Building Credentials Before Publishing

I think credentials are good to put on the back of your book and in your bio...but in this niche, I think buyers are most interested in the topic you are writing about...and whether it talks about someone they know...and whether you get the technical details about ships, weapons, and other technology right...and whether you mention their unit. For example few people who are NOT interested in war will ever pick up In the Shadow of Suribachi. Women in particular say it's too scary a subject. However, at a signing event, more women will buy Username even though it's a lot scarier than In the Shadow of Surbachi. Go figure. On the other hand, military folks know the significance of Suribachi -- and Marines and Navy folk in particular will choose it. I'm not sure my writing credentials matter to them when they make that decision.

That's not to say that writing credentials aren't important to wider audiences. They will sometimes get you into the larger venues. However, even MORE important is to create a valuable book, that is well-written and well-researched. If it appeals to your selected audience, you will sell by word of mouth.

In my opinion, everything matters. Every radio show that you do, every article that you write, every event you attend, every speaking engagement, every article about you, etc. I even suggest the car magnets about your book...can't tell you how many books I've sold that way. I think anything we do as a group matters. I think everything we do for each other like cover endorsements, reviews, and references help. However, it's the quality of the book that you write that matters the most in the long run.

Credentials are important, but writing skill is even more important. It's true that in the publishing industry everyone gets typecast and it's difficult to jump tracks as it were. In my case, I wrote comics, but editors were suspicious of my ability to write articles, and then when I proved that, they were suspcious of me writing ad copy, and when I did that, they were suspicious of my ability to write book-length non-fiction. What's crucial is finding the sympathetic editor/publisher willing to give you a shot at it. Sometimes that means working pro bono, other times for minimal pay. That's why it's important to take a long-term look at it--if it's something for which you're looking to expand your career, you have bend a little (or a lot) in order to get in. Once in, then you exploit the opportunity to its maximum.