Crafting is one of the most active markets in today's book publishing markets. In 1996 it accounted for 10% of all book sales. Most people in North America do some sort of crafting.
And it doesn't just stop there. People who write craft books are frequently asked to speak at the many craft fairs and trade shows that take place around North America.
If you have a favorite craft that you are skilled at and you don't write a book about it you are missing the boat! You're missing a great opportunity to build a business around something you love.
However writing a craft book isn't as easy as it looks. Here are 10 tips to help you write a crafting book:
1. Start by learning as much as you can about your reader. This is good advice for any writer but it's especially true for writing about crafting. Not only do you need to know what motivates your reader, and their problems you also need to know how experienced your reader is.
2. Whatever experience level your reader is they will have problems. This is great from a motivational standpoint. You need to remember to focus on the reader's problem and the solution not on general information.
3. Before you sit down to write be sure to plan your book and your approach. If you are all over the board in a crafting book it will be very obvious. Not only will the quality be reduced but your ability to capture the reader's attention will also suffer.
4. Start your planning with a theme especially if you are intending to write a collection type of crafting book. Crafting is just too big a topic to cover. A theme will help you to tie the different projects together and provide a focus. It will also help you to focus on solutions to problems.
5. If your crafting book is focusing on processes draw out the process using a bubble diagram or other technique. Some people are verbal learners but most people are visual learners. By diagramming the process you help clarify and simplify the process.
6. On that same line remember to use photographs in your book. Often people can't make the spatial transition from a verbal description to the real world. Photographs help to overcome that issue by providing the visual clues that you can't describe without being boring.
7. Check your spelling and grammar. There is a variation in the use of English around the world. The U.S. is the biggest market for craft books. So if you are intending to sell to that market you may want to use the U.S. spelling and grammar rules.
8. Along that same line, not all materials are available in all areas. If you are going to identify materials or vendors be sure that they can be purchased in your biggest book market. Choosing vendors who use the internet can help to offset that problem.
9. This same thing applies to tools. Specifying a limb trimmer that can only be sourced in Japan may make your Bonsai book look exotic. But it'll only drive your poor reader to distraction and anger as they realize they can't get that tool in North America.
10. Always test your plans. Preferably with a friend who is about the same level of experience as your target reader. There's nothing that can destroy your reputation faster than a mistake in the plan.
Do you want to learn how to write a book in 24 hours? Take my brand new free course here: http://www.learningcreators.com
Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/
Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.
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