How We Support Our Authors
Many of our authors are subject matter experts, but they may not consider themselves “writers.” A lot of people left their last English class with a fear of that big red pen. A lot of people don’t communicate as well in writing as they do speaking. And a lot of people find it really difficult to sit down and write more than a few paragraphs at a time – either due to time constraints or a restless nature.
The beautiful thing about nonfiction is that you don’t need to fit the stereotype of a “writer” to be a fantastic author – you may just need the right team to help support you along the way. Our authors have so much knowledge to share that can help their audiences, and part of our job is to encourage them in sharing it.
Much of our work in Author Care has been developed specifically with new authors in mind, including the following.
Author KB
Resources like the The How2Conquer Author Knowledge Base provide ways for our authors to independently access information and guidance without needing to reach out to us.
Content Organizer
Alternatively, authors
can download an Excel version here.
A Content Organizer allows an author to visualize different portions of a book – parts/sections, chapters, and even headings if they need to be that granular. They can also include additional information about the portions of the book as needed, such as:
- Content source (e.g., if it’s new vs. being adapted from a blog post, article, etc.)
- Content status (e.g., need content vs. editing)
- Notes or links to include while developing the content or in a list of resources
- And more!
Using a Content Organizer makes it easier for an author to tackle different portions of the book out of order, as they feel comfortable. It’s also especially helpful if the author is making use of our rolling feedback option.
Content Organizers Are Better than Outlines
Outlines can feel like a wall of text. Yes, you can cut and paste, or drag and drop in Word, but it doesn’t change the fact that an outline locks you into a linear progression. This can make it harder to imagine tackling different pieces of the manuscript out of order, and it may even discourage restructuring, especially if the outline was difficult to nail down in the first place.
For more of our (strong) feelings on content organizers, check out our blog post, Topic Authoring for Nonfiction Books.
Rolling Feedback Option
Some of our authors benefit from rolling feedback – where they send us a portion of the manuscript (e.g., a chapter or part), we return the portion with feedback and edits, and they use our feedback to influence the development of the next portion.
We often use this method to encourage new authors as they create a full manuscript, with assigned deadlines leading up to the Initial Delivery Date. Our Editorial Process can benefit from this method when it means less development editing is needed once the author delivers the full manuscript.
Developmental and Content Editing
Our Editorial Process is much more thorough and detailed than what some publishers may offer. In the developmental stage, we help authors be as thorough and clear as possible in what they communicate, looking for opportunities to expand or clarify information for readers who may be new to a subject. In content editing, we help authors be as clear as possible in how they communicate information, suggesting specific rewrites or opportunities to rework how something is written, while paying close attention to maintaining the author’s voice.
Asynchronous Communication
We make sure to be available as possible for our authors, and asynchronous communication through Slack is a big part of that.
Asynchronous communication is a type of communication that occurs when people don't need to be available at the same time, and there's no expectation of an immediate response. (Some other examples of asynchronous communication include email, texting, and instant messages.)
We’re generally available for authors to get in touch on Slack throughout the workday, since it’s part of
We always encourage authors to prioritize sending messages in their project channel, rather than as a direct message (DM), to ensure messages are seen by a member of our team as soon as possible.
New Authors Develop Experience
One of the most rewarding things about our work is when an author comes back to us with a second book – especially if they were unsure or nervous about creating their first one!
We invest in our new authors because we know they have a lot to offer readers, and often we can help teach them a thing or two along the journey of creating a book. Even if they still don’t feel like that stereotypical “writer,” they know us and our process, they know what to expect, and they’ll have more confidence tackling the blank page than before – and they can count on us to continue cheering them on as they go.