Book-Marketing Tip of the Day – September 6, 2017

John McPhee (author of Draft No. 4) on choosing an opening, or lead, to a piece of creative nonfiction: "All leads should be sound. They should never promise what does not follow. You read an exciting action lead about a car chase up a narrow street. Then the article turns out to be a financial analysis of debt structures. You've been had. The lead – like the title – should be a flashlight that shines down into the story. A lead is a promise. It promises that the piece of writing is going to be like this. If it is not going to be so, don't use the lead." Wall Street Journal, Sept 2, p C9