Writing a Book (advice please)

[BDBopper]

Hello Gang

I am in need of some advice. Maybe you could help me.

As y'all know I am a volunteer for the Mike Huckabee presidential campaign. Regardless of the outcome for good or for ill this has been quite the experience and I have learned many things (good and bad).

I had a thought the other day. There are a plethora or books on politics and the process therein by high and mighty professionals. However I have yet to see or hear about a book written from the vantage point of a common average Joe.

So I'd like to write a book about all this after it is said and done. I am very good at composing my thoughts (as you might tell). But I am not sure what the process of getting a book published. Does anyone know how it works and how I should proceed?

[Disneyphile]

Oh, paging Snowflake.........

[Gemini Cricket]

I say, write write write and once you have something completed then you worry about publishing and all that.
Get to writin', Mister.

[BDBopper]

Thank you GC!

You know that the first stop on my book tour would be Orange County, CA right?

[Prudence]

As a wise person once said: "Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I say, write write write and once you have something completed then you worry about publishing and all that.
Get to writin', Mister.

I think that would certainly be true for a novel. With non-fiction, you might be able to pitch an idea and an outline to an agent or publisher and get paid to write the book. You might want to subscribe to

http://www.writersmarket.com/

and/or buy the hardcover edition. Good luck.

[Snowflake]

I agree with everyone here, write, write, write.
To get an idea on how the wacky publishing world works, I found The Complete Idiots Guide to Getting Published a fun and useful read.

I can tell you one true thing, the publishing world works at a completely glacial pace. Also, University Press work much differently than the big commercial houses, more scholarly bent, yet, less formal than trying to break through the wall of a major house.

Finding an agent to represent you, is also key. I will dig up some links.

In the meantime, write, write, write..........

[BDBopper]

Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate them. After Super Tuesday on Feb 5th I will have a lot more time to start writing but I have a lot of ideas floating in my head. If I didn't have all these E-mails to write and phone calls to make I'd start now.

Despite it all there is still a chance of my story having a happy ending (from my point of view).

[BDBopper]

Consider the writing of my book started. Whether what I am writing currently is the Forward or Chapter One is unclear.

[3894]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I think that would certainly be true for a novel. With non-fiction, you might be able to pitch an idea and an outline to an agent or publisher and get paid to write the book.

It's always possible. Unless you ask, you're answering "no" for the other person. For absolute sure, you're going to have to put together a chapter-by-chapter outline and three sample chapters (not necessarily consecutive chapters).

If you haven't started taking photos for your book, do that.

You could always pitch an article to appropriate magazines to get the ball rolling. More than one book has come from an initial article in a magazine.

The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats is really useful.