A Modern Approach to Designing and Refining Recommendable Nonfiction
Rob Fitzpatrick
This was recommended by the leader of my writing group as a good book to help us not just write a book, but write a book that would be helpful for readers. This pitch interested me because I tend to be the kind to write my book the way I want to write it instead of something that could be most helpful to my readers.
The author begins his book by explaining that it is good for some and not good for others. In fact, that is the way he writes books. He uses a more reader-friendly approach because he asks his base about the issues of the book he is writing so he answers their questions and makes the book valuable over time. He is not interested in a bestseller that lasts for two weeks, but a book that lasts the test of time.
In chapter 2, the author talks about designing nonfiction for long-lasting recommend-ability. The best marketing you can do for your book is to make it irresistible for others to recommend it. You can only do that as an author if you write a book that helps people with whatever they are looking for help. If you do that well enough, people will recommend your book no matter where it is on any bookselling website. He even has a helpful step for authors between chapters 2 and 3.
Fitzpatrick describes an approach you can use to find readers who are interested in your book’s topic in Chapter 3. He tells you the dangers of not being able to find readers, disinterested readers, or your own problem of not wanting to look for readers at all. I found his insights and advice very helpful to my questions on how to find these readers.
The author gives an interlude where he describes expanding the table of contents after you have gotten feedback from people who want you to help them solve their problems and are very interested in your book. He talks about the first draft and what you should expect.
Fitzpatrick explained how to keep your reader from becoming bored with your book. This requires a process he outlines in Chapter 4. He is not lying about being able to produce a useful book. This book is useful in every chapter and it seems on every page. I find myself highlighting and bookmarking every five pages or so.
How do you know how to find beta readers to help you test out your book? Even more important, what kind of information do you want them to give you? Chapter 5 of the book answers these questions and more. I could literally use this book to help me decide everything from how to make my writing better and reach more people to how to use beta reader feedback for the most benefit of my book.
Chapter 6 helps you to clarify the feedback you receive from your beta readers. You will be able to figure out where your book is not measuring up to the hype. Beta reader feedback is not always obvious, so you need to know how to read what they are saying, or on saying. This chapter is helpful in helping you to know how to read the data your beta readers give you.
Chapter 7 is all about how to market your book. The author gives four approaches to marketing, not all of which will work for every book. You can use a combination of them or tailor them to what works best for your book. I have not tried any of these methods so I plan to employ them on my next book. He gives great detail on how to accomplish each marketing approach.
In chapter 8, Fitzpatrick shows you how to optimize your book’s sales by how it shows up on Amazon and how to get reviews. He talks about some other Usages as an author to make your book even more profitable. His conclusions on top what the book has been about and remind you of the key takeaways of each chapter. Even has an appendix where he gives you some very Helpful further information about the logistics of your book project. Rob Fitzpatrick has given a masterful book on how to write useful books. It is extremely useful and valuable to writers of all levels. I will be using the processes and guidance of his book in my next book project. You can see the value of each step and he gives actionable steps to take. I highly recommend this book to me later who wants to be an author, or someone who is an author that would like to be more effective at helping people with their books.
