Be the Expert in the Room

#3 in an occasional series on writing non fiction

Non-fiction is not read at random. A reader may take a chance on a novel with an intriguing title, a fetching cover or great plot hook on the back. However, they are only likely to pick up your book on notorious poisoners if they have an interest in true crime no matter how clever your title, blurb and cover art is. A reader expects a non-fiction book to do what it says on the cover.

It is very likely that this is not the first true crime book your reader has read, and indeed they could have a whole shelf of books about poisoners. Therefore, even if you are not writing for experts, you must become the expert in the room. You must know more about this precise subject than the large majority of your readers. It will help you write with confidence and authority, and your book is more likely to impress. The reason I used emphasis was that it is important in non-fiction to seize the intellectual high ground, to produce content that is unfamiliar or insight that is novel. Your reader may have that shelf full of books on poisoners, but you have explored obscure cases or revised the verdicts, or used your experience as (say) a pharmacist to offer a completely fresh perspective.

Death for a non-fiction book is to re-tread familiar ground; to use the same stock illustrations as previous books on the subject, cite the usual sources and drag out the same selection of quotes. It is very tempting if you are keen on a particular subject to just launch into a book on your major passion, but discount book shops are full of the same old information repackaged. Yet another book on the Battle of Waterloo? Napoleonic Wars buffs flick the pages looking for something they don’t know already.

Here are a few avenues to consider if your chosen field is already well covered:

a) Write a condensed, introductory book such as The Battle of Waterloo: an Outline for the interested non-specialist who doesn’t want to wade through all those worthy tomes.

b) Produce an all-encompassing work such as The Complete Battle of Waterloo pulling in all the strands to create a one-stop reference book.

c) Find a micro story within the subject that has not been told before; A Drummer Boy’s Waterloo.

d) Approach the subject from an oblique angle, using wit or scepticism and the sheer quality of your writing; The Waterloo Campaign: The German Victory

e) Go parochial, finding a thread that will appeal to readers in your particular local area; Channel Islanders at Waterloo.

f) Aim for children or Young Adults; The Rookie General’s Guide to Thrashing Napoleon. This is not necessarily an easy choice, as I’ll discuss in a later blog.

Remember that your core audience is hungry for more, so if you can give them something new, you are onto a winner. However, enthusiasts are unforgiving of mistakes so do your research and check it well. Sharper readers will also spot major omissions in your narrative, so if there are aspects of the subject you don’t have space or interest to tackle be honest about it. Don’t gloss over the gaps and hope nobody notices. Reviews of non-fiction books by disappointed readers can be harsh.

There may of course be leading experts who’ll read your work. I used to rather tremble in the presence of academics such as the late Dr Vivien Swan when presenting papers on Roman pottery. Such experts know the field, they have read as much as you, and often much more, and their expectations are high. Once the terror of imposter syndrome has passed, it is gratifying when women and men at the top of their field are complimentary about your work, especially if you have found an aspect they have never read about before. They enjoy filling that gap in their own knowledge and may cite you at some time in their own work. At that moment you become the expert in the room.

Read more writing tips here

Tales of Mystery and Excavation – follow my adventures, hear about new books and subscriber-only goodies. Sign up to my newsletter by using the form below.