Authors' Thread (New! Improved! Now With 10% More Questions!)

I'm reworking my proposal and I'm finding that I'm hitting a wall. Any advice for a first timer?

 

I think I have an introduction. Are there any published authors who have the time, interest and inclination to take a looking at my bleatings?

 

In honor of Bill Heinz, absolutely. PM me.

 

This thread has a world of knowledge - and I have to thank all of you for contributing.

Just 3 weeks ago I decided to write a book about the past five years at my old accounting firm that I resigned from last month

Now, now, now - I know what you're all thinking - what a bore! What's he going to write about? How difficult it was to get through April 15? How crazed he became when his calculator's period button stopped working?

Not quite. This firm was completely different. Over the five years I went from an administrative assistant to an Executive Director running the place. Our firm was fiercely unique from every other company on the planet - and I say that with a straight face. We were run by a bunch of late twenty-somethings and early thirty-somethings, including myself.

The office was filled with sex, drugs, food fights, gambling, lawsuits, more sex, more drugs, more gambling, etc. Think "Boiler Room" but about a 1,000 times more raunchy and filthy.

I really think there is quite a story to tell here and that's what I've set off doing...

Of course the names will be changed to protect the innoc... err guilty.

This is my first endeavor into writing a book. I know nothing about agents or publishing. At this point I'm setting about writing the thing and putting all of my unpaid time into doing just that.

Please keep up with the advice - it's truly helpful for people new to this world - such as myself.

 

Love that genre of books - I call business debauchery. Books like Liars Poker, Bombadiars , Den of Thieves and Rigged.


Sound like you have a good idea for a winner. Keep us posted.

 

I just did a well-received article, and I think I can write a book about it. Someone tell me I'm crazy?

 

You're crazy.

Now go sell it as a book.

 

Ditto. More good books start as crazy ideas than safe ideas.

 

Is 2000-2500 words a chapter a good start?

 

T-16 ,

There's no rule or hard count for chapter size. 2000 or 2500 words is a great start on something, but much more important than word count is that your chapters be sized and shaped to suit the material, and designed to keep the reader reading.

If you have good command of the material - by which I mean a mastery of the research, of the architecture, of the writing - the chapters will often shape themselves very naturally.

My suggestion would be to start writing without worrying about chapter size or word count just yet and see where it leads you. Once you've committed some of the work to the page, we can go back and fiddle with the chapter size.

Thanks for posting. Good luck.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Lost in downtown Proposalville ... two sample chapters that I think stand-up, a good start on a chapter outline (all 17 and counting) but I'm stalling (as in motor-stalling rather than procrastinating) on an intro. It`s probably days-or-up-to-two weeks away but would anyone like to have a look at intro (& a chapter) ... by PM.

I`m really torn. Just to do the proposal I have to make a trip (i.e. incur some cost) and I have zero confidence that the tome will sell. It`s for an event -- nothing I can put off. Coin flip, I guess.

YD&OHS, etc

 

Thanks for everything, guys. I've been browsing this thread for months.

I've got something that cooked in my mind for a long time, I started it probably nearly two years ago and in many busy times since just started jotitng things down, sending quick emails to myself and laying down concepts. I've finally started trying to mold a couple real chapters together to see what I've got and where I want to take it.

Those who have been here before...who have offered advice and answered questions...have been invaluable.