Author Resources: Apply to $25k Science Book Prize + Classes on Nonfiction Book Writing/Publishing

+Improve your book writing skills

Hello authors! Here are a bunch of resources I couldn’t wait to share. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for next week’s meeting, too!

February Meeting

Google Event Invite

Tuesday, February 25 · 5 PST - 6 MST - 7 CST - 8 EST

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jhh-hogx-ggd

Resources For You

📖Want to improve your science writing skills?
Secrets of Great Science Communication Event (tomorrow!)

“A fireside chat with biologist Neil Shubin [author of Your Inner Fish] and Professor Claudia Dreifus [from the New York Times’ science section].” Free, register here.

📖Want to read about writing?
The ANBIP list of books about book-writing recommended by members and trusted writers.

Note: I made this affiliate list on Amazon, meaning I could earn commission if anyone buys anything. These are all books I’ve previously recommended, some because of people in this group recommending them.

📖Want to learn more about nonfiction science book writing (and in Boston/Cambridge MA?)
Masterclass Series at the MIT Museum

From the site: “The MIT Museum is hosting four masterclasses in hands-on training in key formats and aspects of science communication.”
March 11
Morning classes run from 9am - 12pm
Afternoon classes run from 1pm - 4pm
$30 per class, $20 for MIT affiliates
Cost of the masterclass includes admission to the museum. (normally $18 for adults, $10 for students with ID)

Some relevant class options:
Writing Compelling Science Books with Ainissa Ramirez
The Craft and Business of Authorship with Deborah Blum and Seth Mnookin

📖Got a nonfiction book idea but no proposal?
A workshop on nonfiction (mostly science) book proposal success

The Book Proposal Factory
Cost: $1,000
Application accepted on a rolling basis
14 Sessions March 31-May 19

📖Not Yet Signed with a Publisher?
A new science book publisher

Quanta Books is accepting pitches for books about science.

📖Recently Published?
Science Book Prize

The Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize is accepting entries for books published between July 2024 and September 2025. Due March 21. I don’t see an application button but this FAQ says your publisher has to submit for it (I suspect that means trad-only, too.)
Prize:
The author of the winning book will receive £25,000. [USD$25,988.00]
£2,500 [USD$2,590.00] per book is awarded to the author(s) of up to five shortlisted books.

📖Already Published in Trad nonfiction?
Get on a Reader’s Digest list

Book Reviewer Linda Lowen is looking for traditionally published nonfiction books to include on her future roundups of “best books about X” for Readers Digest, like this one, “34 Greatest Nonfiction Books Ever, Chosen by a Book Reviewer.”
Email her a PDF of your book at her firstname.lastname at gmail.com.

📖New description for this group: Journalistic Nonfiction

I polled people last time asking what I should call our writing other than nonfiction non-memoir. There were only four votes but three said journalistic nonfiction. So, from now on I’ll say journalistic nonfiction!

What I’ve been up to: Making these images for potential chapter headings!

See you next week!