There are all kinds of reasons we write books:
Some of us write a book because we want to see our names on the cover of a book.
Some of us write because we’re convinced that God has given us a message to share with the world.
Some of us write a book because someone told us, “You should write a book.”
Others write because we’re creative or thinkers. We’re always noodling on the things, and we need to get the things out of our heads and onto a page.
Some of us write a book because we want to see our names on the cover of a book.
Some of us write because we’re convinced that God has given us a message to share with the world.
Some of us write a book because someone told us, “You should write a book.”
Others write because we’re creative or thinkers. We’re always noodling on the things, and we need to get the things out of our heads and onto a page.
None are horrible reasons to write a book, but also: none of
these are particularly compelling to publishers. A publisher has one job: The publisher’s job is to serve the reader.
So when you’re writing the proposal for that book God planted in your heart, when you’re pitching that book your aunt insisted you write, the very best
thing you can do is to convince a publisher that the book you’re suggesting meets a reader’s need.
(1) You help a publisher say yes when you solve a reader’s problem.
(1) You help a publisher say yes when you solve a reader’s problem.
- How to Get a Date Worth Keeping
- The Purpose Driven Life
- Discerning the Voice of God
- Habits of Highly Effective People
Readers buy and read these books because they meet a real need.
But there are lots of books about getting a date, living
with purpose, hearing God, and becoming effective, right? Of course there are.
So what makes these different?
(2) You help a publisher say yes when your idea has a fresh angle, edge, or slant.
You have to say it in a way they haven’t heard a hundred
times before. Editor savant Stephanie Smith calls this unique angle “a fresh
frame for a timeless truth.” She explains,
“An angle is simply this: it’s a fresh frame for timeless truth. It’s creative, unexpected, a pinch provocative, and able to power up vital conversations people are compelled to join. It’s the signature of great writing. And it makes all the difference in standing out beyond overdone, underdeveloped, dime-a-dozen concepts.” -Stephanie Smith
“An angle is simply this: it’s a fresh frame for timeless truth. It’s creative, unexpected, a pinch provocative, and able to power up vital conversations people are compelled to join. It’s the signature of great writing. And it makes all the difference in standing out beyond overdone, underdeveloped, dime-a-dozen concepts.” -Stephanie Smith
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What does this mean for you?
- It means that when an editor reads your book proposal:
- She recognizes that it meets a real need readers have.
- She notices a timeless truth that's being communicated in a new way.
So if you’re writing on dieting, or simple living, or studying Scripture, or loving your neighbor, you need to communicate it in a way that others have not.
- Maybe you embraced simple living by doing the same 3 things every day. Now readers are curious.
- Maybe you began living simply because you lost everything you owned in a house fire.
- Maybe your practice of designating only one day a week to make purchases radically changed your life.
The big win?
(1) The solution you’ve found is meeting a real need and (2) you’re communicating it in a way that readers haven’t heard before.
(1) The solution you’ve found is meeting a real need and (2) you’re communicating it in a way that readers haven’t heard before.
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