How to Have Your Book Read to Determine Marketability?
By Katherine Pickett
Katherine Pickett
"A 24-hour interval of infamy."
"Japan bombs Pearl Harbor."
"An human action of war."
A book I copyedited a handful of years ago included these snippets from Franklin Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" oral communication, which was delivered the 24-hour interval after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The author was setting the scene of a young boy listening to the radio every bit the spoken communication was given, and he used these snippets to add authenticity. A nice touch, correct?
The problem is that these cursory quotes don't actually appear in Roosevelt's voice communication. Where the author had thought he was adding authenticity, in fact, he was showcasing poor enquiry habits. If these errors had gone uncorrected, readers would accept chucked the book and given information technology poor reviews.
Situations like this are not unusual. A few of my big catches over the years: a volume that stated Infant Ruth was correct-handed; an actor's memoir that gave wrong moving-picture show titles and locations; a novel that indicated Native Americans rode horses before the Europeans arrived. I plant the correct data in these instances with very simple Cyberspace searches—searches that the authors should have done themselves.
Think, copyeditors are non fact-checkers. Sure, we do some double-checking of names and verify facts that expect suspicious, but it is non the editor'due south place to ensure a volume'southward accuracy. That is the author'southward job. Expecting someone else to catch factual errors is an enormous risk that could damage your reputation. Then don't be afraid; dive in and investigate your topic! Then, make the well-nigh of your researching efforts to craft a more marketable volume and save time and money in the process. The following five steps will aid.
1. Establish a Organisation for Recording Your Research
The precise system you choose for tracking your enquiry should be whatsoever is comfortable to yous. However, every system should include a few key elements. To begin, notation the pertinent citation data for each source: writer, book or journal title, commodity or chapter title, book, issue number, publisher, city of publication, and yr of publication. Then, with each quote or paraphrase, write downward the page number where you found information technology. Betoken what is a direct quote and what is your estimation, and double-cheque that you take transcribed your excerpts correctly. If any information is unavailable—for example, not all websites list authors—note that and so you can hands answer that question should your editor ask.
It might not be obvious now, but tracking all of this information volition save you lot time and money. With advisable records, you volition not have to spend time hunting down page numbers and names of publishers later on. Furthermore, you won't have to pay an editor to expect upward or query all of that missing information. Good organization besides helps if yous desire to write a follow-upwards book or a revised edition. Maintain a adept inquiry system and you will take saved yourself time, money, and maybe fifty-fifty a few steps toward your next book.
two. Employ Reputable Sources
When you search the Internet, you lot may be tempted to go to the first website that comes upwardly and use that equally your source. This, however, is not ever the best practise for finding the nigh accurate or respectable source. The acme search result is usually Wikipedia, and although the information contained therein is often accurate, the incorrect material is not ever easy to spot. What's more than, many readers practice not respect Wikipedia as much every bit they do other sources, and your credibility — and, therefore, marketability — is at risk if it shows upward in a reference department. Wikipedia is great for getting an overview of a subject field, merely you lot should always verify your facts past checking multiple sources.
three. Synthesize the Information You Have Learned
You accept several pages' worth of research ready to be used. Now information technology is fourth dimension write, right? Not so fast. First you take to mull over this new data and figure out how to best integrate it into your manuscript. For nonfiction writers that means putting it in your own words and connecting the dots between various points of fact. In fiction it means massaging facts into the story line and using it to build your world and characters. As y'all write, be sure each idea flows neatly into the adjacent. This often means performing several revisions until the writing is seamless.
If you research while you write, you must accept additional measures to guard confronting plagiarism. You may be tempted to copy and paste the information you have uncovered directly into your document with the thought that you will rewrite it later. This is a fast rail to trouble. To avert plagiarism, continue your research and manuscript documents split. Just as you cannot blitz good writing, y'all cannot rush synthesizing good research. Take your time to work your research into your story and you lot volition profoundly improve the marketability of your volume.
four. Don't Try to Include Every Fact and Figure Yous Uncover
Yous're excited about your topic, and you should exist! But some authors are keen on including all of the information they have discovered since beginning their research. This happens in both fiction and nonfiction, and it does them no favors. Although you may be fascinated past a topic, the details may not be pertinent to the story you are presenting. In fiction this results in a lull in the plot while the reader tries to determine how much of this new information is relevant to the rest of the story. In nonfiction, it manifests as tangents and side topics that dilute the power of the argument. Liberally clip your enquiry to maintain a tight story line and bold argument.
5. Brag About Your Astonishingly In-Depth Research
When it comes to increasing your book'southward marketability, a major factor is letting people know what you take done. If you are pitching agents and publishers, you tin can include details well-nigh your extensive research in the query letter or proposal. If you are cocky-publishing, utilise your back embrace copy and other marketing materials to trumpet your meticulous research. Why? Because if you lot don't tell people what you have done, they won't know they demand your book. Y'all've worked hard to make your volume the all-time it tin exist, and y'all should tout these achievements. If you lot follow these 5 steps, yous will have something to shout well-nigh!
Katherine Pickett is the owner of Popular Editorial Services LLC and the author of Perfect Spring: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro. Since 1999 she has edited more 300 books in a wide range of topics and genres. She is an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and the St. Louis Publishers Clan and is president of the Montgomery Canton affiliate of the Maryland Writers' Association. You can find her blog at world wide web.thePOPnewsletter.com.
Source: https://publishingperspectives.com/2014/09/5-steps-to-increasing-your-books-marketability-with-research/
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