I need advice on where to begin for my manuscript

[Lauren Kay]

HI! I am in the middle of writing a "reality" book about my life and what is happening in it. I think it will be something others can relate to either presently or somewhere in the past. They can identity with what is happening to me and mine, and maybe feel good they are not alone, or may follow my story to see what happens next, like in a soap opera, or just read it to for entertainment. It will be the first in a series (hopefully), and therefore will never end, as llife never ends. I just have no idea of who/where, etc to start in the publishing world. I am open to any and all advice from those who have been there and done that, as they say.
thanks
Lauren

 

[Motokid]

will we get credit for helping?

and if we help you start your book is it really your book?

How bout start with your birth since it's about you, or maybe with your conception....

 

[Lauren Kay]

not sure what you mean

What are you talking about? I have a very specific starting place in my story, not "birth" etc....I want to know who to send it to to begin with, that deals with non-fiction, or do I just search the internet on my own? I thought someone here could suggest a good starting publisher, etc. I am not asking for help on the book at all. Sorry for the misunderstanding
Lauren

 

[Motokid]

oops, my bad , that's what I get for paying more attention to the title and not the text..."I need advice on where to begin for my manuscript "

butting out with tale between legs....

 

[novella]

You probably should put together a complete book proposal and then try to get an agent to represent you. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you might want to get a book such as "The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book" or "Writer's Market." Also, the Agents Directory. If you know nothing at all, reading about the process is a good place to start.

 

[Lauren Kay]

thanks for advice

 

[Nathan]

Don't stop there

... I wrote a book and after many query letters finally got an agent. Unfortunately, the agent was unable to sell the book, and I later learned through some internet searching that the agent was basically "blacklisted" among publishing houses (ie, she'd send her "contacts" the manuscripts of people she represented, but the editors didn't even look at them cause she had a rep for sending in stinkers... wait, what does that say about my book?).

Some authors like Clancy and Grisham met success by sending their manuscripts straight to publishers, so there is more than one way to meet success (not that I'd know). Don't just send the ms to big publishers, though. Target specific editors (sometimes thanked in books) that might have worked on books similar to yours, or target specific publishers (Clancy sent Red October to a small historical Naval publisher, and after they published it it gained steam and eventually got picked up by a major).

 

[Stewart]

HI! I am in the middle of writing a "reality" book about my life and what is happening in it.

Pick a theme and base areas from your life around it. Nobody wants to read a story with no central focus.

 

[Sitaram]

www.writers.net

Visit

http://www.writers.net

It looks like it might be helpful.

I cannot advise you from personal experience for because I do not try to sell what I write.

I notice that there is a magazine on the newstands for writers. I thumbed through an issue last year. It seems to offer many things for the aspiring writer.


Last year, I stumbled across a book entitled "Funny in Farsi", written by a young Iranian woman whose family came to the United States when she was around age eleven. I have it at home. I noticed that I was published by an outfit in New York City. Perhaps one thing to do is look at all the successful books which resemble the style and subject of your book, and make note of the publisher.

Over the weekend, I shall find my copy and return here to post the publisher. I just now did a google search and found it at Amazon. That page tells me the book was published by Random House, but I could swear that the copy at home is by some smaller publisher. I shall check.

Best of luck...