Authors have many reasons for writing a particular book. Sometimes those reasons feel so natural you don’t stop to think about them. However, in this market, it’s important to distinguish yourself from other authors and submissions.
For nonfiction, you want to show you are an authority on your topic, or that an authority is willing to endorse you.
Examples:
You are a Christian psychologist using Bible passages as a basis for dealing with sinful thoughts.
You are writing on near death experiences, and you are an emergency room nurse.
A recognized authority on Bible diets will endorse your book on nutrition.
A “Special Qualifications” section can also work for a novel.
Examples:
You are writing about a character in hospice, and you are or have been a hospice nurse.
Your setting is Virginia during the Revolutionary War, and you are a Virginia native and President of your DAR chapter.
Your heroine is a chef, and you are a culinary school graduate.
In other words, you have gone beyond merely researching your topic. You have experience in what you’re writing about, or more education than most, or a recognized authority is willing to vouch for you. When an editor has two wonderful manuscripts from which to choose, this type of qualification could be just enough to nudge her to your side of the fence.
Your turn:
Do you have a special qualification for writing your current book?
What author qualification, if any, is likely to convince you to buy a book?
