Marketable non-fiction | C.S. Lewis & Co. Publicists

Creating Authors’ Own “Oprah Moments”

July 16, 2025July 16, 2025 by Cathy Lewis

In book publishing, authors are constantly in search of ways to elevate their exposure and connect with readers. As the “Oprah moment” has now become a cultural phenomenon representing the ideal of catapulting a book into the limelight, authors and publicists alike are striving to create and leverage such moments to achieve success in the competitive book market.

The essence of aspirational moments
Aspirational moments are those instances when an author connects with their audience in a way that leads to significant sales spikes and heightened visibility. Like Oprah moments when an author’s book captures the spotlight, these moments can take various forms — through a heartfelt interview, a viral social media post, a powerful book launch event, and others. They allow readers to relate with the author in a way that captures their imagination and encourages them to seek out the author’s work.

Marketable Non-Fiction – Part Two

February 21, 2016August 10, 2017 by Cathy Lewis

In some ways, it’s best to think about the finished product before you start writing the book. Every successful non-fiction book can be summed up in one sentence. That’s your big idea. It’s like a 10-second pitch that would “hook” a reporter on the spot — or a book publicist! Once you know your big idea, create a structure that can be grasped at a glance. This will become your table of contents. 10 Steps. 5 Strategies. 7 Lessons. In this age of short attention spans, you need to create a skeleton that has an internal logic that can be easily understood before you flesh it out.

A woman with pen and blank book thinking about what kind of non-fiction book to write. — Image courtesy of Feelart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Writing a Highly Marketable Non-Fiction Book – Part One

November 2, 2015August 10, 2017 by Cathy Lewis

A skillful novelist can take us on a journey so compelling that we keep reading without any mid-chapter temptation to insert the bookmark and go to sleep. We get completely absorbed in the novelist’s imaginary world of intrigue, romance, adventure, betrayal, or beauty. The images and emotions we create in our brain bond us to the work like a powerful magnetic force.

Woman author with maroon shirt with pencil writing a non-fiction book. — Photo by anankkml

Is Writing Non-Fiction a Completely Different Experience?

In many ways, it is exactly the same. Like a novelist, a good non-fiction writer needs to be involved with the reader’s emotions. Her words and ideas have to create that same feeling and experience of connection in the reader. The non-fiction writer wants her reader to be thinking, “This book speaks to ME.” Whether it’s a self-help book or a business book filled with new strategies for success, a writer’s aim it to move and inspire the reader.