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Nonfiction Book Coach

Helping authors bring books to life

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Write and Publish Your Nonfiction Book

All the resources you need to plan, write, and publish a memoir, family history book, narrative nonfiction, and more!

With over 30 years of experience planning, writing, designing, editing, and publishing all sorts of nonfiction projects, the Nonfiction Book Coach helps you succeed with your book project.

If you want to write and publish a nonfiction book, but you’re not sure about all the steps involved, check out the free resources, software tips, self paced courses, and more that will help you achieve your writing and publishing goals.

Plan, write, and publish your book

Have you dreamed of completing a nonfiction book, but are stuck in the middle and don’t know how to proceed? This site will help you understand everything you need to know about moving your book from dream to reality. You’ll learn how to write a compelling book, how to do your own layout, how to self publish, and even record your own audiobook.

Learn from a nonfiction writing expert

My name is Jennifer Pinkley and I’ve spent 30 years working as a professional writer, crafting magazine articles, nonfiction books, technical business materials, nonprofit content, and personal history books for clients.

I never stop learning about writing, editing, and publishing. No matter how much I know, there’s always something new to learn. I love the written word and want to share what I know with you.

Nonfiction Book Blog

Here you’ll find articles about books, writing, editing, creating audiobooks, and other bookish topics. These posts are also on Substack at nonfictionbookcoach.substack.com if you want to subscribe and receive new articles in your inbox.

    Self publishing no longer has the stigma of “unprofessional”

    When self publishing first got started in earnest in the early 2010s, many people snubbed the new format. Self publishing was seen as an opt...Learn More
    Do authors need a website? Image features a woman reading a book.

    Do nonfiction authors need a website?

    One of the questions I see all the time, usually on Facebook, is: “Do I need an author website? I already have an author page on Faceb...Learn More

    Should authors still create audiobooks?

    I’ve long been a proponent of indie authors creating audiobooks. It’s the fastest growing segment of the book industry, and audiobooks a...Learn More

    Serial commas (the Oxford comma) vs AP style

    Grammar nerds love to have heated arguments over the Oxford comma, also called a serial comma. But what is it, and why is it even up for deb...Learn More

What you can learn

Courses I offer include:

Nonfiction book writing & publishing
Personal history/family book projects
Magazine writing
Crowdfunding
Recording an audiobook
How to write your memoir
… and more

Producing a high quality book has some costs associated with it. Many authors hire editors (which I highly recommend), hire a cover designer, and maybe even someone to lay out and design the book. If you want to print custom books, printing costs may add up. Crowdfunding is a great way to raise the money you need to produce a high quality book. This course will show you how to set up and publicize a crowdfunding campaign specifically for nonfiction books.

Crowdfunding

Writing a book about your family, your grandparents, your extended family, or someone special to you is a great way to honor them. Many of my clients have written family history books to share interesting family history stories with the next generations. Others have written their own memories of growing in a very different world just to share their own experiences with their families. Others want to remember relatives who have passed away. This class will help you with any of these types of projects.

Personal history/family book projects

Learn how to plan, outline, write, edit, design, and publish your nonfiction book. This course is a great fit for those writing memoir, narrative nonfiction, or a book to help you publicize your business.

Nonfiction book writing & publishing

Many people want to write a memoir to record different parts of their life, but getting started can be overwhelming. This course provides workbooks and guided exercises to help you decide what to include in a memoir, how to structure you book, how to get started, and how to finish a quality memoir.

Write your memoir

Business or Professional Title

Nonfiction authors who want to sell their books really benefit from also offering an audiobook option. Hiring a narrator can be quite expensive. This course will show you how to set up your own recording space in your home and how to record a high-quality audiobook.

Recording an audiobook

Many nonfiction writers can write for magazines to get the word out about their book, help create their "author platform," and publicize their website and social media platforms. Writing for magazines (and associated websites) is a also fun way to hone your nonfiction writing skills. This course will show you how to find magazines that are good fits for your article ideas (including specialty trade magazines), how to come up with a compelling story idea, and how to pitch your idea to magazine editors. Finally, you'll learn how to write a magazine article= readers will love.

Magazine writing

About Jennifer Pinkley

I love writing, editing, and creating books. I also love the process of helping authors bring books to life. I have over 30 years of writing, editing, design, indexing, and layout experience. I’ve worked with countless clients to help them move from a manuscript to a print book, ebook, and audiobook. I’ve worked with numerous corporate clients to write technical content, annual reports, marketing fliers, and more. I’m deeply committed to helping clients create the best content possible and I always go above and beyond for each of you. One client sent this note after I helped her publish her memoir:

Working with you to write “Memories Before I Forget” was one of the highlights of my life! Many sincere thanks.

Check out the courses I offer to help you succeed or contact me for editing support for your book.

Contact Jennifer Today

jennifer@nonfictionbookcoach.com

   

FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions

Do you offer any services to nonfiction authors?

Yes! I offer developmental editing services (helping you effectively structure your work), to copyediting (pinpointing sentence structure issues to help the book flow better). I also narrate nonfiction books in my home studio.

What kinds of courses do you offer?

My goal is to provide courses to help you navigate every aspect of writing and publishing your book. I offer courses on the entire nonfiction book writing process, from planning, to software options, to writing and editing, to printing, to self publishing. I offer separate courses on writing memoirs, narrative nonfiction, and family history/recipe books. I also offer courses on related topics, such as how to design a great ebook, how to record your own audiobook, and how to set up an effective website to help you sell your books. If you register for a course, you’ll also get access to a private Facebook group to discuss projects with other writers

What is your writing and editing background?

I love to research and write about history. After college, I got a job as a technical writer. I spent years learning how to write and edit incredibly technical materials about things like architecture, engineering, construction, telecommunications, software design, and lots more. I learned new things every chance I got, and I soon learned how to write, edit, and design marketing materials and websites. After working for big companies for several years, I struck out on my own and wrote for magazines, small business, and nonprofits. Along the way, I’ve written, edited, and designed brochures, press releases, white papers, nonfiction books, and pretty much every kind of written material that exists. I’ve helped numerous client plan their own books, edited the content, designed print books, and helped them print their books.

What kinds of books have you written and published?

I’ve written several narrative nonfiction books, a family recipe book, books about several family members, nd several novels under a pen name. I’ve also helped clients write and publish family history, memoirs, and business books.

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