It’s my very first Nonfiction Monday post!

I’ve been doing some research on authors, publishers and editors who’ve produced books I admire. I love to research even when that includes researching markets for my work.

A Web site that I find very useful in determining where my nonfiction may fit in is Renaissance Learning

 http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_home.asp?c=MA+22%3A21%3A11+8002%2F13%2F3

Here, I was able to find out the word counts on several of my favorite biographies. If you’re looking to learn from the pros, these titles should be in your collection to read, study, and read again.

 RESTLESS SPIRIT: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange by Elizabeth Partridge (Penguin Putnam) 20,000 words.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin) 32,000 words

Up Close: ROBERT F. KENNEDY by Marc Aronson (Viking) 35,000 words

Up Close: ELVIS PRESLEY by Wilborn Hampton (Viking) 32,000 words (side note – my daughter reviewed this book for FACES May issue. ; )

Up Close: ELLA FITZGERALD by Tanya Lee Stone (Viking) 30,000 words

Doing this sort of research allows me to hone in on publishing houses that may be a good match for my projects and determine if I’m on target with my projected word count.

It’s also a great place to go to see if the market is overflowing with a particular topic or not. In my recent visit there, I’ve discovered that the THREE subjects who I plan on writing about are practically nonexistent on this site, and generally underserved in the market overall. Knowing my ideas haven’t been overdone really gives me a boost and gets me excited to research further and start outlining. 

Happy NF Monday!
Lisa~