What Attracts People to Works of Non-Fiction?

Autobiographies and biographies of celebrities are always in demand because they arouse the curiosity factor and particularly so when the material evokes an expectation of salacity.

The curiosity factor is equally evident in readers of how-to books, guides and manuals, but directed by a more responsible motive: the thirst for information on how to do something, do it better and excel at it. And so the chosen topic must be capable of fulfilling these wholesome expectations by ensuring that readers will become better informed on the subject matter for which you and they share a common interest.

Your personal expertise must be equal to the task you set yourself because otherwise, no matter how cleverly conceived or creatively scripted, your work will never be published. Commissioning editors can spot a fake a mile away. While they may not be expert on your subject, they will very quickly ascertain whether or not you are.

PASSIVE V ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

Levels of reader participation tend to vary between different genres and the differential with regard to commitment invariably favors non-fiction.

People read fiction to be entertained
(Passive participation: in one ear and out the other)

People read non-fiction to…
- Become better informed
- Learn new skills
- Hone existing talents
(Active participation: invoking the faculties of reasoning and memory retention)

Much popular fiction is in style for just a while but superior niche non-fiction can be around forever, earning the estates of its originators drip feed residuals in perpetuity. For example How to Win Friends and Influence People by Norman Vincent Peale was first published in the mid-1930s, sold millions of copies worldwide, and is still re-issued from time to time. This famous book has been through several publishing houses but it has only one originator.

Whenever people pick up a how-to book they are demonstrating willingness to engage in active participation. They know they are in for some work and you should in there pitching with them, providing an interesting topic and knowledgeable text in an easy-to-read format that transforms a chore into a pleasure.

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