Some of the best writers didn’t’ become famous by writing only fiction. Authors like Mark Twain and George Orwell started their writing career by venturing into journalism and memoir writing. George Orwell’s first book Down and Out in Paris and London was a memoir about living in poverty. Mark Twain’s first book The Innocents Abroad was a compilation of essays. Does this mean aspiring writers should venture into nonfiction first and then into fiction? Well, that is your call. Writing fiction or nonfiction has its own pros and cons. Fiction is enduring. We remember Mark Twain for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and George Orwell for 1984 and Animal Farm. Writing nonfiction gives you credibility as an expert, as nonfiction writing requires a good amount of research and expertise. How can nonfiction authors increase their authority?
1. Reach beyond the platform
Authoring a book makes you an expert in your field. It can also attract major corporations as they look for ways to reach potential customers. If they find your book appealing to their audience, then this opens up a number of options for you. You can license copies of your book with the company logo added to the cover, distribute your books to their customers or serve as a media spokesperson and do much more.
2. Generate content regularly
Do not keep procrastinating your writing. Write your nonfiction now. Maintain a website wherein you regularly post articles related to your field of interest. The more content you post, the more regular visitors will you have. You can even provide sneak previews of your upcoming ebooks on your website to pique your readers’ curiosity. To engage your audience, include a question poll on your area of interest.
3. Interview subject matter experts
If you love to write about fitness, then you can interview somebody who is a subject matter expert in health and fitness. This person could be a doctor or even a celebrity who endorses fitness regimes for a healthy lifestyle. Include a few interview questions and answers on your website. This generates interest in your writing as readers will have their queries answered.
4. Event promotion
Any promotional event that you conduct gives you the opportunity to connect with your readers/audience and at the same get exposure to the media. Once you decide to hold an event, then you need to spread the word to as many as possible. How do you spread the word? You can promote your event in many ways; you can spread the news through local newspapers or magazines. You can even promote your events on local community calendars. Your events can be free or paid. Chances are that you may get more registrations than actual attendees for a free event, and for a paid event you may get fewer attendees.
5. Testimonials
Publish testimonials on your website in order to build your reputation. Testimonials are a great way to show readers what others think about your book and if it is an investment worth one’s time and money.
Image credit: Nadine Dereza on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
I’m Smitha Abraham. I love traveling in my flights of imagination and use these flights to craft short stories and poetry. I am a budding writer from India. My passions are reading, creative writing, listening to music, learning new languages, meeting new people, getting acquainted with different cultures and traveling. Authors like Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, genres like magic realism, historical romance, and writing styles that are imaginative and flow effortlessly fascinate me. I love to unwind with a book curled up on a sofa or by gazing at the stars by the sea shore. I am a nature lover and spending time admiring the sunset and sunrise is relaxing for me.