HyOnYourBook.com
Last updated November
2008
If you have a great idea for a nonfiction
book, the first step isn't to create the manuscript, but to craft a book
proposal that clearly describes your concept, why it'll be compelling
to a large number of readers, the ways in which it can be promoted to
those readers, and how you'd flesh it out in book form. This proposal
can then be used to attract agents and convince book publishers. It's
only after obtaining a contractual commitment and advance payment from
a publisher that you should proceed to the next step, which is actually
writing the book (either by yourself or with a ghostwriter).
Publishers vastly prefer this approach, because
it avoids your being "locked in" to any element of the book,
giving an editor the freedom to request adjustments before you pour time
and energy into the manuscript.
I know of what I speak, because I'm the author
or co-author of 14 acclaimed books that have sold hundreds of thousands
of copies.
These include five books in the popular Dummies series, which demonstrate my
ability to explain even dry, complex concepts in an accessible, entertaining
manner that anyone can understand.
They also include a book on electronic tools
for writers that garnered raves from The
New York Times; and my interview-based book The
Sandman Companion, which involved conducting hundreds of hours
of conversations with over two dozen people...resulting in a national
bestseller.
I sold each of these books on the basis of
a 5-15 page "pitch" letter and a contents outline. And I use
the same skills developed to get my own books published to help both experienced
writers and beginners—business
experts, artists, life coaches, attorneys, chefs, psychologists, marketers,
financial advisors, spiritual gurus, and many other diverse professionals—turn
their sharp book ideas into dynamic book proposals. (And in certain cases,
I also edit and/or ghostwrite manuscripts.)
My name is Hy Bender, and you're unlikely
to find anyone who'd do a better job of identifying and then presenting
on paper the best aspects of your book idea. Regardless of your level
of experience, I'll take your concept very seriously and, if I believe
you have a solid chance at selling it, will work hard to create a winning
book proposal for you.
Among the reasons I'm successful at this
work is I'm a superb listener and interviewer. In addition to the extensive
interviewing performed for my bestselling books, I've used my conversational
skills to tackle projects for such renowned organizations as Morgan Stanley,
Reuters, American Insurance Group, New York Mercantile Exchange, Northern
Telecom, Juno Online Services, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Congress.
I can therefore pick up a great deal of information about your book by
simply chatting with you casually over the phone and via email.
In addition, I have a sharp sense of humor.
I've sold
funny articles to such diverse national publications as The
New York Times, Mad Magazine, Spy, American Film, and Advertising
Age; contributed to the book The
Mad Bathroom Companion; am developing several comedy screenplays;
and run a daily-updated Web site that covers the NYC comedy scene (HyReviews.com). My expertise with humor allows me
to write with wit and an easy-going style, thus avoiding the sort of dry,
muted tone that spells death for most nonfiction books.
On top of all that, I learn very quickly;
have an intuitive understanding of how to communicate effectively to a
mass audience; am meticulous about details; and am second to none at analyzing,
editing, rewriting, and ghostwriting.
To learn more about my experience, please
click below to explore:
You can also read about the 14 books I've
published to date by searching for "Hy Bender" via either Google or online book superstore Amazon.com. The following are the covers
of several of my books:
Four of Hy's 14 published
books
Creating a book proposal is challenging and
time-consuming, so this isn't an inexpensive process. That said, I'm quite
affordable if you're serious about getting published to get out your message,
enhance your reputation, and/or push your career to the next level.
Further, when you land a publisher you'll
typically receive an advance of anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000+ (depending
on the projected number of readers likely to buy your book); and if your
sales take off, you could earn a great deal more than that from your royalties.
If you're interested in pursuing a book proposal,
I'd love to hear from you.
Alternatively, if you're working on a fiction
manuscript, I'm also exceptionally skilled at providing analysis, editorial,
and ghostwriting help. (To learn more about my expertise with storytelling,
please visit my movie analysis site at HyOnYourScript.com.)
Finally, if you require any media-based material—for example,
a DVD made from your book, including not only the scripting but all the
production work—I'm
in touch with some terrific filmmakers who may be able to deliver what
you need quickly and relatively inexpensively.
To read Hy's analysis of live comedy, theatre, and TV
shows,
please visit his arts Web site at HyReviews.com.
If you want help developing a screenplay,
please visit Hy's movie site at HyOnYourScript.com.
Copyright ©
2008 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com