Find the Right Help for Your Book

A few weeks ago, C. responded to one of my weekly emails saying 

I want to know how to find people to help me with everything I need — writing, publishing, finding reputable publishing houses, editing . . . 

And she’s not alone! 

So often, I can tell that my services are not right for y’all just based on what you say when you contact me. That’s why I’m going to break down what different folks do in the publishing world, so hopefully you know who to work with next. 

(And if it’s not me, feel free to unsubscribe. You won’t hurt my feelings, I promise.)

The first question to ask yourself is — do you want to write fiction or nonfiction?

Fiction is made-up. 

Novels, stories, children’s books, books for young adults — all fiction. I don’t work on fiction, so you should unsubscribe and find an independent editor FIRST before querying agents. Independent editors vary a lot in terms of experience, quality and price but in general — you get what you pay for. Look for positive testimonials and past experience with publishing (either as an editor or as a successful author).

Nonfiction is true, or based in truth. 

There are two broad categories within nonfiction — narrative and prescriptive. 

Narrative nonfiction is story-based and you guessed it — narrative. 

Memoirs, stories about your life or the lives of others (in history, biography, politics, or books about social issues) are all within this category. And I don’t work on that, either. Your best bet here, again, is to hire an independent editor who can work with you to improve the writing and therefore your chances of being published.

Prescriptive nonfiction is what I work on — where authors prescribe advice based on their experience or expertise. This is often called self-help or how-to. If you want to write a book to solve a reader’s problem, chances are you’re writing prescriptive nonfiction. 

More specifically, the authors I work with tend to be entrepreneurs and subject matter experts who want to reach thousands of readers with their work. The books my team and I have helped to publish in the past few years have been about personal finance, diet and health, parenting, business, leadership, gender transition, and personal growth as well as diversity and inclusion. (If you’re writing on those topics — you’re in the right place! Yay!)

I hope this breakdown helps you with your next step.