Telling the Story: How to Write and Sell Narrative Nonfiction

by Peter Rubie

Book Overview

Name some books that have been huge bestsellers over the years -- In Cold Blood; All the President's Men; The Hot Zone; The Perfect Storm; Black Hawk Down; Longitude -- and you'll find they have one... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060535288
• ISBN13: 9780060535285
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Quill
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Getting ready to tell the story

Having thought about, started, restarted, and given up on several novels over the years, I have nonetheless continued to think of myself as a writer. Recently, in my "real" life, I was part of an event that I believe warrants coverage as narrative nonfiction, and no one in the world is better positioned than I am to tell the story. But, how to start? Peter Rubie's book has been a great help in getting me ready to take my proposal to agents. He describes the genre and what makes good narrative. He has many helpful suggestions for conducting research--especially on conducting interviews. He offers great advice on contacting and interesting an agent. And, finally, he gives a useful tutorial on producing the killer proposal. Although I have other books on proposal writing and marketing that are more detailed, I'm glad I started with this book.

Early Reviews

Early reviews of Telling The Story: "TELLING THE STORY is an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with a nonfiction project. It's smart, cogent and comprehensive." Betsy Lerner, former editor, literary agent, and author of The Forest for the Trees An Editor's Advice to Writers "In a publishing market where "narrative non-fiction" is looked on not just as a genre but as the holy grail, Peter Rubie steps forward to do what no one else has done before - define the craft and lay out precepts for new bestsellers." John Silbersack, former VP HarperCollins, Senior Vice President Trident Media Group