishers.

If your response is related to my comment, I wouldn't describe Springer/UK as a "mill publisher".

mrsmig · Jun 3, 2023

paqart said:
That sounds like a very interesting book, provided you are able to dig up enough material in your research to justify a book length treatment.

@paqart, before responding to a post, do take a moment to look at its date. The one you're replying to is three years old, and the OP has no doubt moved on/moved ahead with their plans.

paqart · Jun 3, 2023

mrsmig said:
@paqart, before responding to a post, do take a moment to look at its date. The one you're replying to is three years old, and the OP has no doubt moved on/moved ahead with their plans.

Is it rude to respond to an old post? I read old posts frequently, or there would be no occasion to post a reply. Am I the only person on the forum that finds old threads interesting? Isn't that why history books can sometimes sell well?

Lakey · Jun 3, 2023

paqart said:
Is it rude to respond to an old post? I read old posts frequently, or there would be no occasion to post a reply. Am I the only person on the forum that finds old threads interesting? Isn't that why history books can sometimes sell well?

Old threads are often fascinating. I read them a lot too. However, responding to specific posts that are several years old is not as useful, for the reasons Maryn outlined — chances are the person you are responding to is no longer participating or has moved on in ways that make their older questions moot. If you want to talk about something you find in an old dormant thread, you are welcome to start a new thread about that subject. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ping a moderator and ask what the best approach is.

:e2coffee:

CMBright · Jun 3, 2023

paqart said:
Is it rude to respond to an old post? I read old posts frequently, or there would be no occasion to post a reply. Am I the only person on the forum that finds old threads interesting? Isn't that why history books can sometimes sell well?

It depends on the thread. And as @Lakey said, replying is not relevent/helpful rather than rude. If the post above your reply is please don't necro threads or is over a few months for personal threads, probably. If the thread is still active in the last few days even though it was started years ago, no it isn't.

bunny hugger · Jun 5, 2023

I was posting for new PhD students today to be aware that the environment has changed and to be careful vetting offers.

Nonfiction credentials

paqart

veinglory

volitare nequeo

mewellsmfu

paqart

mewellsmfu

paqart

veinglory

volitare nequeo

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Professorjpj

paqart

bunny hugger

Moderator

paqart

paqart

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

paqart

Lakey

professional dilettante

CMBright

Cats are easy, Mice are tough

bunny hugger

Moderator