How do you get a book published?

Awakened at Gilead

Since leaving JWs I have read as many books as I have found written by ExJWs... I have noticed that some on this board have projects and books that they are working on...

I have an idea for a book that seems to fill a niche in the ExJW market... I won't say what it is yet, since I don't want anyone stealing my idea, since it is just hatching... but suffice it to say that I see a need for this book that I would like to write... and I think I could do it...

I am going to start writing soon, as I have all tehse ideas swimming around in my head... I need to get them onscreen in my computer...Any ideas on how to start to get something published?

Lance

megs

Hi Lance, Commentary Press seems to exclusively print that kind of thing, perhaps you can email them? [email protected]

OnTheWayOut

Captives of a Concept was self published on Lulu.com. They will publish anything.

I don't know if that's the best way to go.

JWdaughter

I think you need to consider your 'slant' and your market. Is this directed to ex-jws? Christians who minister to JWs? Pissed off or very loving approach to the religion and/or adherents? COC like? Memoir? ? ?

Do you want this to be more of a general interest book -Recent book on Mormon Fundamentalists was very interesting "under the banner of heaven" was something my not religious in any way sister found fascinating and so did I. I think it made some best seller lists. OTOH, some books are strictly christian bookstore stuff, some are more interesting to those in or recently left (Like C.O.C.). After determining your 'angle' then seek out (here or elsewhere) the kind of publishers that you feel would be compatible-or decent self publishing companies. There are people here who have done that and you should talk to them.

Good luck!

Hortensia

first, and this is important, google "book proposal" and find an outline or two for a book proposal. Use this as a guide to your project. It will force you to figure out a lot of things, like specifics about your market, your competition, etc. Also, it will help you come up with a table of contents, an outline, and then a couple of complete chapters. I've written a few books, published by a large publisher, and self-published. Once I started using the outline for a book proposal as my first step, writing became much easier. As for publishing, if you are willing to do the work, self-publishing is more profitable in my experience unless you have a NY Times Best Seller kind of project.

Hope4Others

Sounds like a good plan A&G, you left me speechless with the interview, somehow what ever you put your mind to

i think shall be a best seller.

cheers

hope4others

tooktheredpill

A@G:

I'm writing a book right now, (not about JW's), and I'm making all the arrangements with Lulu.com. They have very easy to follow instructions, and they explain all the legal issues (copyright info) there. Give it a try.

BTW, I want to tell you that I loved the interview between you and V. It is an "eye opener".

Keep the great work!

TTRP

Rivington

In recent years self-publishing has become a real option but don't give up on the idea of trying to get a contract with a mainstream commercial publisher. For non-fiction you can approach publishers with a proposal even before your book is complete but you need to be very clear about what your book will cover and what your potential market is. Don't despair if no publishers show any interest - take the self-publishing route. Lulu, which was recommended above is good. Another which is definitely worth looking at is www.diggorypress.com. They will typeset for you and design a cover, or you can do all of that yourself and submit print-ready copy. But be warned - proof-reading is far from easy and the slightest error can stick out like a sore thumb, so don't attempt to trim costs by cutting corners. If you are going to self-publish you have to recognise that you will need to do all the marketing and promotion yourself - but even if you get a contract with a commercial publisher you will still have to be prepared to promote your book. With a book about JWs this ought not to be too difficult because your market is well-defined and fairly easily reachable with adverts in the right places. You might also be interested to have a look at www.troubador.co.uk and see their Self Publishing Magazine (I'm one of their reviewers) Hope you find some of this useful. Best of luck with your writing. Rivington

wildflowermeadow

I agree with the previous advice on nonfiction--You need a proposal and sample chapter. What the agent/editor will look at closely is the marketing section. What else is out there, how did it sell and how do you realistically plan to market this book?

For fiction, you have to write the book first. An agent will get you far more attention with editors with nonfiction or fiction. Most publishers refuse to look at nonagented stuff unless it's straight genre (such as category romance).

Self-publishing...sigh. I don't think the self-published have paid their full dues and there's LOTS of self-published crap out there. Anybody can get a book printed, few can get a book printed by Penguin, Simon&Schuster, Warner or Randomhouse. Those are the credits that count. Most agents and publishers don't count self-publishing as being really published. Money should flow one way, towards you. After getting 24 books published, I haven't spent one penny.

I'm traditionally published with an agent and that's what I recommend. Try to get published-for-real first. Do your research! If you're loathe to do your research, forget on publishing in nonfiction. The proposal itself will take exhaustive marketing research.

The question you asked is answered in spades in any library and on the Internet. Don't ask authors elementary questions, to read your stuff or for them to intro to their agent. If we don't know you it opens us up to legal hassles.

Rivington

wildflowermeadow wrote: "Self-publishing...sigh. I don't think the self-published have paid their full dues and there's LOTS of self-published crap out there. Anybody can get a book printed, few can get a book printed by Penguin, Simon&Schuster, Warner or Randomhouse. Those are the credits that count. Most agents and publishers don't count self-publishing as being really published. I'm traditionally published with an agent and that's what I recommend. Try to get published-for-real first." As a traditionally published author and member of the Society of Authors, I'd agree that this is the ideal to aim at. But I would disagree strongly with any advice to avoid self-publishing. Do the job properly - editing, proof-reading, production and marketing. Make sure you can keep your selling price down to the level that comparable titles sell for. Then when you have proved that you know what you are doing and can write a book that will sell, you will stand a far better chance of getting your foot in the door of a publisher or agent than you will as a wannabe first-time author. Rivington

How do you get a book published?

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