Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write

Cheery Friday Greetings to our Learning How to Learners!

Book of the Week

Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write: How to Get a Contract and Advance Before Writing Your Book, by Elizabeth Lyon. We’re often asked how to get started in publishing a non-fiction book. You can’t do any better than to read Elizabeth Lyon’s guide, which provides a crash course on how to write a book proposal that (along with three sample chapters), will help you sell your book idea without having to write the entire book.  A few things to note. It’s easy to overlook the importance of doing the market analysis—that is, analyzing the books that will compete with yours.  But that’s one of the first issues you should explore. What’s different about your book that hasn’t already been said in many other books?  It’s also easy to overlook the importance of developing your own personal platform.  Not everyone is going to be a Harvard professor or have a “sailed through Yale” resume. But, even so, you need some innovative dash of panache to establish your credibility as an expert.  You also need to keep in mind that it’s not enough to even just be an expert in your subject—you also want to captivate your audience.  Lyon gives great insight into how to do precisely that.

Final Signup Opportunity for Champion Teacher of Memory Nelson Dellis

We mentioned a bit ago that our friend Nelson Dellis is not only the four-time US Memory Champion, but is also perhaps the best teacher of memory tools in the world. The official course launch is February 1st, but meanwhile, Nelson is adding even more value by releasing a 6-part video series for free. This extraordinary course contains all the memory techniques and strategies he’s mastered and worked on for the last 10+ years, all jammed into one engaging, upbeat online class. Highly recommended!  Nelson’s classes often close out within minutes of opening—again, this early pre-registration for our LHTL community will allow you to go to the front of the line. We should note that Nelson’s video editing uses the same approach we use on Learning How to Learn—except he’s a much better video editor than Barb is. This class is going to be memorably special!

Barb Lets Loose on Critics of Online Learning in a Controversial Episode of the Podcast Take the Lead

Dr. Diane Hamilton is an awesome interviewer who asks some of the most perceptive questions around. Her seemingly innocuous approach can lull interviewees into revealing their candid thoughts—which can make for the very best of podcasting. As the podcast description notes:

“A lot of professors contend that online education will never be as good as face-to-face learning, but Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor” merely chuckles at that notion. Dr. Barbara Oakley maintains that a lot of the resistance from these professors is due to the fact that their online courses simply stink. They are so used to trapping students inside a classroom that they don’t know how to engage students effectively in a setting where they have the choice to simply get away. In this conversation with Dr. Diane Hamilton, Dr. Barbara talks about her upcoming book, Learn Like a Pro, where she gives the most updated advice on learning taken from breakthroughs in neuroscience and psychology. Come and join in as she unfurls her mind on all things learning and shares some of the learning habits that she has for herself.”

Talking Back, Talking Black

We’re big fans of John McWhorter’s great work on language. (His most recent book on The Creole Debate and Talking Back, Talking Black is right up our alley and we hope to review it soon). On Thursday, February 11 at 7pm EST, there will be a virtual conversation with John McWhorter about viewpoint diversity among Black intellectuals and the state of open inquiry in higher education today. Advanced registration is required. For more information on the event, please click here. 

Synthesis—online enrichment club, looking for both students and also for exceptional facilitators 

Synthesis is an online enrichment club where students ages 8-14 learn about decision making and problem solving through team games. It’s based on the most popular class at Ad Astra, the school Elon Musk and Josh Dahn started at SpaceX. 

Synthesis is looking for exceptional facilitators to join their team. Having previous classroom experience is great, but is not required. What Synthesis is really looking for art smart, adaptive generalists who are passionate about helping students and putting education on a bright new path. 

• Synthesis is  hiring for part-time (flexible, with a minimum of 3 hours per week) at $100/hour. [Apply here]
• Check out Synthesis itself if you are a parent, teacher, or caregiver. It looks like a fascinating program!

That’s all for this week. Have a happy week in Learning How to Learn!

Barb, Terry, and the entire Learning How to Learn team

• Get in early on the upcoming critically acclaimed Uncommon Sense Teaching!
• Get the course recommended text, A Mind for Numbers!
• And Learning How to Learn, a book for kids and parents.