Dear Geist,

I'm having no luck at all getting agents or publishers interested in my book, a work of serious non-fiction. Are people not reading this kind of book any more? I have lots of other ideas, so maybe I should write something else. What do you think?

Dear Terrence,

The spanner in the works may be your terminology. Are you presenting your work as “serious non-fiction”? To some publishers, agents and readers, especially younger ones, that term suggests prose that's rigorous and perhaps improving, but no fun to read. You might try calling it “narrative non-fiction.” In our experience, good non-fiction (except for reference books and lists of data) tells some kind of story: a puzzle to solve, an argument to build, a conflict to settle. . . Or you can simply call it “non-fiction.” As for what to write, you'll do your best work on a project you love, whatever it is.