@Tamela_Murray

Authors have many reasons for writing a particular book. Sometimes those reasons feel so natural you don’t stop to think about them. However, in this market, it’s important to distinguish yourself from other authors and submissions.

For nonfiction, you want to show you are an authority on your topic, or that an authority is willing to endorse you.

Examples:

• You are a Christian psychologist using Bible passages as a basis for dealing with sinful thoughts.
• You are writing on near death experiences, and you are an emergency room nurse.
• A recognized authority on Bible diets will endorse your book on nutrition.

A “Special Qualifications” section can also work for a novel.
Examples:

• You are writing about a character in hospice, and you are or have been a hospice nurse.
• Your setting is Virginia during the Revolutionary War, and you are a Virginia native and President of your DAR chapter.
• Your heroine is a chef, and you are a culinary school graduate.

In other words, you have gone beyond merely researching your topic. You have experience in what you’re writing about, or more education than most, or a recognized authority is willing to vouch for you. When an editor has two wonderful manuscripts from which to choose, this type of qualification could be just enough to nudge her to your side of the fence.

Happy writing and submitting!

Tamela Hancock Murray has been a literary agent since 2001 and has been involved in the publishing industry for over three decades. She is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and nonfiction books. One of her short historical romance novels,  Destinations, won an RWA Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Tamela is honored to represent many top authors and she continues to develop new talent. She earned her BA with honors in Journalism from Lynchburg College in Virginia. Today she enjoys living in Northern Virginia with her husband of over thirty years. Tamela and her husband are the proud parents of two lovely adult daughters. An avid reader, Tamela can often be found perusing anything from obscure religious texts to the latest bestseller. Tamela loves meeting with authors. Whether you are new to the business, a multi-published author, or somewhere in between, she looks forward to meeting you!