The Perfect Package

Blogger: Wendy Lawton

Location: Central California Office of Books and Such Literary Agency

Weather: Rainy and Cool

Before I begin to pontificate about the “perfect” nonfiction package let me just say for the record:

• For every rule there is an exception. The exceptions are thoroughly delightful because they make those of us who try to make sense of this publishing game look like complete mouth-breathers and they make the unwitting recipient look like a genius.  They keep us forever humble and grateful.
• We’re talking mostly prescriptive nonfiction here, not memoir, not cookbooks, not travel, etc.
• We’re taking the quality of the writing out of the equation here. I know, I know—it’s really all about the writing, but we need to remove that variable to look at these three elements.

So, we’re going to talk about the perfect package for a nonfiction project. In trying to come up with a way to describe it, I’d say it’s topic + author + platform. The perfect project would be a book on a compelling topic to which the author has devoted his life, possesses the necessary credentials and already has a following for that particular topic. It’s “perfect plus” if the author is the one the media would call if they needed an interview on that topic.

Simple, right?

It sounds cold-blooded and calculating and we freely admit that the perfect package rarely comes along but I think by recognizing the elements it helps us explore the subjects for which we may be a perfect match.

For instance, let’s say you are a board certified cardiologist who has specialized in nutrition for heart health and weight loss. You developed a diet and all your patients began to have unusual success. The buzz started and even the media began to beat a path to your door. The set-up for the perfect package? Absolutely. It’s called the South Beach Diet.

Or how about  this scenario? You’ve spent  a lifetime as a productivity guru and your seminars are popular all across the country. What if you synthesize your philosophy down into Seven Habits and promise success? It worked for Stephen Covey.

Admittedly, those are the uber-successes but in examining the elements we can apply it to our own projects.  Your project needs to be a combination of your passion + you + the people who are already following you. That’s the perfect package.

Can you come up with more examples of the perfect package? How about some of those glorious exceptions?