August 12, 2011

Like 89% of new writers today, I started writing with my heart set on publishing fiction. And like 84% of today’s aspiring writers, my first published work was nonfiction (Institute assignments, in fact).

While most of my forty published books have been middle-grade fiction, I got my foot in the publishing door with nonfiction. My Atheneum editor said that she took a chance on my “slush pile” novel because I’d had stories and articles (mostly articles) published in children’s magazines.  

What a Goldmine!

How I wish I’d had Anatomy of Nonfiction: Writing True Stories for Children back then! (See the impressive blurb about the mother-daughter writing team at the end. They really know their stuff.) Being a mom with babies when I started writing (and no Internet then for research), I relied on personal experiences about my kids to break into print.

I especially loved the chapters in Anatomy of Nonfiction on brainstorming ideas, finding the heart and voice of story, and handling the how-to genre. A wannabe fiction writer will especially enjoy the chapters on using storytelling techniques to write nonfiction.

Market Realities

Why learn to write effective nonfiction if you only want to publish fiction? Because there are eight nonfiction markets for every one fiction market. Or, to put it another way, you’re eight times more likely to be published as a nonfiction writer than you are as a writer of fiction.

You can look at this book for 30 days before paying for it. So if you want to give Anatomy of Nonfiction a FREE, no-risk, 30-day trial, simply click here.

(Author credentials: Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas are masters of the true story. Facklam, an instructor at the Institute for 12 years, has written 43 nonfiction books. Thomas, also an instructor, has written 17.  A mother-daughter team, they pooled the secrets of their success to write Anatomy of Nonfiction: Writing True Stories for Children-the only step-by-step guide to the mind, soul, heart, and inner workings of children’s nonfiction you’ll ever need to get published. As instructors, they know what you’ve learned about children’s writing. As authors, they know exactly what you need now to get published.)

4 Comments »

1. 

   Thanks for bringing this book to my attention! Sounds like a winner!

   Comment by Jane Heitman Healy — August 12, 2011 @ 7:16 am

2. 

   You’re welcome, Jane. It’s a long over-due book, in my opinion. There is so much more to nonfiction than most writers think–and it uses a lot of fiction skills and basic writing skills we have to polish.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — August 15, 2011 @ 6:08 am

3. 

   I’ve ordered this book and cannot wait for my mom to ship it to me! Thanks for reminding me…need to see if mom got it in the package she was sending out with my kiddos birthday presents.

   Comment by MaDonna — August 19, 2011 @ 12:43 am

4. 

   You’ll have to let me know what you think of the book when you get it. I bet it will spark some really good ideas!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — August 19, 2011 @ 8:07 am

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