The most popular article on my website—by far—is How Long Should Your Nonfiction Book Be?. My writerly answer: “Use as many words as you need and no more.” My strategic answer: “Match your book length to your readers’ needs and your brand promise—while paying attention to genre norms.” My practical answer: “Probably 30,000 words for […]
Craft
Emotion in Writing: Do You Need It?
In one of the first creative writing classes I took, we responded to the prompt “Write about the worst thing that happened this week, and the best thing that happened this week.” We went around the room, sharing what we’d written. As I read my piece, I began to cry. That was the week we’d […]
How to Write with a Conversational Tone & WHY
If you think back to your high school English class, you may recall having been taught that the written word is different from the spoken word. That it requires more formality, that it must be “proper.” These lessons may have been cemented into place by a workplace requiring you to be “professional.” But “professional,” “proper” […]
Are you being authentic, or playing it safe with your writing?
In Jane Austen’s Persuasion*, 27-year-old Anne is courted by Mr. William Elliot. Her surrogate mother, Lady Russell, thinks Mr. Elliot, with his education, manners, and future inheritance, would be a fine match for Anne. (Plus Anne already broke off an engagement with Captain Wentworth and declined Charles Musgrove’s proposal. She’s going to age out of […]
How Long Should It Take to Write a Book?
I frequently get the question “How long should it take to write a book?” And I answer, as all good consultants do, “It depends.” I’ve seen clients write books in as little as six weeks or take as long as several years. Factors that influence book-writing timelines A couple of factors can help estimate “longer” […]