thoughts on writing first book?

[clutchcargo]

I've been a book publisher myself, worked for a couple "mid-major" publishers and had a number of books published. A few thoughts:

1. Don't bother writing a memoir/autobiography unless you're very well known or if you plan to self-publish and don't care about how many books you sell (the latter choice means you're scratching an itch.

2. Suggest you pick a topic of dear interest to you and one with a narrowly defined editorial niche. Writing "The History of Baseball" won't do you any good. But really fleshing out the details and nuances of a compelling life story of the only Native American ever to win a baseball MVP Award before going to med school to become a heart surgeon might have potential.

3. Put together a killer book proposal---there are beaucoup books that tell how to do this, I won't waste your time here---that you can SELL to a good agent, start with the ones in NY, and then let the good agent polish it with you so he or she in turn can sell it to a decent publishing house. Agent gets 15%.

4. Don't have a delusion of getting a huge advance. But make sure you get something. Low 5 figures is reasonable for a first-time author with no name. Just make sure you get something upfront.

5. Don't forget---you will need to pay your own expenses in researching and writing the book, so have a rough figure in mind and make sure your advance more than covers it.

6. Look for a well-known athlete or coach who you can talk into letting you ghostwrite a book for them, and that will open some doors when it comes to agents and publishers. It's all about marketability and getting a fee of, say, 25K or 30-40% of the advance will mean a nice paycheck and still the satisfaction of writing a book. No shame in piggybacking.

7. Don't write a chapter without first having a thorough outline, a strong Rolodex, and a fully supportive spouse (if you're married.)

8. Read David Halberstam and/or Michael Crichton and really soak it up.

 

[Clerk Typist]

Swenk, I know too many authors who would kill for a 100,000-copies sold disaster. I gather you had a revised edition ready and had to kill it? And was that the book by Bob Logan?

 

[swenk]

Swenk, I know too many authors who would kill for a 100,000-copies sold disaster. I gather you had a revised edition ready and had to kill it? And was that the book by Bob Logan?

That's the book. Do you have one? Can I buy it??

The disaster was that after the Cubs went up 2-0 against the Padres, and this skinny $5 paperback hit the NY Times bestseller list, we went back to press for another 100,000 copies. Oops. The unopened cartons of books made lovely office furniture for many years to come.

(The late Bob Logan was indeed the author...what a character. Every page of his manuscript had all the sights and smells of a food court.)

 

[Point of Order]

And unless you're over 50, won the Nobel Prize or screwed Britney Spears, forget about a memoir.

I'm not 50 yet, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

 

[lantaur]

I think expecting a five-figure advance - or any advance - can be a bit disingenuous. If you have a great topic, are well known, etc., then, yeah. But there are plenty of smaller publishers out there who will buy books and sell them (think University presses, MacFarland, etc.). You're not going to make a lot of money off these, but your book will be out there. Guess it will depend on what you're looking for out of your book.

 

[lantaur]

I sold my first project to MacFarland. Weird bunch. They don't want to communicate with phone calls, only via email. I've never talked to anyone there.

No advance whatsoever, but at least you get full royalties. And I got to go through the process of writing a book that was important to me,.

I actually e-mailed with MacFarland and sent them my chapters ... and never heard back. What do you think that means?

 

[Clerk Typist]

Swenk, I know too many authors who would kill for a 100,000-copies sold disaster. I gather you had a revised edition ready and had to kill it? And was that the book by Bob Logan?

That's the book. Do you have one? Can I buy it??

The disaster was that after the Cubs went up 2-0 against the Padres, and this skinny $5 paperback hit the NY Times bestseller list, we went back to press for another 100,000 copies. Oops. The unopened cartons of books made lovely office furniture for many years to come.

(The late Bob Logan was indeed the author...what a character. Every page of his manuscript had all the sights and smells of a food court.)

Oops is right. Maybe you should have shipped them to Leon Durham's house.
Lefty Logan was out of Damon Runyon. Once he opened up his briefcase at a game, pulled out a bag, and said, "Want a donut?" I passed. Phenomenally fast writer, though, and faster still with the puns.

 

[In Exile]

MacFarland is one of several publishers I'd be really cautious with. Yes, they will publish your book. Virtually everything else is up to you in terms of promotion, etc., etc. Not to be too negative, because I know plenty who have published with MacFarland, but they are the next step up from a vanity press, providing very little in terms of editorial advice and all the things a larger more legitimate trade publisher does. If you can sell 1,000 books under the MacFarland banner, you are doing really well, and probably working OT to make that happen.

I always worry that there are actually good books occasionally hidden within their titles, and some good writers, who have wasted their ideas in a publishing black hole. Also, having a title published by a publisher like MacFarland means very little to either a larger trade publisher or an agent who works with larger trade publishers, and could even hurt you - go through their back catalog and see how many of their authors have ever made it into the mainstream. Major and high minor league publishers know the kinds of things MacFarland does and the approach they take, and most can check sales. Seeing that your MacFarland title sold only 1,273 copies in a year and a half is not a positive.

But it is also understandable - we all have to start somewhere, and if nothing else, writing a book, any book, even one for MacFarland, gives you the opportunity to work in longer forms. My agent, for example, turns down most proposals from most journalists, including many names we would all recognize, because the ability to write 500-1500 word stories has virtually nothing to do with the ability to write 75,000 words or more. That's going from a sprint to a marathon.

 

[In Exile]

That's okay, though, like I said. My first book was sort of a labor of love baseball history niche book with a smaller publisher. And I was over thirty. The challenge is framing the niche book in a fashion that has wider appeal. The right approach can interest people in the niche. Ask Seabiscuit.

 

[trifectarich]

I don't think you'll have any trouble selling it to a publisher. There's a ton of stuff that gets published every day that is far less interesting.

Having done this before with two books, here's my advice. Forget about how much of an advance you can negotiate. What's far more important is having a publisher who will sincerely and honestly do its best to help publicize you and the book. There are a ton of things that help sell books, but you can't be expected to do these yourself. Missing these opportunities because a publisher is unable or unwilling to market the product is frustrating and, in the end, costly because there usually is a small window for new books.

I'm grateful I have two books with my name on them, but I regret working with a publisher who failed to make the most of good opportunities.

Good luck.

 

[swenk]

I'm grateful I have two books with my name on them, but I regret working with a publisher who failed to make the most of good opportunities.

I bet if you took a poll of a thousand authors, from the famous to the obscure, 99% would say this. The other 1% might have had a surprise bestseller.

I agree with the posters who say if you're just starting out, if your book appeals to a 'niche' audience, don't do it for the money. One minute you're thinking $5,000 sounds like a nice nugget to put in the kids' college fund, then you realize the economics:

--You'll get half (or less) when you sign a contract, the other half (or less) when the manuscript is accepted by the publisher (which could be a year or more after the first payment), and maybe a payment when the book is published.

--Out of that money, you pay taxes, deduct commissions to an agent if you have one, and pay all of your own expenses. Photos, illustrations, phone bills, transcribers, travel.

--Royalties are a rare blessing. Don't count on them, ever.

And I know, you stand in the bookstore and think, "you must be kidding, I can't believe that schmuck wrote a book." But publishing is a business, and the goal is to make a profit. Show a publisher why your book is going to make some money, and there's a pretty good chance you're going to get it published.

 

[JR]

When a publisher signs up a new author, they're signing an author, not a book.

What the publisher is looking for is a longterm relationship and with any luck, turning the author into a franchise.

As a business, publishers have to publish books that will end up on their backlist (the books that sell and sell and that after all the hype has disappeared, the ones that stores still stock). The backlist is their annuity which helps to pay the rent because predicting bestsellers is like buying a lottery ticket--with worse odds.

Publishers know that it's rare a first book will make a proft and they're sure as hell not going to invest money in an author that they consider a one trick pony.
.

 

[friend of the friendless]

Mr R,

I'm a pony still struggling to come up with one trick.

I think there's an element of truth to what you say Mr R.

You got to find an agent who will sell you to a publisher. Once that happens you better develop a relationship with an editor who will, on top of keeping you sane and your copy coherent, make your case in meetings for promotion, marketing and the like.

It's a goofy business--it seems like you work alone but you're only as good as the people around you. A few books in and I don't remotely have it figured out.

YHS, etc

 

[jgmacg]

I'm a pony still struggling to come up with one trick.

My editor insisted my jacket photo be taken while I was sitting on a pony.

I think it works.

 

[friend of the friendless]

Mr macg

My pic is that one, 'cept I'm in a diaper and you can see my mother's hand behind me, keeping me up on barabaro's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.

YHS, etc

 

[Double J]

When a publisher signs up a new author, they're signing an author, not a book.

What the publisher is looking for is a longterm relationship and with any luck, turning the author into a franchise.

As a business, publishers have to publish books that will end up on their backlist (the books that sell and sell and that after all the hype has disappeared, the ones that stores still stock). The backlist is their annuity which helps to pay the rent because predicting bestsellers is like buying a lottery ticket--with worse odds.

Publishers know that it's rare a first book will make a proft and they're sure as hell not going to invest money in an author that they consider a one trick pony.
.

I'd love to be a guy like Andrew Podnieks, who is some kind of hockey writing machine. I think he's had 30 some-odd hockey books published and it seems like he's always got one or two more in the pipeline. I assume he makes a half-decent living at it.

 

[fishwrapper]

I'm looking to start writing a book. I want it to be semi-autobiographical and I have a ton of ideas. What is the best way to outline your thoughts before you start? Obviously, this will take time to complete, but it would be great to have a solid structure before I start writing. Any comments are appreciated.

First, read five James Michener titles...