08May

Why This Topic? Identifying Your Why for Stronger Nonfiction Books (Part 1)

I have random piles of books scattered throughout my house that I’m planning on donating. Some were gifts, some impulse buys, but most (unfortunately) are nonfiction. I’m a re-reader, whether that is fiction, mystery, or nonfiction. I’ve got nonfiction books on my shelf that, when I first read them, I poured over the first part, skimmed the second, and cherry-picked points out of the third. Only to find myself returning years later in a different point in life where the second and third parts spoke to me instead. That’s the beauty of nonfiction (and fiction too). Sometimes the sections of the book that appeal to you when you first pick it up won’t appeal to you later, but something else will. What I don’t like, however, is picking up a nonfiction book and thinking it is the topic for me, only to put it down after I read most of the first chapter. When this initially happens, I give the book another chance at a separate time. It could be my current mindset or that it doesn’t resonate with me yet. If the second read also fails, then something else is wrong with the book (for me). At this point, I peel it apart with my editor tools and typically find that it wasn’t my perspective or mindset that stopped my engagement; it was the entire book. But what wasn’t working, and how can it be improved? @cass

Intent & Failure to Capture

When writers craft a nonfiction novel about their experiences, life events, or research, their intent is (I hope) for good. They want to share their story, thinking, or experiences and hope others can learn from it. How you as the author present that material — creative nonfiction, memoir or general nonfiction — is important not only to convey your ideas but also to appeal to the reader. You can have all the best intentions in the world, but you will fall short if you forget who you’re writing for and why you are writing it. This is what I find to be the biggest mistake nonfiction writers make — they don’t ask their why questions: Why you, why this book, and why readers should read it. Fail to answer any of these and you can end up with a so-so book that readers like me set down after the initial thrill and never pick up again. Fixing a disconnected nonfiction book is boiled down to answering a few important questions before you start writing. You can do this by journaling, navel gazing, taking a walk, or being tortured by a toddler. The questions are these:
  • Why are you writing this book?
  • Why are you writing this book?
  • Why should readers read your book?
In the first part of this article series, I’ll tackle the first question on why you’re writing about this topic. It seems simple, but there is more than one question to answer about the topic you have chosen. You want to know why you picked the topic, because knowing the motivation behind the choice of topic will keep you on track to finish the book. Second, it will frame the way you write about the topic, or your author’s voice. And third, it will determine the type of material you’ll need to gather in order to write it. Let’s get into it.

Motivation & the Finishing Line

There’s a statistic floating around the web that has no attributing source, but it’s this: Only 3% of writers ever finish their first draft. While the statistic might be inaccurate, the reasons behind it aren’t. Writing a book is hard. Sitting down to pound out word after word on your computer can be arduous. Writer’s block, distractions, and not knowing where to even start are compounded by life, family, and work. Add to that a topic you’re not very enthusiastic about, or a topic requiring a lot of research (some of it tedious), or a topic with which you don’t emotionally connect, or any other reason that makes sitting down to write difficult, and you’ve created a procrastination monster. Let’s say, however, you power through and get that first draft done. Great! Except . . . the first draft is just that — the first draft. It’s where you figure out how you want to write about the topic and what you cover. Then, you have 1,572 thousand edit passes in front of you to tighten the language, rearrange the content, clarify your points, and fix those pesky grammar errors. (It’s not 1,572 edit passes, but it’ll feel like it when you’re done). Add in an idea you’re not jazzed about . . . and you get the idea. Before you begin to write, you should ask yourself the following:
  • What is it about this moment, this topic, these stories, this research, etc., that begs you to put it down on paper? Does it inspire you? Thrill you? Make you want to a spend hours down a research rabbit hole?
  • What’s your unique selling proposition for your book? I.e, what is it about your perspective that makes the idea unique? What will make your book stand out from the others like it on the shelf?
If you can’t answer these questions within a few minutes of asking them (even if you’re not completely coherent), then you shouldn’t write the book yet. Spend more time and break the idea down or split it into different parts to see what it is that really excites you. And then, go write the book about that. Your passion and enthusiasm for your topic will be tested throughout the writing and publishing phase, so if you’re choosing a topic because it’s trendy but aren’t excited about, you might want to think again. Thus, be clear on why you’re writing this book specifically and not some random book on the sex life of ants. What is it about the topic, the way you want to present it, or the experiences you’ve had that make it worth your time to write? Once you’ve gotten that down, the next question is what narrative type will the book be.

Structure and Materials

Knowing what kind of book — memoir, creative nonfiction, nonfiction — and the topic you’re writing about will guide you as to narrative style, what your initial stories could be, and what materials you need to gather for it. The narrative could be heavily personal (memoirs, for example), partially personal (creative nonfiction, for example), heavy research and/or interviews of credible sources in the space (nonfiction), or a mix of personal stories and research. Once you answer this question or at least attempt to, the next part of the journey is made more clear — what material you need to have at your fingertips as you begin to write. Preparing for your writing session will make them more productive and keep you going back for more. For example, a memoir will be filled with personal stories, but you may need to talk to the people in your life to refresh your memory, read your journals, dig through travel research, etc. For creative nonfiction, it could be personal stories and also research on the topic (either external research or interviews). For nonfiction, you may need to do a lot of research first before you sit down to write. A formula that has always helped me get my butt in the chair is this: Action (writing your first nugget or story) equals momentum (the ability to keep going) and momentum equals passion (the desire or eagerness to do it more than once). This is how you get that book finished. One last thing. You don’t need to know what the book structure (narrative style, chapters, themes, etc.) will be before you start writing it. Many writers figure that out along the way or when working with a development editor. It will help you, however, to figure out what kind of stories to write and what materials you’ll need to gather before you start. This, in turn, will help you figure out how much time each week you’ll need for writing and how much you’ll need for research. Knowing how much time you’ll need to set aside to write the book will keep you on track. If you don’t set aside time on a consistent basis, you’ll make inconsistent progress and won’t create the momentum you need to finish. While writing every day is ideal, you don’t need to write every day to finish a book. However, you do need to be as consistent as possible when writing so you finish the manuscript. Neil Gaiman wrote Coraline while writing another book. He didn’t have a lot of time, so he wrote it with just fifty words a day. If you’re aiming for a 40,000 word book, that’s just over two years of work. It’s not fast, but it will be finished, which is the goal, right?

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons someone will put down your book. It could be the tone, the perspective, the way you approach the topic, or that life got in the way and they didn’t pick up your book again. Some of this is subjective and personal to the reader, and you can’t control it. What you can control is your why. Most writers I work with are jazzed the more they discover about their topic when writing their manuscripts. It fuels them when they get stuck, are overwhelmed by life, or mired in the saggy middle of the book. It keeps them going when they’re on their third revision and sick of reading their own words. It’s something to celebrate when they finally see it in print. Writing is hard. Finishing a book is even harder. If you don’t know what it is about the topic that inspires you to plonk away at a keyboard for weeks and months, you’ll be less likely to finish the book. Knowing what you want to write, preparing yourself for the writing process, and being consistent in getting the words down on the paper will help you achieve your goal of writing a book. Being clear on why this topic will keep you motivated to come back for more, even when you don’t think you can. I really want you to finish the book you’re dreaming up, even if I’ll never read it. Because someone else out there needs it, wants it, or will learn from that book, and if you don’t write it, they can’t. Pick your topic wisely and go forth to do great things. In part two of this series, we’ll cover the second question: why are you writing this book? This won’t inform the topic, but it will inform how you tackle the materials and what you bring to the table.
Cassandra Stirling writes about nonfiction, memoir, and fiction writing tips, book reviews, and random deeper thoughts on writing. You can find all her writing at cassandracstirling.medium.com. Her urban fantasy series, The Space Between, is available at all major retailers.
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01May

Consideration and Protection to Avoid Copyright Infringement (Part 3)

Eventually, copyright protection expires, which depends on how long ago the work was originally created. Under current law, works created on or after January 1st, 1978 have protection for the lifespan of the creator plus 70 years post-death. If collaborative, the protection lasts 70 years after the last surviving author’s death. For pseudonymous works, however, and those anonymously created (“works for hire”) copyright protection lasts 95 years from the publication or 125 years from the original creation, whichever is soonest. But what about works published prior to 1978? According to the U.S. Copyright Office, “the 1976 Copyright Act retains the system in the previous copyright law—the Copyright Act of 1909—for computing the duration of protection, but with some changes.” For older works in this category, a copyright spanned 28 years from the date the copyright was first secured and could be renewed for a second term of 28 years, and if not renewed, the copyright expired at the end of the first 28-year term, and “the work no longer protected by copyright.” (1, 2) In all cases, when a copyright expires, work enters the public domain.

Public Domain

“Creative materials that are not protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright, trademark, or patent laws” are considered in the public domain; they “belong to the public.” (3) Work can end up in the public domain in one of four ways:
  • Expiration of the copyright
  • Failure to renew copyright by the owner
  • The work is deliberately placed by way of “dedication”
  • Copyright law is unable to protect the work
However, while individual works might belong to the public, the work might be protected by copyright when compiled into another published work that is then copyrighted, such as a collection of poems, in which case there is risk of infringing upon a ‘collective works” copyright, or the work might be managed by an estate. Sherlock Holmes, for example, a character created by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930), is quite popular. His character or character likeness has been used in a multitude of fiction and film. He died in 1930, so does that mean his work is in the public domain? Not necessarily. Doyle’s work is managed by the Conan Doyle Estate, who work with creators from around the world to keep his character alive and portrayed for the foreseeable future as accurately as possible. To use any part of Doyle’s original creation, one must reach out to the estate to first obtain permission. “Collectively, we give unique access to personal knowledge, archive material and family connections,” so says their website. “Together we reveal the legacy and potential of Arthur Conan Doyle's endeavours, achievements and fictional characters.” Want to write Sherlock Holmes into a novel? It's best to reach out for permission to avoid a potential lawsuit. (4) Other popular writers and poets have similar estates established to protect and extend copyright on their published works long after death, including William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Marathon Man), William Golding (Lord of the Flies), Robert Frost (poet), and Pablo Neruda (poet), so before ever attempting to copy their words, even if suspected in the public domain, do a little research. If widely popular and quotable, it is most likely protected.

Material to Avoid Quoting / Referencing in Written Work

To protect the writer, avoid quoting from the following, unless researched to be in the public domain, or by first obtaining permission (preferably by signed contract) from those who own copyright, either the original creator or their estate:
  • Song lyrics
  • Poetry
  • Quotes from movies / television
  • Quotes from fiction / creative nonfiction (novels, memoirs, etc.)
  • Quotes from uncited material (without attribution)
  • Quotes from unreliable sources (Wikipedia, Pinterest, quote sites)
  • Graphs or charts created by others
  • Photographs or artwork created by others
  • Anything else created by others
There are always exceptions, but always thoroughly research beforehand. For a nonfiction book, for instance, a writer may want to quote a memorable line from a documentary series or nonfictional podcast, or include statistics or data. This is not a problem, as long as it is sourced and cited properly. Yet a hard “no” exists for what is acceptable to quote in fiction writing, so play it safe.

Legally Acquiring Reprint Rights

“But Stephen King does it, all the time” one might argue. “I read a book in which he quoted song lyrics from the Ramones, and another time he—” Yes, because he is Stephen King. He most likely had his people contact their people and/or paid a lot of money to reproduce words that were not his; or, back when he was getting started, he most likely quoted without permission as many writers did before U.S. Copyright Law was created (or ignored) and his people later went through the trouble to correct such actions in later editions of his books. “Wait, Michael Bailey, didn’t you include an entire page of text from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in one of your stories?” Yes, but I reached out to the Bradbury estate beforehand to obtain permission, and they requested to read the story before it was ever published to make sure it was indeed an homage and in likeness to Bradbury’s work as proposed. Later, before that same story was reprinted in a collection, I reached out to the estate a second time and they were again generous. The key is that a contract was agreed upon and signed by both parties prior to the work going into print, and with certain stipulations to protect the copyrighted material, such as proper acknowledgment on the copyright page of the original work that included the protected, reprinted work. In order to obtain reprint rights to Bradbury’s writing in my short story “Primal Tongue / The Fireman,” permission was legally required, requested, and granted. This is the process to reprint another’s words if not entirely in the public domain or if copyright has been extended. The Bradbury estate could have asked for a decent chunk of money. They could have also denied the request, leaving me with the option of not including his words or reprinting them without permission, but the latter would have landed me in serious trouble, even though Bradbury’s novel was published 60 years before my story and Ray was no longer alive at the time of publication. For another short story I wrote years later, “Time Is a Face on the Water,” I wanted to include five memorable words from a Beatles song. Like before, I reached out for permission, as all writers should do, and who owned copyright of the song came to an agreement on their end. They wanted $30,000 for five words and requested a limited print run of 1,000 copies of my work, which didn’t make sense financially. So, I politely declined, and instead wrote a fictitious song from a fictitious band and included those words in the story instead. This begs the question: Was the Beatles song ever needed? No. Had I tried to go “under the radar” and publish the story without permission, it would have surely cost more than $30,000 in legal fees and fines if those holding the rights to the song (even five simple words strung together, written 50 years prior) decided to sue for copyright infringement. It should also be noted that some intellectual properties have people (or teams of people) constantly searching for stolen work (it is, in a sense, theft). Disney and Led Zeppelin, for example, both seek and destroy regularly for copyright infringement. Want to include a lyric from The Lion King? Think twice. Use it to influence the writing, or to suggest theme, but then take it out. If the writing is solid and indeed inspired by the quote(s), that should show clearly through the finished product and render the quote(s) unnecessary. Before considering to include another’s creation, research what might be needed to obtain rights. It never hurts to ask, and is sometimes as simple as filling out a form on website (run by the deceased’s estate), but plan ahead because obtaining permission takes time. The Bradbury rights, for instance, took three months; the Beatles rights took over a year. And if lucky, as I was in obtaining permission to include a short essay by the late Jack Ketchum for my nonfiction book Writing Righting, it took only a few days. Is the desired song lyric or poem or string of text even needed? Probably not. It may be wanted by the writer, but most likely will not be needed by the reader.
1. U.S. Congress. United States Code: Copyright Office, 17 U.S.C. §§ 201-216. 1958. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/uscode1958-004017003. 2. U.S. Congress. United States Code: Copyright Office, Copyright Infringement and Remedies, 17. §§ 501-510. 1982. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/uscode1982-007017005. 3. Stim, Richard. Getting Permission: Using & Licensing Copyright-Protected Materials Online & Off. El Segundo, CA: Nolo, 2022. 4. Conan Doyle Estate. Arthur Conan Doyle - Licensing - Official Website of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Family Estate. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://conandoyleestate.com.
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and nine-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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24Apr

Consideration and Protection to Avoid Copyright Infringement (Part 2)

When listening to a memorable song, or reading a well-loved book, the words invoke feelings and emotions, which are much more important to character creation and portrayal than the actual words that sparked those feelings and emotions. But can a series of uncopyrightable words strung together, such as a book title, fall under any other type of protection? Is it possible to write a book called Harry Potter and the Stolen Franchise?

Trademarks

While the Harry Potter example could fall under parody law protection (more on this later), the two words “Harry Potter,” as well as how those words are portrayed (format, font, logo, artwork) might be protected by a trademark. Protection from this is common for successful franchises to protect the brand. Trademarked words or phrases are signified with a ™ symbol for goods or a ℠ for services, which lets competitors know a trademark is claimed and/or in process. Once registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, only then can the ® symbol be used along with the name. The Horror Writers Association, for example, recently registered a trademark of the phrase “Bram Stoker Awards” to protect the highly regarded name of the award from being used elsewhere, so it is now commonly referenced as the Bram Stoker Awards®. Trademark laws do not allow for protection of individual book titles (or song titles, album titles, or any other creative title), but it does allow for the protection of a series. Examples include the Chicken Soup for the Soul, and franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and the aforementioned Harry Potter series. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.gov), applying for a trademark is a (rather lengthy) four-step process: application, examination, publication, and registration. A trademark can be “any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things” to identify goods and services. “It’s how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors.” A common misconception is the legal ownership of words or phrases. When holding a trademark, the words or phrases are not protected in “general use,” but only when used for the registrar’s “goods and services.” Harry Potter, for example, would be protected from use in books and film and other relatable content, but would not stop someone named Harry from opening a pottery business under the same name since there wouldn’t be a conflict of interest, unless Harry borrowed / stole from the likeness of the Harry Potter franchise and planned to use it for gain. Since book titles cannot be copyrighted, can they be trademarked? Not necessarily. If planning to write a 7-book series of Glimmering Casket novels, or potentially lengthy series based on the title alone, protection could be useful. But if planning to write a single book called Hope or something similarly common, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office would most likely not approve the trademark. As long as the creator of a work can prove they were the creator, and everything written is original, that is all that matters. If not the creator of the work and sources are not cited accordingly, then the writing could fall under plagiarism.

Plagiarism

The definition of plagiarism is to take another’s work (or even ideas) and pass them off as one’s own. Synonyms include appropriation, copying, piracy, stealing, and theft, all of which are hefty, equally troublesome accusations. There are four common types, all violations of honesty.
  • Accidental: when misquoting or neglecting to cite sources, or unintentional paraphrasing of text by way of using similar words or phrases or structure without attribution; unintentional plagiarism incurs the same consequences as intentional.
  • Direct: when copying another’s work word-for-word without attribution and/or without quotation marks; a deliberate and unethical use of another’s work.
  • Mosaic: often called “patch writing,” this is when phrases are borrowed from source material and pieced together without using quotations or without citing; a type of paraphrasing (intentional or not) if too similar to the original.
  • Self: while it is highly likely a writer would give themselves permission to use their own work, self-plagiarism, which is possible, misrepresents the author and misleads readers; the Peer Learning Advisor team at La Trobe states that, “Self-plagiarism happens when you reuse your own specific wording and ideas from work that you have previously submitted.” (1)
With nonfiction, quoting and citing material written by others is a common practice, but doing so needs to be handled correctly and formatted to current publishing standards. And With fiction, quoting material written by others is not allowed unless without first obtaining permission, usually involving both signed contracts limiting use and a fee. The only way to legally plagiarize another’s work, in a sense, is by way of fair use or parody, but even that has limitations and must be handled with much precaution (and permission).

Fair Use / Parody

The Stanford University’s online Stanford Libraries define “fair use” as “any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and ‘transformative’ purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.” Basically, fair use can be used as a defense against a copyright infringement claim. (2) The term transformative is vague, but keep in mind that every year numerous cases are brought to court to determine what qualifies as fair use with plagiarism accusations. The definition of fair use is both ambiguous and highly open to interpretation, as designed. Copying copyrighted material must fall under one of two categories:
  • Commentary and Criticism: when commenting or criticizing a copyrighted work, fair use allows for brief reproduction to serve that purpose; this includes quoting lines from songs in a music review, lines from a book in a book review, or copying a few sentences of an article or essay to use in an educational manner—although doing so still has its limits and is not an open call to plagiarize.
  • Parody: when ridiculing a well-known creator’s work by imitating that work in a comical manner; this typically includes extensive use of the original material to bring awareness to the original, such as with a song parody or a riff on another’s poetry—and to parody another’s work often requires permission beforehand.
The most popular parodist is perhaps “Weird Al” Yankovic. Along with creating original music, half his recorded songs are musical spoofs: “Beat It” and “Bad” by Michael Jackson (recorded as “Eat It” and “Fat”), “Like a Surgeon" by Madonna (recorded as "Like a Virgin), "Amish Paradise" instead of Coolio’s "Gangsta’s Paradise," or "White and Nerdy" instead of "Ridin" by Chamillionaire and Krazie Brown, riffing on the popular chorus of "Ridin’ Dirty." “My parodies have always fallen under what the courts call ‘fair use.’” Yankovic states on his blog article called “The Gaga Saga” about asking for permission to record “I Perform This Way,” a parody of “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, ”and this one was no different, legally allowing me to record and release it without permission. But it has always been my personal policy to get the consent of the original artist before including my parodies on any album . . .“ (3) Worth noting is that “Weird Al” is not copying songs, he is satirizing them, which protects him from legal issues; and although he always asks the other musical artists beforehand as a courtesy), that does not mean he is not often sued for copyright infringement. He makes a profit off his songs, after all, and fortunately the artists he parodies typically see a large boost in sales of their own work after his renditions are released. What falls under commentary and criticism? Consider articles and reviews published by places like Rolling Stone magazine, or places that offer book reviews such as Publishers Weekly. Brief quotations from copyrighted material may be used to provide the public a review (commentary and criticism) of original works. For the typical writer, fair use and parody only applies in an educational or nonprofit setting, and only if the general public benefits by including snippets of copyrighted work (like this article). If publishing a book, essay, or any other written work that results in receiving payments of any kind, such as royalties, flat fees, advances, etc., this could mean trouble. (4) Fair use and parody do not automatically qualify a work to be copied without permission. If a work is created and distributed for profit of any kind (not for free public consumption by way of commentary or criticism), protection against “fair use” and/or “parody” does not apply.
1. Whaite, Freya. “Self-Plagiarism: When Recycling Your Own Work Can Get You into Trouble.” MyLaTrobe. La Trobe, September 7, 2022. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/mylatrobe/self-plagiarism-when-recycling-your-own-work-can-get-you-into-trouble. 2. Stim, Richard. “What Is Fair Use?” Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center. Stanford University, November 25, 2021. https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use. 3. Yankovic, "Weird Al". “The Gaga Saga.” Al's Blog, May 7, 2011. https://alyankovic.wordpress.com/the-gaga-saga. 4. Stim, Richard. Getting Permission: Using & Licensing Copyright-Protected Materials Online & Off. El Segundo, CA: Nolo, 2022.
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and nine-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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17Apr

Consideration and Protection to Avoid Copyright Infringement (Part 1)

Writers often want to include phrases from other writers in their own work, such as in epigraphs (a brief quotation of text at the beginning of a book or individual chapter to suggest theme), or quote a paragraph or memorable quote elsewhere because it was inspirational or meaningful. Some writers even attempt to have their characters relay material from other creators, but that does not make it legal. In creating an original piece of writing, is it possible to quote lyrics from a song, or include a stanza from a famous poem (or even an entire poem), or borrow a catchy line of dialogue from film, or use a wonderful section of text from another writer’s published work? Whether taken from a book, television, or from popular quotation engines—which are not always accurate—borrowing words can be dangerous. More often than not, quoting another’s creation is not legal without first obtaining permission. Some writers steal words and slide under the radar, ignorant to the laws or not, but copyright infringement is an ugly and incredibly expensive beast. The risk should always be avoided. Want to quote a line from “Hey Jude” by the Beatles, or a few lines of poetry from Robert Frost, or include a famous line from a television series or movie? Be prepared to pay a hefty fee, fine, or risk a lawsuit for copyright infringement.

What is Copyright and Who Can Own It?

According to copyright.gov, copyright is “originality and fixation,” a type of paraphrasing that can get a writer in trouble if not considered fair use. Copyright is thus an intellectual property to protect “original works of authorship” the moment the work is “fixed” in “a tangible form of expression.” Original works are independently created (or co-created by more than one party) with at least a minimal degree of creativity. It is something formed without copying. For a work to be considered created, there must be some form of “spark” and “modicum” of creativity involved, so says the Supreme Court in past copyright infringement cases. Consider Vanilla Ice's song "Ice Ice Baby," which left a mark on popular culture. The song also "sampled" the base line from "Under Pressure," another hit song by Queen and David Bowie. Robert Matthew Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) was sued soon after the release of his song. His "original" base line simply added a single note at the end of the riff in order to make it unique. The case was settled out of court for a large sum of money, the extra note deemed insufficient for the work to be considered original. If a single note of a popular base line in a song is untouchable, what might that mean for written works? Fixed works are created under the authority of the author in a “fixed” medium, such as being written down in a book or recorded by other means, published or not. Any single person, or even multiple persons, can own a copyright. As soon as something original is created and then fixed (no matter the medium), that person, or persons, own(s) the copyright. Companies and organizations other than the creator can be copyright owners if the work was made for hire. For instance, if John Doe works as a columnist for The Writer Life, copyright ownership of anything published The Writer Life would most likely reside with The Writer Life. When writing independently, copyright ownership starts with the author and stays with the author long after death, and even longer if renewed by their estate. If artwork is published by a more traditional press, the publisher most likely owns and controls copyright until it expires, with the author owning little to nothing.

What Constitutes Copyright Ownership?

The U.S. Copyright Office states that “copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner. “ The Copyright Act of 1976 is a long and incredibly confusing article to digest, so, simplified, what constitutes ownership? (1) Once an original work is created (unless contracted “for hire”), whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry, a blog article, a recording of a song, a podcast, a taken photograph, a drawing / painting, or whatever it may be, ownership belongs to the creator at the moment of creation, not after the work is published. The copyright act also extends to all “original works of authorship,” which considers any new type of media that develops. (2) The above two paragraphs, for example, were created with original intent, but with a lot of influence from articles published by the U.S. Copyright Office, hence the need for citations. If nothing were researched before or while writing this article, and the information was something more commonly known or “old news” (ice is cold, sharks cannot swim backward), citations would be unnecessary. There seems to be much concern over copyright ownership with writers. Novice writers tend to ask early on, “How do I protect myself from another person stealing my work?” while at the same time also wanting to borrow another’s words to use alongside their own. Most use laptops or other electronic devices to create, so the moment something new is created it is time-stamped along with other collected date, thus protected. Sending an email is timestamped. Taking a digital picture is timestamped. Posting on the internet (social media, blog article, uploading a photo, posting a comment) is timestamped, and regularly includes metadata such as an IP address—a unique string of characters that identifies each device using the Internet Protocol to communicate. When typewriters or handwriting were commonly used to create original work, copyright concerns were more of an issue. Authors even went as far as physically mailing physical copies of their manuscripts and leaving the package unopened with its government postmark to prove ownership and date. Today, copyright for “creators of origin” is less of a concern because of modern technology and the internet. A digital copy of a manuscript contains enough code buried inside the file to prove one’s ownership (metadata). A completed manuscript could likewise be uploaded to a secure storage site, or emailed to the self to force a timestamp and produce metadata, but not even that is needed to prove ownership. Once a creation is shared publicly on the internet, it is considered “published.” This is important when dealing with written work. If hosting a series of blog articles or essays on a website, for example, and later compiling those individual writings into a book, the writing within that book is considered “previously published,” the same way a self-published book would be considered previously published if attempting to sell to a traditional publisher.

What Cannot Be Copyrighted?

In terms of books and writing in general, the basics of what does not fall under copyright protection are titles, names, short phrases, and slogans. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, the following expanded list of items are not protected under copyright law (3):
  • Ideas, methods, or systems: making or constructing things, scientific or technical methods / discoveries, business operations / procedures, mathematical principles, formulas or algorithms, as well as concepts / processes / methods of operation.
  • Commonly known information: vague phrases with no known authorship (cliches) such as the “the ocean is deep,” or “the sun is hot” as well as calendars, charts pertaining to weight or height, phone directories, rulers or other measurements, or lists / tables from public documents.
  • Choreographic works: original or not, they are not subject to protection unless recorded or notated, as well as speeches or other such things not transcribed before or after the performance.
  • Names, titles, short phrases, or expressions: while not protected (other than with trademarks pertaining to business), this also includes descriptions, pseudonyms (fictitious names), and business names; it also includes recipes, formulas, compounds, prescriptions, or ingredient listings.
  • Fashion: “useful articles” such as clothes not pertaining to visual arts or fashion (clothing and accessories) is also not protected, although fabric patterns used in clothing are; however, unique designs can be patented.
If a writer wants to reference a band name or a song title in their work, those are fair game. The same goes for titles of published works (books, albums, essays, etc.) and author names. Likewise, if a writer wants to include a publicly known place such as a restaurant or hotel, street name, or building, or a public figure (President of the United States, basketball player, musical artist, etc.) they are also fair game, but consider how they are used in the writing. If described with mal intent or if negatively portrayed, how might it be damaging to others, or seen as damaging? But even if what is referenced is with good intentions, precautions must be taken to protect the writer. After all, whatever may have inspired one’s writing is not as important to the reader (or meaningful at all) as it was to the writer when creating the work. Inspirational words may have helped define a book or chapter’s theme, but if originally used to determine theme, wouldn’t that come across through the writing and no longer be needed?
1. U.S. Congress. United States Code: Copyright Office, 17 U.S.C. §§ 201-216. 1958. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/uscode1958-004017003. 2. U.S. Congress. United States Code: Copyright Office, Copyright Infringement and Remedies, 17. §§ 501-510. 1982. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/uscode1982-007017005. 3. Whaite, Freya. “Self-Plagiarism: When Recycling Your Own Work Can Get You into Trouble.” MyLaTrobe. La Trobe, September 7, 2022. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/mylatrobe/self-plagiarism-when-recycling-your-own-work-can-get-you-into-trouble.
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and nine-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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27Mar

Embracing Criticism and Feedback: Using Red Ink (Literal or Figurative) to Improve Writing

Writing a book is a mighty achievement. Not many who start a manuscript ever finish, and not many who finish a manuscript seek help to improve and make the work suitable for publishing. Anyone can write a book, and anyone can publish a book, but what does it take to make one’s writing any good? Writers need editors. A writer must embrace that fact if they ever want to publish a book that meets professional standards, especially if working on their first book. Once a book is published, it is out there, forever, and it defines the author and begins their brand. Closer to publishing a book, writers must also consider other professionals in the industry who can help, such as book cover artists and layout designers, but working with an editor (preferably editors, plural) is the first step to publish a book to the best of their ability.

The Many Types of Editors

In one’s book-writing journey, a writer may be involved with any number of editors. There are many types, and all have different specialties:
  • Developmental Editors
  • Structural Editors
  • Revisions Editors
  • Copy Editors
There are more than four types of editing, including line editing, mechanical editing, as well as beta and proofreading, but for self-, independent-, and hybrid-publishing consideration, those are perhaps the most commonly seen, and the lines more often than not blur between editors. A revisions editor, for instance, may assist early on with line editing, or a developmental editor might point out repetitive writing habits to help with structural or revisions editing down the line. Developmental editors, who sometimes offer substantive or content editing, assist writers anywhere from concept to completed draft. Developmental editing, as the first word in the title defines, helps with overall development of the manuscript, such as pointing out issues with fundamentals, helping to source content, referencing necessary chapter components, suggesting improvements for narrative flow, etc. Developmental editors sometimes even function as a mentor and writing coach. Structural editors take an overall look at the first draft manuscript upon completion, or near- completion. They sometimes work with writers during developmental editing to offer further guidance, but more from a structural standpoint. Is everything where it should be? Does the narrative flow in terms of style, tone, and overall quality? They look at the core components of future books and provide an analysis. Revisions editors work with manuscripts that are already completed, turning first (or second) drafts into more well-defined drafts. Revisions is an umbrella statement, of course, since manuscripts go through multiple revisions (or should, even rewrites). But revisions editors, in this case, work with writers to improve writing by way of improving the writing fundamentals: hook, character, plot / conflict, point of view, show vs. tell, dialogue, voice, pace, etc. They point out what works and what doesn’t and offer suggestions while also putting the writer to work collaboratively. Copy editors should be the final step before a manuscript goes into layout. This includes making minor spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections, as well as enhancing the writing quality, searching for passive voice, awkward sentence or paragraph structure, and if working on nonfiction they make sure citations are properly formatted, among other things. Once a manuscript goes through copy editing, no further significant changes should be made other than to fix last-minute proofreading errors. Other types of editors exist, all playing different (or sometimes crossed) roles. A line editor, for instance, goes through the manuscript line-by-line, examining word choice, making sure author / character voice is consistent, pointing out clichés and run-on sentences, and focusing on clarity. A mechanical editor, on the other hand, focuses primarily on the mechanics of the writing, making sure it conforms to style guides, and uses consistent capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviation, which are tasks copy editors sometimes absorb as part of their duties. That is a lot for a writer to take on if attempting to create a book on their own, and so multiple sets of eyes are always recommended (and should be required) instead of a lone set of eyes.

Editing Is Highly Collaborative

No matter which type of editor (preferably editors, plural) a writer works with along their publishing journey, it should never be assumed the editor(s) will simply fix issues and return a perfect manuscript back to the creator. All editing is highly collaborative and ultimately on the writers’ shoulders. Developmental and revisions editors, arguably, spend the most time with writers hands-on. Depending on their services, this could be anywhere from eight to sixteen weeks or longer; for structural editors, this could be anywhere from four to eight weeks or longer. In either case, a relationship between writer and editor is established, and during that time the writer needs to put in as much time and effort as the editor, or significantly more. Working with a structural editor is no different. They are not there to change the manuscript, but to suggest changes to help make the writing better. Are there inconsistencies with the writing compared to the outline? Are there incomplete or missing chapters? Does the manuscript feel complete? They offer a book-level evaluation so the writer can fix such things before going through further revisions. The least amount of interaction is between writer and copy editor. Since a manuscript draft is considered “final” by the time it reaches them, having passed through the hands of many previous editors, copy editors work on the practical details that do not need much writer interaction, although an interaction is still there, no matter how small. Yet it is not an editor’s job to simply make changes to a manuscript (except in the copy editing phase, in most cases), but to point out what could be improved so the writer can make those improvements. It is the author’s job, and obligation if they want to be a writer, to put a manuscript through multiple revisions before their work ever becomes a published book. The goal of every editor is to help writers become better writers. After all, it is not their book; it is the author’s. In fact, editors—although they put in a significant amount of work into manuscripts—are not listed as contributors within books other than seldomly appearing in an acknowledgment page. Editors have a passion to help writers, which is why they do what they do. They have a need to insist upon the world the highest quality of writing when it comes to published books, otherwise the world would be (and is, unfortunately) inundated with mediocre, unprofessional books.

Hard Work and Dedication

What many novice writers do not expect is the level of hard work they must put into revisions. It takes a significant amount of time to write a first draft manuscript, but it should take significantly more time to put that manuscript through multiple rounds of revisions before ever becoming a book. Consider a 60,000-word first draft manuscript, completed entirely by the author alone, with no help from any type of editor. Did the manuscript go through an extensive round of self-editing at least? More often than not, this is not the case, since most novice writers are not familiar with self-editing other than basic checks for grammar and spelling. Is this a first draft, second, or third? It all matters how familiar a writer is with the writing, editing, and publishing process, which is extensive. Let’s say, for the benefit of the writer, the manuscript at least went through a round of self-editing, which means it is a second draft. Then, after collaborating with a developmental editor, they put it through a third. Next, they send it off to a structural editor, who works with them on putting it through a fourth. Then a revisions editor, who helps them put it through a fifth or sixth. Then a beta reader, a copy editor, perhaps a line editor, a proofreader, etc. What draft number is it now? Some argue there is no such thing as a “final draft,” that a manuscript can go through endless revisions, that at some point a writer must simply be done with the thing and abandon it, either publishing their work or not. But if the writer decides to publish a book and become an author, wouldn’t it make sense to put it through as many drafts as possible and write / revise to the best of their ability? If this is the case, a writer needs to embrace the red. When editing by hand, many editors use a red pen to note suggested changes, and in word processing programs, edits are typically found as red text. And if the editing is done right (in the case of novice writers), there might be more red text on the page than black, and this can scare a person at first glance.

Embracing the Red

My first experience with an editor was for a 7,500-word short story called “Unstitched Love.” I put it through a weekend writer bootcamp that focused on self-editing because I wanted to learn more about the process and about my writing. One instructor leaned heavily on plot and conflict, another on dialogue and voice, another on point of view and show vs. tell, and the fourth took a line editing approach. When first turning in the story, I thought it was great, and then I received the feedback. The pages bled with red ink. While “a story is there, somewhere,” I was told, it had conflict but no plot, and I had a lot of dialogue that was unbelievable when spoken aloud, and my point of view was all over the place and hopping between characters, and I was telling more than showing. And from a line editing perspective, if I were to fix each of those items previously mentioned, I needed to cut (according to the blood on the page), at least a third or more of the text. I was horrified, at first, then I put their suggestions to use. I turned my conflict into story beats and suddenly had a plot. I created believable dialogue that sounded right for each character (instead of all sounding like me). I took the “camera” off the various characters’ shoulders, as it was analogized, and instead put the lens solely through the mind of the main character. From a line editing perspective, I trimmed the manuscript from 7,500 words to 4,000, cutting the story almost in half. After struggling for years writing alone, and not selling short stories to the markets I was seeking, I suddenly had my first professional manuscript. I sent it out and it instantly sold to a market in Sweden. I then went on to sell that same story to a market in South Africa, twice, and finally published it in the U.S. Without incorporating their feedback, I would have continued struggling as a writer. Today, I put those same practices to use, and from every new editor I work with—whether for a short story, nonfiction article, poetry collection, or novel—I learn a little more each time, forever improving my writing and editing to the best of my abilities. As an editor myself, I pass on what I have learned over the last twenty-something years to other writers and editors and hope they will do the same. Not until you embrace the red and incorporate criticism and feedback will your writing improve, which is an investment of the self. The more editors you work with over the years, the better your writing will become, thus needing less and less editing. It hurts, at first, until you realize it is a necessary pain and part of the process of writing successfully.
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and nine-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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13Mar

It’s Okay to Say No: Balancing a Busy Schedule While Also Writing a Book

Writing a book is hard. Writing a book with a busy schedule is exceptionally hard. So, is there a way to successfully juggle both? It matters on the writer’s dedication.

Dedication to the Craft

Ask any published author how they managed to not only start a manuscript but eventually turn it into a book, and they will say something similar to, “I made the time.” But time is something that simply passes by, and so we must do something with it or it goes on without us. “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind,” so says Nathaniel Hawthorne. Imagine “book time” (to write, edit, publish, promote, etc.) as a train without any stops, constantly pushing forward to no end. The only option for the writer is thus to hop on or hop off at any given moment, and to dedicate that time to one’s craft during the ride. There are countless quotes about the importance of time; that it’s money, waits for no one, is never found again, is relentless, irreversible, but we must ask ourselves, “What is the importance of time, to me, as a writer?” and “How much time should I invest in myself?”

Establishing a Routine Despite Hardships

One thing is certain: words must go on the page, otherwise books never happen. Whether dedicating an hour each day, hopping on that train between a busy work and home life, or using days off or weekends to focus on writing, words must go on the page. Jack London, one of the most prolific and successful writers of his time (comparable today to the success and output of Stephen King), had an incredibly busy life in his travels around the world. In all the chaos that surrounded him, he managed to dedicate a few hours each day to write fiction or nonfiction inspired by his adventures. His routine: 1,000 words per day on a typewriter, Monday thru Friday, which is four double-spaced pages of rough draft manuscript. It’s not a lot, and he gave himself the weekends off. Sometimes he would finish those pages in under an hour, or sometimes it would take half the day, but he wouldn’t end his routine until he had four pages. Quick math: 1,000 words per day is 5,000 words per week, or roughly 20,000 – 23,000 words each month, depending on the number of weekdays. This simple writing routine equates to a novel-length manuscript every three or four months, or over a quarter of a million words each year if writing all 52 weeks; this is about three or four novel-length manuscripts, depending on length. Highly achievable, right? This article, for comparison, is about 500 words so far (roughly two double-spaced pages of manuscript), and has taken approximately 30 minutes to write because of interruption (emails, texts, notifications, etc.). If I had better focus, it may have only taken half the time. That would be a rate of 2,000 words per hour, thus doubling my daily goal in a single hour, which means I would be capable of writing a novel-length manuscript every two months! But time is not always on our side, making a seemingly simple writing routine such as this seem daunting or implausible.

Establishing Goals Around a Busy Schedule

Unless writing full-time, which is an option for very few, a writer must learn to balance the real world vs. the world on the page. As time passes, using the train analogy from earlier, it gets more and more difficult to hop on for the ride to dedicate to a book. Work gets in the way. Home gets in the way. Life, in general, gets in the way. The “book time” train speeds along, as a blur, and so, more often than not, aspiring authors take the easier path of letting the train pass on by without trying to hop aboard. Consider the following weekday schedule for Jane Doe:
  • 06:30 – 07:30: home life
  • 07:30 – 08:00: travel
  • 08:00 – 12:00: work
  • 12:00 – 13:00: lunch break
  • 13:00 – 17:00: work
  • 17:00 – 17:30: travel
  • 17:30 – 22:30: home life
  • 22:30 – 06:30: sleep
In this 8-hour workday example, Jane Doe spends 16 hours between home life and work and 8 hours sleeping. Perhaps she wants to squeeze in gym time or is so busy she has to work through lunch, or maybe she is responsible for taking the kids to/from school, or works overtime and comes home later than expected, or has dinner plans out with family or friends. On the weekends, maybe Saturday and Sunday are just as busy. For Jane, time keeps slipping . . . How could she possibly find a means to say one day, “I made the time” to write a book? If writing 1,000 words per day (at a minimum) takes an hour or longer (with distractions), when would it be feasible to write? How is writing a book with a busy schedule even possible?

Writing Takes Passion and Sacrifice

Writers who need to write more than want to write all have one thing in common: they sacrifice time to write. Writing is a passion, and passion means suffering, thus something in one’s busy schedule must be forfeited to write and eventually publish a book. On the chopping block is usually home life or sleep, or even one’s lunch break. This article is approaching the 1,000-word mark (and will be there within the next few paragraphs), and I have spent an hour to get to this point (with many distractions). Jack London would be proud, having an understanding of the passion. I currently work 40 to 50 hours at my day job every week, and around that schedule I weave in 10+ hours each week co-producing and screenwriting a creative documentary series. And on top of that, I write fiction and nonfiction (when I can), such as this article, and I also write an average of one novel-length manuscript each year, while mentoring other writers. Not only do I have a passion for writing, and for all types of creativity (and helping others), but understand sacrifice is a big part of that lifestyle. My family suffers. My friends suffer. My health suffers. I get up early to write, or stay up late, or I binge-write on weekends. I am constantly sacrificing my personal life (time) for my creative life. I forfeit one to two hours per day, seven days a week, which is seven to fourteen hours total each week. Time is always moving forward, and that train is always blurring on by, so I either hop on for a half-hour here, an hour there, or take an extended ride over the weekend. I don’t necessarily “make” time to write, I “swap” time: a night out with friends for a night in working on a project, or an hour of sleep for an hour of writing. In the Jane Doe example, what can she do? Weekends are not listed on her schedule, so that might be the place to start. Could she dedicate a Saturday or Sunday on her book, or even two half-days? On weekdays, how much home life might be sacrificed, or lunch breaks? Could she squeeze in an hour in the 17:30 to 22:30 block? Could she wake up an hour earlier each day or stay up an hour later, sacrificing words for fatigue? Even with a hectic schedule, 1,000 words per day (or a cumulative 5,000 words per week) is possible, and that’s with distractions. Imagine being distraction-free and doubling the output. This, of course, requires a writer to often say, “No.”

It’s Okay to Say No

All writing should be taken seriously. Writing a book is a job and should be treated as such. This means scheduling time to write and then holding yourself accountable (or having someone else hold you accountable) for your dedication to the craft, maintaining a healthy writing routine, and reaching established goals. Say to yourself, “I will write 1,000 words every day (four pages of double-spaced, rough draft manuscript), and if I can’t manage that on weekdays, I will collectively write 5,000 words by the end of the week, every week.” Say to yourself, “I will write for at least an hour every day (if pressured by word count, although this will more than likely surpass preconceived goals), and if I can’t manage that on weekdays, I will collective write for five hours or more by the end of the week, every week.” Say to yourself, “I will get up an hour earlier each day and will block out time on my calendar to dedicate to the book,” or, “I will spend my lunchbreaks writing,” and “during this time, I am unavailable.” Say to yourself, “Writing a book is hard, and with a busy schedule is exceptionally hard, but I am going to juggle both. I will establish a routine despite hardships. I will establish goals around my busy schedule. I will make sacrifices. I am dedicated.” Say to others, “No. I can’t [fill in the blank], unfortunately. I am writing a book and unavailable during that time,” just as you would if you were asked to do something during your regular day job. And say to yourself, inspired by Hawthorne, “Time flies over us, but I will be part of the shadow it leaves behind.”
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and nine-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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06Mar

Why Category-Defining Books Start With a Question (Hint: You Don’t Need to Be an Expert Before You Write a Book)

“Why would anyone listen to me?” “I don’t know enough about the topic.” “Do you think I need to get a Ph.D. first?”
Expertise. It’s a common misconception about writing a great book. So the thinking goes, you become an expert and then just tell people how. But the reality is quite the opposite.   I asked author Dan Pink about the origins of his recent book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, and his answer surprised me. “That book had its genesis in this office. In an attempt to answer how I should approach my work.” A question he wanted to answer for himself. I asked Arianna Huffington why she wrote Thrive: Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder. “I collapsed from exhaustion and burnout in 2007, and started studying the whole phenomenon of burnout, covering a lot of it in the Huffington Post that I was running at the time. And then I started wanting to write about it. So, that's how Thrive came about it. It was really my new passion.” A question she wanted to answer for herself. Even my recent book Super Mentors began with a question: “Why wasn’t I a very effective mentor?” And the resulting work and book taught me something compelling that I shared with others through the book. This a question I wanted to answer for myself. None of us were experts, but we became experts by writing these books. Great books begin with a question.  But how do you find yours? * * * First, some wrong questions often clog the potential book writer’s mind:
  • Is it unique?
  • Will it sell?
  • Can I finish?
Those are different from the kinds of questions to fixate on. Sure, they are concerns, but truthfully they are much less relevant when you have a driving question.

Find Your Driving Question

Great books are based on a type of question I call your driving question  Driving questions are deeply personal, cross-cutting to numerous aspects of your life, and they nag at you often through an emotional thread.   It’s something that bugs you.  
  • Why can’t I . . . 
  • How come I . . . 
  • What’s stopping me from . . .
  • Why don’t we . . .
  • How come they won’t . . .
For Dan Pink, it was when he should be working to maximize his happiness, health, and success. For Arianna, it was how she should take care of herself to maximize her long-term well-being. For me, it was how to make a difference with others when I tried to help.   The way I summarize this is to ask yourself: What annoys you – and no matter what you’ve read, watched, heard, or done just doesn’t seem to fix it for you? That is a driving question.   What’s vital about driving questions is that conventional wisdom – what most people think or believe – is just unsatisfactory to you.   Sure, there may be answers from experts, research, and other places. But it’s unsatisfactory for you. You’re annoyed that you can’t find something that works or is satisfying for you.   Congratulations. You’ve got your driving question.

Is It Worth Finding Answers to Your Driving Question

Finding a question is relatively easy. Finding a driving question is more challenging. But the real trick is deciding something different: Is it worth finding answers to your driving question? Most likely, answers exist to this question. Books have been written. Podcast interviews are out there. Blog posts are plentiful.   Don’t expect to be the only one thinking about your driving question. Driving questions likely drive others too. That’s a good sign people are trying to answer it. But you’re on the right track if you find the answers unsatisfactory, incomplete, or too general. Remember, Dan wasn’t the first person or only person to write about the power of timing, luck, time management, or similar themes. There were dozens and dozens of books on wellness, sleep, purpose, etc., before Arianna wrote her book. And mentorship is one of the most covered subjects on the planet.   But none of them were satisfying, complete, or specific to us. Something was missing.   Remember, driving questions are deeply personal, and that’s part of what makes books special and unique:
  • Dan Pink was a modern, independent worker. As an author, he doesn’t punch a clock. Many books about time management or understanding timing were built when we didn’t control our schedules. He needed a unique and updated view for people like him. 
  • Arianna wasn’t a scientist, but she’d risen to fame and simply couldn’t go off in the wilderness and meditate to find her wellness. She needed to examine it for busy and ambitious professionals who wanted more. 
  • I was exploring modern mentorship in the digital era where the internet had changed access to advice and information. Nothing I’d read offered that modern look. 
But how will you know if it is worth finding answers to your driving question? I suggest you answer two questions:
  1. Is it something I’m willing to spend the next year going deeper into for myself?
  2. Is it something I’m willing to teach to others like me?
If your answer is yes to both questions, then you have checked a very important box in the book process:  This is a driving question worth finding answers to.

Where to Find Help Answering Your Driving Question

This is where many aspiring authors get stuck – answering your driving question isn’t easy or straightforward.   The answers will be nonlinear, more like a treasure hunt than a path.   And this is where the process is critical: You don’t look for an answer. You look for people who can contribute to your answer. This is critical – you should assume there is no answer. Dan Pink shared that he took a yellow notepad and began creating a list of people he wanted to learn from or talk to to answer his question.   Assume every expert will offer you something helpful, but it’ll be unsatisfactory, incomplete, or too general. There is no one magic TED Talk, book, or framework that answers your driving question. But they will have helpful contributions. What is a contribution? According to our good friend Webster (the dictionary), it’s when you give (something) to help achieve or provide something. For an aspiring author, the “something” here differs from what people usually expect from hunting for answers. Hunt for stories. I recently wrote a longer post about the hunt for stories called "Master Story Gathering: Four Steps to Research Story Ideas for Any Nonfiction Book". Especially early in your journey, you’re looking for contributions through the stories of others.  

Share Answers to Your Driving Question

Early in your writing journey, keep your writing short – usually, 50-250 word snippets that summarize the story from a podcast, an experience in your own life, a TED Talk, an interview you did, or just something random you thought of.  These smaller answers – contributions – are what will guide you toward answers that are:
  • More satisfactory
  • More complete
  • More specific
Remember, your book isn’t the only answer out there…  I can't guarantee that reading one book will change your life. But I can guarantee that writing one will. Through that process, you’ll answer your driving question,  and have something to share and teach others who also feel like you. * * * Most of the best books I’ve read didn’t start from a place of expertise; they started from a place of curiosity. Find your driving question and commit to answering it yourself and sharing it with others through a book. So, what’s your driving question?
Eric Koester is the founder Manuscripts, LLC, a b-corporation whose mission is to inspire, teach and support tomorrow’s creators — authors, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators and course builders. Through his work he’s coached nearly 1,000 first-time creators. He is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Georgetown University and the school’s only two-time entrepreneurship professor of the year, faculty at Growth University, and the executive director of the Intrapreneur Institute, which researches, trains and develops future innovation leaders.
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27Feb

Righting Your Writing: How to Improve Your Craft by Working With a Developmental Editor

The job of the developmental editor is often referred to as substantive editing, with a goal of improving the writer’s potential by taking a deeper dive into the work and helping them improve with early constructive feedback and constructive criticism; helping to further develop not only the writing but the writer.
I recently finished a manuscript for a nonfiction book called Righting Writing, an exploration into the madness of writing, editing, and publishing. A book for those who need to write. It took a few years to complete, but I consider 2022 a great year because the manuscript went through multiple revisions and at the start of 2023 became a book. “Need” is used in the statement above because while many want to write, those who need to write almost always follow through, and those who want to write rarely do. Righting Writing exists because of my never-ending need to help other writers improve their craft. The title holds meaning in its tense: writing needs constant righting; otherwise, the title would be Writing Righted, or Writing Right, which, of course, means there is only one way. A writer, no matter their level of expertise, can always improve; their writing can always be righted. Every successful writer-turned-author relies on an editor to make them better. And there are many ways to better one’s writing, especially for novice writers, such as by seeking the help of a developmental editor. I am currently working with Eric Koester on his second book in his Pennymores series (and soon a third). My main focus is developmental editing, but I offer advice to help prepare his manuscript for later revisions editing, such as with point of view, show vs. tell, and tightening prose by way of immersive language. My other focus is to help him realize his full potential. Eric has proven time and again that his storytelling is a need, not a want, and he takes my honest and constructive criticism to heart. He has a desire to ever-improve, which is key. The words flow out of him not with a “my writing is great” (and it is) attitude, but with a mindset of “no matter how great it is, it can always be better.” As a developmental editor, I have helped hundreds of writers: nonfiction narratives, memoirs, novels, fiction collections, poetry collections, and even graphic novels. And every writer who shares that same mindset of self-improvement publish. Along with providing developmental editing for Eric, I help train and manage developmental editors at Manuscripts, LLC, and assist with revisions editing and other departments. We all experience one thing in common: our writers not only finish manuscripts, but they put in the work it takes to turn manuscripts into incredible books. And yet it still surprises me that some first-time authors do not seek help. I thought I’d share my experience working as a developmental editor for Eric Koester’s latest book in his Pennymores series and how we collaborate, as well my experiences working with other writers.

My Fear of Providing Feedback as a Developmental Editor

When I first became a developmental editor at Manuscripts, LLC, I was terrified of my critiques coming across as being too brutal. Before that, I had nearly twenty years of freelance experience editing for various publishers, and so I was (and still am) well aware of writers resisting feedback. The world of editing can be precarious. If my reviews of works-in-progress were taken as too harsh, for instance, perhaps writers would not take my reviews as helpful but hurtful. Their impostor syndrome was quickly becoming my impostor syndrome, despite what I knew I could offer. Years later, I have learned that the writers who utilize the many services offered at Manuscripts, LLC have the following in common:
  • They need to write manuscripts and publish books.
  • They want honest criticism from editors.
  • They have the passion (suffering) it takes to put their manuscripts through the gamut that is developmental editing, revisions editing, structural editing, and later copy editing.
  • They publish their books, successfully.
  • They typically go on to publish more books, successfully.
My own fears as a developmental editor dissolved as soon as I realized what I had known all along: writers who need to tell stories, although they may hesitate when first seeking or receiving feedback, are usually willing to learn what it takes to write to the best of their abilities. Once a writer realizes a developmental editor (or any editor) is on their side, and willing to work with them in all sincerity to improve, that’s when the magic happens. They not only begin to believe they are ‘good enough’ to write, but that they can become great (and they do).

Expect More Than Editing

When collaborating with a developmental editor, know they are not there to simply edit what is already written. And don’t expect them to write if nothing is written. Developmental editors are not ghostwriters; they are mentors, coaches, cheerleaders, and sometimes even therapists if impostor syndrome kicks in (and it will, at some point). Developmental editors are sounding boards. They brainstorm. They work with writers to develop a book from the ground up, or, if an unstable framework is already established, they can help stabilize the foundation. They help turn ideas into stories, help turn stories into chapters, and help form those chapters into a workable Table of Contents. If a manuscript is already written, they can help develop that draft into something stronger. To quote a section in Righting Writing:
A developmental editor offers advice on basic writing fundamentals but does not necessarily correct spelling or grammar mistakes, although often points out such things. They can either be brought in during the book’s development—even prior to any writing whatsoever—or after the first draft of a manuscript is already written.
Developmental editing is thus more focused on a book’s structure rather than prose, such as with character, plot, conflict, voice, theme, and setting. Do chapters have enough hook to pull readers along? Do chapters have the right components? What about the 3 D’s: dialogue, detail, depth? What about the other fundamentals of writing that can be righted: intrigue, prose, pace, tense, point of view, show vs. tell, and imagery? Developmental editors work with writers to improve upon each of these areas, noting what is working well while also pointing out what is not. Working with any editor is highly collaborative, but think of the developmental stage as creating the architecture of a book. Consider the original idea and what it will take to turn that concept into a reality. Then realize there’s a professional on your side to make that happen. Questions to ask developmental editors prior to utilizing their services:
  • What is your experience / training?
  • What are your editing styles or how do you edit?
  • What are your specialties / strengths?
  • What are your expectations?
Questions to ask while utilizing their services:
  • What goals / routines should we establish?
  • What can I expect and what is expected of me?
  • What are my strengths and weaknesses?
  • What can I do to improve my writing?
Expect lots of communication. Schedule weekly meetings if at all possible. Ask for advice on impostor syndrome or writer’s block. If struggling, ask for help! Above all else, do not be afraid to share “ugly” writing, those early first drafts. Developmental editors have seen it all (and do not judge). They can help turn ugly writing into good writing, then good writing into great writing. When working with Eric, if he doesn’t ask the questions above, I bring them up. I offer my experiences to help him better his writing. I point out strengths and his weaknesses, but more importantly suggest ways to improve not only his weaknesses but his strengths. We establish weekly goals and routines. I expect his writing, no matter the quality, and he expects my critiques, no matter how harsh they may seem (although they are always positive). We always push forward.

Five Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Developmental Editor / Writer Relationship

Developmental editors are on your side. All editors have a desire to help other writers improve, which is why they became editors in the first place. And most developmental editors, specifically, are writers, so they know the importance of having the help required to complete a manuscript and publish a book. 5 tips to consider:
  1. Connect: Plan to meet weekly with your developmental editor by way of a video call, or at a minimum weekly messages. It can be daunting at first, so break the ice and then jump right into the writing / editing. It will get easier with time, and might become the highlight of your week. 10 to 30 minutes, depending on what’s needed, even if it’s a simple catch-up or to ask for advice. Are you stuck, overwhelmed? Your developmental editor can help.
  2. Communicate: Send messages over whatever platform you are using. Constant communication with your editor is key. Ask questions. Answer questions. Leave notes and respond by way of in-line comments and wrap-up comments within the document(s). Be precise, always asking yourself and your editor, “What can I do next to improve?”
  3. Collaborate: Editing is highly collaborative. For every hour your editor spends on your work, plan to 4 or 5 times that to further improve your manuscript, maybe even as high as 10. And remember: your developmental editor is not there to make changes or to write for you, but to suggest improvements with your writing. They may suggest sources for additional information, or point out what’s working and what isn’t with your writing.
  4. Set routines / goals: Work with your editor on weekly expectations. Take your word count (expected or already written) and divide that by the number of weeks working with your editor. 60,000 words and 16 weeks? That’s 3,750 words per week, which can be anywhere from 2 to 3 hours of developmental editor time, and 8 to 12 hours for the writer, at a minimum. Keep in mind that you are most likely not your editor’s only client, so be respectful of their time. Punctuality for meetings is important.
  5. Have an understanding that writing / editing is tough: If you put in the effort, your editor will do the same. Your editor will spend a lot of time not only reading your work but suggesting edits (always with the overall book in mind), so also be respectful of their expertise. They know what they are doing. Ask questions if you need clarification.
Developmental editors work with all types of writers, so a big part of the editor / writer relationship is determining your writing style and figuring out what works best in terms of all 5 items listed above. They are experienced working with writers who suffer from impostor syndrome or writer’s block, so listen to their suggestions. The primary goal of the developmental editor is to help writers, no matter their level of experience, finish manuscripts, and become better writers. There is nothing an editor loves more than to experience a writer they have worked with succeed and become great. * * * I am first and foremost a writer, and it is my passion to consistently improve my craft. And as an editor (developmental or otherwise, as I wear many hats), helping other writers improve their craft is also my passion. As an editor, I need Eric and other writers who are motivated with their own work (and their own betterment as writers) to keep me motivated. I read a dozen or two books each year, but perhaps as many as a hundred or more unpublished manuscripts. And when I see one of those projects turn into a beautiful, published book, knowing the writer and their editors did everything in their power to make it wonderful? Nothing makes me happier. Nothing written is ever perfect, but why not get it as close to that as possible, and then make the next writing even stronger, and the writing after even stronger, and so on . . . A special thanks to Eric Koester for not only founding Manuscripts, LLC, which cranks out countless inspiring book each year, but also having the drive to showcase his writing and the books of so many others. Righting Writing is the title of my latest book, but also my mission. It’s an active statement, the continuous art of righting one’s writing, of taking the written word, no matter whose, and ever-improving upon it.
Even the best editors need editors.
Michael Bailey is a Senior Editor and the Head of Developmental Editing at Manuscripts, LLC. He is a recipient and eight-time nominee of the Bram Stoker Award, a four-time Shirley Jackson Award nominee, and a multiple recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award, along with over thirty independent publishing accolades. He has written, edited, and published many books. His latest is Righting Writing, a nonfiction narrative about dedication to the craft. He is also the screenwriter for Madness and Writers: The Untold Truth, a creative documentary series about writers. Find him online at nettirw.com, or on social media @nettirw.
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20Feb

Righting My Writing: What It’s Like to Work With a Developmental Editor

We believe writing a book is a solitary activity. But you can't make it solitary if you want to finish writing your book. I learned the hard way I had to Stop Writing Alone.
2022 was a very different year for me as an author. I published two books. Both books sold thousands of copies in their first year. Both books have won multiple awards. Why was 2022 such a great year for me as a writer? Two years prior, I began working with a developmental editor – a book writing coach. And if there’s a single thing that impacted my writing, it was that. I’m not unusual – I’ve interviewed and spoken to several hundred professional and successful published authors writing nonfiction, memoirs, novels, and essays. 70-80% of them shared they worked with a developmental editor or writing coach during their book development. And yet it surprises me that most first-time authors don’t. I thought I’d share my experience working with my developmental editor, Michael Bailey on my latest books: Pennymores 2 and 3 (I’m writing them both concurrently). I’ll share a bit about what held me back from working with a developmental editor on my first two books, then will talk about how Michael and I collaborate.

My Fear of Feedback as a Writer

I published my first book in 2009 and my second in early 2011. Honestly, I was terrified I’d written terrible first drafts when I shipped them to my acquiring editor. I was late on submitting them – five months late on each, actually – and was politely told if I didn’t submit them, I’d likely lose my opportunity to publish. I had what I’ve come to learn is a very ‘traditional’ view of book writing.
  • A writer writes until they finish a good draft.
  • An acquiring editor at a publisher gives you a ‘Roman-style’ thumbs up or thumbs down.
  • Revisions happen.
  • Publish.
This belief system holds lots of writers back from seeking or receiving feedback. And for many of us, we never actually produce something we think is ‘good enough’ to even submit to that terrifying acquiring editor.

You Want a Coach, Not Just Editing

Many first-time authors don’t work with a developmental editor because they believe editors simply edit what you’ve written. And unless you’ve written a lot or the entire thing, there’s nothing for them to do. It turns out that’s not what developmental editors do. Developmental editing is a different category, more focused on the structural components of the book rather than the prose. The analogy is building your dream home. The developmental editor is the architect who helps you design your house. Everything from the number of bedrooms to your kitchen layout to maximize the light. We think about other editors who help us with the prose, writing, copy editing, and proofing. They’ll help make the home feel right. Both are critical to having a home you’ll love, but you don’t do interior design until you’ve got the designs done, the foundation poured, and you are confident you don’t need to add a sun room. Great developmental editors coach. According to the ICF, 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching and more. That’s why I tell people Michael is my writing coach, and our working relationship is built very differently than I imagined:
  • We do a weekly call. We talk strategy, we work through ideas together, we talk about my writing time, and he coaches me when I’m struggling.
  • I share first drafts, and I share them as I write them. Usually, I’m sharing chunks that are 500-1,500 – so it’s not something that needs to be ‘complete’ or ‘done’. Michael reads what I write each week, and offers feedback on it as it’s written. But he also tells me not to make the changes – just read them and use that feedback to improve.
  • He doesn’t fix my grammar. Michael reads everything I write, but his comments are on strategic questions from structure, pacing, flow, and consistency. He doesn’t worry about my grammar or writing since that will all be part of revisions.
ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Michael isn’t editing or fixing my writing; he’s helping me realize my potential as an author.

The Psychological Benefits of Working With a Developmental Editor

I realize now that my first two books were written from a near-paranoid state. I didn’t share drafts with anyone, I didn’t tell many people I was writing them, and I spent a lot of time worrying about my grammar. I realize now it was a pretty lonely process. Working with a developmental editor provides me with a wide range of psychological benefits, both during the editing process and after the book is published. One of the main benefits of working with my developmental editors is that I gained a deeper understanding of my writing and general writing craft. A good developmental editor can provide feedback on the structure, pacing, arguments, and character development of a manuscript, as well as help an author identify and overcome any weaknesses or inconsistencies in their writing. This process helped me develop my writing skills, but the added benefit was enhancing my confidence in the book. The second psychological benefit of working with my developmental editor is that it has helped me to overcome writer's block and to stay motivated during the writing process. I’m now working on books six and seven, and I still struggle with feelings of uncertainty, self-doubt, and frustration when working on a book. A developmental editor can help provide guidance, support, and a sense of accountability. Michael has worked with hundreds of authors to navigate this, but he’s an author himself, having had the same feelings. Maybe it’s obvious, but having someone counting on me and a call scheduled each week to talk strategy has been central to staying focused and productive, avoiding getting bogged down by self-doubt or procrastination. I’ve also found a massive difference in the amount of rewriting I’ve done. My developmental editor offers perspective on my work as it’s happening. Writing a book can be an intense and personal experience, and it can be challenging to be objective about my writing. I’d spent quite a bit of time wrestling through a complicated scene, and after sharing it with Michael, I could sense he enjoyed it. He wrote in his comments that he wanted to hear more detail about it. A developmental editor provides an outside perspective on the manuscript, which has helped me see my work with fresh eyes and to identify areas that need improvement.

Five Tips to Set up a Positive & Productive Relationship With Your Developmental Editor

The most important thing is to remember your developmental editor is your writing coach, not just revising or editing what you write. You’ll need to collaborate, communicate, and iterate to success.
  1. Communicate effectively: Clearly express your goals, concerns, and feedback to your developmental editor. Understand the objectives of your coaching relationship. I recommend a weekly conversation, whether a zoom chat, phone call, or messaging over text/DM. But you want to have a conversation, not just send written comments on your writing back and forth.
  2. Be open to feedback: Listen actively and be receptive to constructive criticism. Your developmental editor’s role is to help you improve, so be willing to take their advice. Michael offers written feedback on what I write, but we begin each call and conversation by discussing things that I didn’t understand or wanted to clarify.
  3. Be proactive: Take responsibility for your development and work on achieving your goals. This includes following through on any action items or tasks your developmental editor assigns. We set weekly goals and realistic outcomes.
  4. Be honest: Be honest with your developmental editor about your strengths and weaknesses. This will help them tailor their coaching to meet your specific needs.
  5. Be respectful: Show respect for your editor’s time, expertise, and experience. This includes being punctual for meetings and keeping agreements and commitments.
* * * As an author, my work is essential to me. It’s my legacy and a craft I’m committed to improving. And that means being real with myself that I can’t do that alone. I need Michael and others to help me to maximize my personal and professional potential. Coaching has helped me. But more than anything, working with a developmental editor has provided me with a professional opinion. I’m fortunate to have Michael bring years of experience to me. Besides being an author, he has coached hundreds of authors like me as the Senior Editor for Manuscripts, LLC and trained dozens and dozens of other developmental editors. He’s able to consult with peers when I had questions on my use of tropes and quickly get me perspectives outside my own. I’ve grown as a writer, author, and creative. I’ve improved more in the craft of writing than anything – and even if my recent books hadn’t done well both commercially and critically, I’d still know I’m a better writer today than before. A special thanks to Michael Bailey and ChandaElaine Spurlock who have been my writing coaches and developmental editors. You both have helped me Right My Writing.
Eric Koester is the founder Manuscripts, LLC, a b-corporation whose mission is to inspire, teach and support tomorrow’s creators — authors, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators and course builders. Through his work he’s coached nearly 1,000 first-time creators. He is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Georgetown University and the school’s only two-time entrepreneurship professor of the year, faculty at Growth University, and the executive director of the Intrapreneur Institute, which researches, trains and develops future innovation leaders.
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13Feb

The Case of the Curious Author: Why Most Great Books Begin With What You Want to Learn, Not What You Know

“It’s all written in my head, and I just have to get it out.” Is your conviction-to-curiosity score out of whack?   Having been part of the journeys with thousands of published authors now, I am sometimes asked what’s the difference between authors who publish and writers who never finish their books. Curiosity. The person who struggles comes to me with the perfect book topic, a full outline, every lesson, and the ideal title for their book… in their head. And it’s that overconfidence that sinks them and their book.   If you’re thinking about really investing time and resources into a book, I’d suggest you examine your conviction-to-curiosity score.

What is Good Conviction for a Book?

Websters Dictionary defines conviction is “a firmly held belief or opinion.” When it comes to books, there are lots of convictions:
  • The title
  • The beginning story
  • The table of contents
  • The main lesson
  • The length
These are all common convictions I often hear when talking to an aspiring author. I describe these as Knowledge Convictions. Things you know about your topic. The problem is these aren’t good convictions – things you really should firmly hold as beliefs – when it comes to writing your book. Why? Because most authors will tell you that the act of writing the book exposes all the things you didn’t realize, know, or understand. The process builds your topical and knowledge convictions.  Then what is a good conviction?   Process Convictions. These are things you hold firmly as beliefs and opinions about the process you’ll go through with your book.  
  • The amount of months you’ll invest in completing the project
  • The amount of hours you’ll carve off weekly to work on the book
  • The amount of feedback you’ll need to seek
  • The amount of research you’ll plan to gather
  • The number of interviews you’ll need to do
  • The coaching, editing, and support you’ll need to improve it
These are things in the process of writing your book, and these are what I’d describe as good convictions.   Education Convictions. These are things you want to share and teach. Often it’s something you’ve benefited from and feel is a conviction to share with others.
  • Recommending a great book you’ve read
  • Writing a blog post detailing how you’ve done something
  • Offering a workshop
  • Teaching a course or class
  • Coaching or mentoring someone
What can make a book or really any major project challenging is when we have to break our firmly held beliefs and opinions.   That can feel depressing, frustrating, or defeating.   And that’s why knowledge conviction is particularly problematic: when you start writing a book and taking what you thought out of your head, it will certainly break many of your firmly held beliefs and opinions.   Having strong knowledge convictions sets you up for frustration, but having process convictions and education convictions are critical.

Setting Process Convictions

As Mike Tyson aptly said, “Everyone has a plan: until they get punched in the face.” Writing a book will punch you in the face. And so any convictions you have should be loosely held but grounded in some knowledge.  I’ve learned to identify four major areas to create ‘loose’ process convictions:
  • Calendar time
  • Weekly time
  • Professional support
  • Feedback
When I talk to a writer about creating process convictions, I begin by framing their book as an iterative project. This is something that’ll require modest weekly investments that with feedback will improve over a longer period of time. Said simply, “You’ll write something every week and with the right feedback mechanisms it will be darn good by the end of a year.” Calendar Time Convictions. Writing a book is a long-term endeavo. Most great books take around a year of a concerted effort to develop, write, and revise to be great. It’s a year-long thing… and then there’s the additional effort that comes from marketing, publishing, book tours, and the like. I believe each book I write is going to require me to make at least a year-long commitment to developing it. I’m convicted for the year, but I’m aware it may take more time.  And I also know there’s additional work of marketing, promotion, etc. Weekly Time Convictions. There is a common message out there from professional authors from Stephen King to Dan Pink who all say the same variation of “write daily.” It’s good in theory, but hard in practice, especially if you have a day job. I think in weekly time investment, as you want to be doing meaningful work on your book most weeks. I’d think about committing a year to the project and dedicating 4-6 hours each week.That’s going to be about two hundred and fifty hours, but it feels much more doable if you scope it down to two mornings each week, a half day on Saturday, one afternoon, or a single evening.  Professional Support. I don’t believe writing a book isn’t hard because of the writing; it’s hard because of the architecture of writing content for a book. When I wrote my first novel, The Pennymores, I took the idea from a bedtime story my daughters and I made up, and wrote it down. I shared it with a few people and they loved the characters and the world, but the story was flat. It wasn’t until I began working with my developmental editor ChandaElaine Spurlock that I realized I didn’t have the architecture of the story – the frames for my writing. For some people they can get that from books on writing, others get coaching and help from an editor, and still others may get their MFA or something similar. But I’d be convicted you’ll need to invest in professional support – time and money – to finish a book.  Feedback. If you read any advice about writing books, you’re most likely to hear the phrase ‘great books aren’t written, they are re-written.’ That’s true, but I’ll add a qualifier to that: great books are re-written based on great feedback. And you should expect to get feedback from multiple people (beyond a professional editor). Peer authors, beta readers, friends, and family.  You want to be convicted that you’ll share your ideas and writing with a meaningful number of people. In fact, I advise writers to be sure they have six to ten people they trust read the entire book before publishing.   These four areas are where I’d urge every writer to develop ‘loose’ process convictions to help them finish what they start.

Identify Your Conviction-to-Curiosity Score

My good friend and business partner Scott Case has the following mantra: “I’m often wrong, but never in doubt.” This is what I call the Conviction-to-Curiosity score. You want conviction – especially the good convictions – when it comes to writing a book. Those convictions should skew toward process convictions if at all possible, and even better if they look at those convictions as floors: at least a year, at least 4 hours a week, etc.   But that’s not particularly reassuring when you’re deciding if this is an idea or direction you should invest all this time into.   Remember, strong Knowledge Conviction isn’t the type of conviction that I’d encourage any first-time writer.  But then, how do I know if this topic is worth pursuing?   You’re curious to find answers to a question that matters, and you are convicted to share what you learn with others. We call this Education Conviction.   Many of the best books begin as questions:
  • If our intellects alone don’t determine success… what does? (Mindset by Carol Dweck, Grit by Angela Duckworth)
  • What makes us attracted to certain brands and companies? (Start with Why by Simon Sinek, Good to Great by Jim Collins)
  • How can I achieve my goals? (Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#ck by Mark Manson, Drive by Dan Pink)
There are countless others out there, but these questions don’t have to be unique. As you can see, many of these have a similar question that led to a different framework, book, or solution.
 
High Education Conviction Low Education Conviction
High Topic Curiosity You’ve spent extensive time learning about the subject – reading books, taking courses, listening to speakers, writing ideas (and continue to do so) AND you regularly share that knowledge in blog posts, workshops, teaching, and coaching. You’ve spent extensive time learning about the subject – reading books, taking courses, listening to speakers, writing ideas (and you’re continuing to do so), but you’ve mostly kept that knowledge to yourself or shared mostly in private settings.
Low Topic Curiosity You’re already an/the expert in the field or topic, and at this point, you know the topic.  You’ve already spoken about it many times, written about it extensively, and believe more people need this knowledge and information.  You think this idea is intriguing but really haven’t spent a ton of time with it, but you’re not sure if people care and you’re really early in deciding if it’s an area of interest for you.
 
If you find yourself in the Low-Low box, then you’re likely not ready to even consider writing a book on this subject. And if you find yourself in the high-high box, then this indicates that you likely have the necessary score to at least consider investing in a book. It’s when you are low-high or high-low boxes that require a bit more work. 
  • High Education Conviction, but Low Topic Curiosity.  This is often what I call the “should write” book. Many times these writers come in with strong Knowledge Conviction, but low Process Conviction because they feel like all the work they’ve done to get to this point should “count” and now they just need to extract their knowledge and make it a book. In many cases, they ask about a ghostwriter. My guidance is that they need to look for a ‘new angle’ for their book to peak their curiosity; otherwise, they struggle to finish their books. A new angle could be finding a different audience for the knowledge, layering on research and interviews from others, or simply looking for a more updated take. Many have been thinking about their idea for years and need a shake-up to ever finish. 
  • High Topic Curiosity, but Low Education Conviction. This is often what I call the “someone needs to write the book” writer. They have spent substantial time and energy coming to a conclusion or insight, and often can’t believe why no one else has it or why no one else is talking about it. They believe the idea is “so big” that when they share it, it’ll become a massive, huge idea. Their reasons for not sharing it often have to do with alignment: an area outside their job, a topic they don’t want someone to steal, or they don’t yet have the credibility to write it. For most of these individuals, I don’t advise them to start posting on social media or start blogging about their ideas (they usually aren’t there yet).  I advise them to have conversations with friends, connections, and peers. Usually, there’s an investment needed to really frame things. 
What I’ve learned is aspiring authors who have High-High scores are the most likely to be able to finish a draft manuscript or book on their own. It’s still challenging, but that combination can provide enough inherent motivation to finish. For those with High-Low or Low-High scores, they nearly all require a system to finish. That system usually requires professional coaching and a level of peer accountability and support necessary to finish an exceptional book. Being aware of your own score can help you determine what things are holding you back, and what investments are worth making to push to finish.   Conviction is key to finishing a book, but make sure you’ve got the right convictions, and particularly are self-aware of your own conviction-to-curiosity score as it can make all the difference. Writing a book is one of the most amazing learning experiences of my life.   But curiosity, my writer friends . . . that’s how you build your convictions.
Eric Koester is the founder and CEO of Creator Institute, a b-corporation whose mission is to inspire, teach and support tomorrow’s creators — authors, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, corporate innovators and course builders. Through his work he’s coached nearly 1,000 first-time creators. He is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Georgetown University and the school’s only two-time entrepreneurship professor of the year, faculty at Growth University, and the executive director of the Intrapreneur Institute, which researches, trains and develops future innovation leaders.
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