The BelieversPress blog features Q & A sessions with the experts we work with, answering questions that you’ve asked. Have a question? Click the link in the sidebar to submit it! You asked:

“What makes a great nonfiction book?”

“What makes a great nonfiction book?” is always a loaded question. Having worked in editorial at a major Christian publishing house and now as a literary agent and consultant, I believe this is a crucial question for authors to ask. Entire books have been written about this subject (from Zinsser’s classic, On Writing Well, to the slew of newer titles available at http://amzn.to/d80dyn). As an agent, here are the Top Five Ingredients I’m looking for in a nonfiction book from prospective clients:

1. Good writing. Proper spelling and grammar are only the beginning. Writers of nonfiction should make their content engaging and enriching. The structure should be well organized and the tone appropriate for the subject matter. Obviously, voice and style this will vary widely between a memoir and a  how-to book; but whatever your focus, quality is a non-negotiable.
2. Credibility. The author should be qualified to write on this subject. How has this author earned the right to be read? I once found a blog post via Google claiming “I’ve found the secret key to increasing your blog traffic”, and yet the poster had only 37 followers…his promise didn’t seem to be working.
3. Uniqueness. How is your book different from the dozens of other books that may have already been published on this subject? It may be true that there is nothing new under the sun, but even if you’re drawing upon “old” concepts, they should be presented in a fresh, relevant way.
4. Platform. I know that aspiring authors without a platform are tired of hearing that they need a platform, but really this boils down to access to audience. The beautiful thing is that, with Web 2.0 and the social media revolution, anyone can build a platform. Think specifically about who your readers are (see my earlier post on Target Market) and think creatively about how you will reach them.
5. Je ne sais quoi. Every great book contains a “something special” that cannot be put in a box. Each of the above four ingredients can be developed by almost anyone willing to put in the effort. So, I hope that future authors reading this post will be encouraged and challenged to develop themselves accordingly. But keep in mind that no matter how good your writing, credibility, uniqueness, and platform…your book will resonate with some people and it just won’t with others.

Question: which of these Top Five Ingredients do you find most challenging, and which come easiest to you?