Brilliant insights into how to write non-fiction for your reader! Janzer approaches writing with the reader in mind, which is what we should all do when we write just about anything but sometimes are not sure about the “hows” of it. If you are also wondering about it, or simply want to get better at writing non-fiction (or just writing itself), then this book is sure to help. Janzer uses insights from various fields, ranging from cognitive science and comedy to marketing and technology, as well as from experts across fields (like David Pink and Alan Alda), and then serves it up for us to enjoy and learn!

While theoretical in nature, it is definitely not a dry read. Instead, it is like one of those books you want to keep reading but have to remind yourself to pause and take notes and learn and read something over again. This is definitely a well-researched and well-written book that every writer will benefit from reading.

Source: Publisher ARC from NetGalley/Personal Copy

Sorry, this one was a bit highbrow for me and I didn't finish it. I won't give a low-star review to a book I haven't finished, and nor will I be sharing any review publicly.

This was a handy book to review and the information was presented in a straightforward manner. I enjoyed the style of writing and will continue to use this as a reference in the future.

If you are someone who earnestly wants to write a nonfiction book--a memoir, self-help, how-to, or any other type of book or copy--and doesn't know where to start, this book is just right for you. It's a helpful collection of tips about preparation, research, tone, and execution. It's about understanding your readers, explaining complicated ideas, and not being boring. If you're someone who's a little farther along in your writing journey, however, it might not be as helpful. Because I edit nonfiction for a living and have already written four fiction books, this was a little basic for my needs.

Beyond that, though, although it provides a bevy for tools for not being boring, it doesn't necessarily use those tools for itself. The author talks, for instance, about the role of humor in nonfiction, and sprinkles her own humorous anecdotes throughout, but they don't seem to directly relate to the struggle a nonfiction writer might face in incorporating humor into their own writing.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you have an interest in writing nonfiction, this book is a must-read. Janzer shares the tips and tricks of published authors, taking the mystery out of writing a compelling work of nonfiction without making it boring or unreadable. She reviews everything from research to writing and lays it out in a simple and understandable format. This is a wonderful resource for any writer. *Advanced copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book was OK. The author obviously knows her stuff and is able to convey it, but I didn’t find the book particularly engaging. I read it through, and then went back to skim it a second time, to make sure I understood the key points. There are some interesting points around prior knowledge of the audience, and there are examples that illustrate concepts, but as a non-fiction author myself, I didn’t find myself taking notes on how to improve, which was what I was expecting.

I enjoyed Anne's book. I normally write fairly short and bulletpointed to help with my writing to be understood and she shows techniques and the reason behind using them to get your writing understood by readers.

The introduction to this book notes, “A piece of writing succeeds or fails not on the page, but in a reader’s head.” This valuable guide is aimed at writers of nonfiction, and outlines methods to effectively identify and communicate to their intended audience. As a college instructor who teaches online, writes content, and communicates with students exclusive in writing, I found Janzer’s approaches to be spot on. Trying to get into the reader’s head, to imagine what they might already know or don’t know, and to impart knowledge succinctly is key. A valuable book for anyone who writes to communicate information to any audience.

This one really surprised me with simple layout and crystal clear advice, by dissecting non fiction literature layer by layer.
Book uses all the tricks it depicts except humour which is non visible. It takes examples which are from some of my favourite non fiction master's like taleb. After reading it a new set of filter appears in front of eyes, next time one dips into nonfiction book. Must read for any aspiring author who is sincere and curious. Only thing got a bit troublesome is mention of research and data inbetween but it rapidly recaptures attention of the reader after occasional slump.

Writing to Be Understood takes the non-fiction writer behind the scenes so they can understand the science and psychology of writing. The book explored different techniques such as analogy, humor, metaphor etc. that can be used by writers to get your point across.

This book is a very good resource for writers. Anne Janzer took the time to ensure that the information being presented was clear and easily understood. She employed the techniques taught to show the readers how it could be used effectively.

Anne Janzen's book "Writing to Be Understood" is a wonderful and helpful book. I specialize in nonfiction reading and writing, and I can easily incorporate Ms. Janzer's techniques into my writing. Many writing books are dull; thankfully, "Writing to Be Understood" is engaging and kept my interest from start to finish. I greatly appreciated that the content was varied—Ms. Janzen included other writers' advice and insights from an assortment of professionals. I look forward to recommending "Writing to Be Understood" to my writer friends, most of whom specialize in nonfiction. This is an awesome book!

Fascinating look at nonfiction writing

I loved this book. I’m an avid reader of nonfiction, and I see certain patterns in the writing I like, such as humor and person anecdotes. And it is topics like this that Anne Janzer discusses in her book. While the book is directed to nonfiction book authors, I found it meaningful, and as I went along, I compared Janzer’s suggestions to the nonfiction books I’ve loved and I found that I agreed with her on almost everything. I recommend this book to readers of nonfiction for the insights it provides.

Writing to be Understood is a great outlook on writing. I really liked how the author concentrated on audience behavior.

I am currently writing an academic book, and my peer review said my writing was too simplistic, but lively. This book encourages that type of writing. Writing to be understood. I fully believe in this type of writing style to reach an audience you may not have otherwise. My goal is to teach through my writing. I want people to understand that complicated ideas, do not have to be complicated. My background is in journalism and my writing style carries over into academia. If people can't grasp the ideas you're presenting then why write at all?

I will look at this book time and time again to help hone my own writing skills. I really did enjoy this book and the approach that many writing books don't take.

"Writing to be Understood" is a great book for anyone who wants to appeal to their readers. This book is geared mostly to those who write nonfiction, but I think anyone can learn something from this book. I liked that it also drew on experiances from others. I highly recommend this book if you are writing nonfiction and want to learn how to reach and engage your readers.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Writing to be Understood is a great resource! It covers handy topics such as, understanding your readers, writing for the tough audience, how to explain complicated ideas and using explanatory analogies, to name just a few. What is truly unique about this book is the inclusion of insights from a bestselling nonfiction author, a cognitive scientist, an economist and a comedian. You will find your own personal and effective writing style using the myriad of informative techniques outlined by author Anne Janzer. This book stands out among writing references. Five stars!

Excellent book on nonfiction writing and communication. It is really aligned with my experience that success starts in understanding the audience and their needs. Too often we see writers and speakers that are focused only in pleasing themselves. I really appreciated the insights coming from neurosciences, as well as the strategy to have a Rules to remember" section at the end of each chapter, making easier to put into practice the lessons.

I loved Writing to Be Understood! Anne Janzer has a terrific conversational tone which makes the book accessible, engaging, and fun to read. The organization of the chapters is sensible and intuitive, which makes it equally satisfying to read straight through or jump to the chapter that interests you.
Her central premise of audience-centered writing resonated deeply with me. Her advice and techniques to become better at this were excellent and easy to understand. I particularly like the short summaries of the most important things to remember that capped each section of new information.
Sprinkled throughout the book are words of wisdom from professional non-fiction writers from various industries. Seeing how audience-centered principles apply in different fields showed how vital they are in strong writing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has to complete any writing, ever. Whether you are emailing a colleague or client, or are writing a major project, Writing to Be Understood will help you be a better, more effective writer.

This book goes behind the scenes and provides insight and advice on how to writing works. It's not just about the research done, writing style or voice or even grammar but I couldn't help but smile when the author also shed light on the clarity of the writer whilst writing any book. It's something I've struggled with and reading about it here plus the advice from other published authors was timely.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Seeing as I am readers and reviewing authors works I wanted to better understand the process and lets face it I can't help but say I have been looking or dabbling into writing myself. I was more than eager at the chance to read this book in hopes to better understand the process that goes into writing.
Wiring to be Understood by Anne Janser is that book. Anne bring in others authors and their knowledge will help those interested in how to become better writing of non fiction and well any type of story telling.
The author has done her research and has insane amount of knowledge. She also brings in people from the different field of psychology, technology, economics, and more areas than I can count. They give insight into the world of non fiction which can also be applied to the world of fiction writing as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Cuesta Park Consulting for the advance copy of Anne Janzer Writing to be understood.

WRITING TO BE UNDERSTOOD demystifies what makes nonfiction writing compelling in a well-researched, well-written handbook. Author Anne Janzer, who has worked with over a hundred technology businesses to articulate positioning and messaging in crowded markets, teaches what really grabs readers and holds their attention, and how to apply those techniques to your own writing. Along with advice from writers themselves, Janzer offers intriguing insights from cognitive science, psychology, technology, medicine, and more for writing with more appeal and pizazz. 5/5

Pub Date 09 Aug 2018

Thanks to Independent Book Publishers Association and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

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