Three Crucial Steps to Writing a Consumer Health Book

Three Steps to Writing a Consumer Health Book

Communication is a key component of a physician’s medical practice. I’ve been fortunate in the ten years since I began editing and designing books, for authors and publishers, to work with several MDs and PhDs on their book projects. A common element among these clients was their desire to communicate with and educate patients to a degree that isn’t feasible in an office setting and other readers who are beyond the geographic boundaries of the doctor’s business. By offering patients a book, physicians and other health-care providers can accomplish the following:

Ensure that the most important issues related to a health condition are presented to the reader
Accurately and consistently answer patients’ most frequently asked questions
Explain risk factors
Counteract misinformation patients may have gleaned from an Internet search or heard from friends and family
Augment text with illustrations and photographs the patient can study at leisure
Answer questions that some patients might be hesitant or embarrassed to discuss face-to-face

In addition to the benefits of having a book to provide to patients, publishing a book is helpful to physicians as well:

A professionally designed and edited book is an amplified marketing tool of the doctor’s approach to his patients and of his expertise.
While self publishing has made the goal of writing a book more reachable for the average person, a professional book on an area of unique expertise still carries clout. Not everyone can (or should) do it. Therefore, having a book helps to establish credibility with potential patients and, at times, the media.
A successful book will be financially profitable, directly (income from book sales) or indirectly (increasing the doctor’s visibility; bringing in new patients).

STEP ONE:

There are several things to consider before writing a book:

What is the market for this book? In other words, to whom are you writing the book? Be as specific as possible: (i.e. “women between the ages of 25 and 35 who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer”; “readers interested in safe alternative medicine options for fibromyalgia”; “medical students contemplating what area of medicine would be a good fit for them”; “men considering aesthetic surgery”).
What topics will be covered and how long will the book be? You’ll want to create a Table of Contents or an outline. As far as length, figure 300 words per book page, as a guide to the length of your book. Most paperbacks and hardcover books are 6 (w) x 9 (h) inches. Visit a bookstore and pick up books of varying lengths to get a feel for what would seem best for your book, also to get an idea of retail price.
What is your competition? Make a list of all competing titles and their authors, as well as publisher, copyright date, page count and retail price.
What will be the tone of your book? You may not be able to achieve this without the help of an editor, but it is good to know at the start how you want your book to read. Will it be . . . Conversational? Academic? Warm yet professional? Question-and-answer format? Footnotes throughout? Or interspersed with real-life stories?
Why are you writing this book? Create a mission statement. This is important because as you move through writing, publishing, and marketing the book, you will want to be able to refer to the mission statement to make sure you are on track. Keep the statement one to three sentences in length. For instance: “This book will provide patients with in-depth information on radiation treatments and answer the most frequently asked questions patients have presented to me in my practice. In this way, patients will be better informed and I will be assured their questions have been answered accurately and completely.”

STEP TWO:

After the book is written, you’ll need to choose an editor. Every writer needs an editor. Even editors, who write, need editors (myself included). The edits may be mechanical (grammar, spelling, punctuation) or substantial (structure, order, consistency), but—as the editor’s job is to act as an advocate for the reader and ensure your goals (see Step One) are met—you, as author, are not able to do the editing yourself.

An editor does not need to be knowledgeable about your subject area; you will be responsible for the facts within. Your editor should, however, be comfortable discussing the subject (i.e., it should not be “over his/her head”). An in-depth phone conversation should let you know if the editor can communicate intelligently on the subject and ask questions that a would-be reader would be likely to ask.

Your editor should also be experienced in consumer health topics, in nonfiction. (Unless you are writing fiction, which we will cover in another article on The Doctor Zone.) Additionally, you will want at least two references, a list of books previously edited and, if available, reviews of these books, plus a sample edit of several manuscript pages.

Some editors, such as myself, offer a sample edit of approximately 10 pages at no charge. It is not unreasonable, however, to be asked to pay for a sample edit. You want the editor to give careful time and attention to this initial effort. Editors charge anywhere from $35 to $75 an hour, or they may charge by the word count ($4 to $8 per 250 words is typical, with inexperienced editors charging as little as $3 per manuscript page and more experienced editors with professional experience in a given subject area charging as much as $10-$20 per manuscript page for substantive editing).

See the article “Working with an Editor” on The Doctor Zone for more on this topic.

STEP THREE:

While your book is with the editor, you will want to give careful consideration to how you will bring your book to the reader. Thanks to technology and the Internet, there are many options available to authors:

You may want to go the route of what is often called “traditional publishing.” In other words, you will look for a literary agent who will take on your project and find a publisher for it. The publisher will pay the costs of designing and printing your book, will store and sell the book, will offer marketing (usually limited, if any, unless you are nationally known and have media presence), and send royalties to the agent who will take his or her commission and forward the rest to you on an annual basis.
You might be in a hurry. Perhaps your topic is of a very timely nature and you want the information “out there” within a month or less. An e-book is an option for you and there are several companies on the Internet who can act as the distributor for your e-book, or you can establish a web site and shopping cart and sell the e-book directly to readers. Amazon also offers the ability to sell e-books. One advantage to an e-book is the ability to update and revise the information quickly, as need be. The easiest way to create an e-book is to have your manuscript edited, then, from the MS Word document, create a PDF that is password protected and either enabled (or disabled) for printing out on the reader’s printer.
If you want books primarily for current and potential patients or to hand out to guests at a speaking event, or to make available to another business (such as a not-for-profit organization or a medical-supply company), then self publishing is a good option. With self publishing you will control all aspects of production, tailor the whole operation to fit your unique goals, and gather all profits. You will also pay the expenses of design (known as “prepress work”), printing, shipping, storage, and marketing. Yet, a plan can be made to do these steps in phases, in accordance with your goals and in an incremental basis that reflects reader interest.

Professionals known as “book shepherds” can assist with bringing your book to the marketplace. Book shepherds, also known as production editors, coordinate all aspects of producing your book. For instance, physicians I have worked with often keep in communication with me for several years, through multiple editions of their book and for additional books they write. Many choices will come up in the process of writing and publishing a book, and it’s helpful to have someone on your team who is familiar with the entire process, from manuscript to finished book in the reader’s hands.

If you are self-publishing your book, there are many choices in regards to printing: traditional printing (sheetfed or web press); short-run printing (digital printing of less than 500 copies) and POD or print on demand printing.

Publishing a book is a rewarding experience. Reading a book can be a life-changing experience. As medicine is constantly changing and the needs of patients and challenges of contemporary life also fluctuate, a doctor who can communicate important information effectively will have a ready market for his or her book. And, there is no easier time to market a book than in today’s atmosphere of information sharing.

By giving thought to the three steps described in this article, you will be on your way to providing patients with a book that accurately and professionally reflects you, your knowledge and experience.

All the best!

Janice Phelps Williams

Editing, Book Design & Illustration

http://www.janicephelps.com/