not sure whether to gather stories first or find a publisher ?
2007-03-10 11:55:40 · 7 answers · asked by teal 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
You should not only gather stories, but you have to write it first. Only established writers or "15 minute famers" can get publishers to agree to a yet unwritten book.
What would you bring to a publisher? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?
2007-03-10 11:58:36 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. G 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well the first thing that i want to say is good luck on writing the book. The next thing is that i would gather stories first the stories will just start coming to you one after another. And while you are in the process of writing your story you can always get a publisher later. Also remember that when you are finding a publisher make sure you do your research and dont pick a publisher who could really care less. Also remember that finding a good publisher will take time so make sure that you are patient.
2007-03-10 20:05:43 · answer #2 · answered by ♥ 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'd decide what you want these "real life" stories to be about, first. Books that are collected stories usually have a central theme - like stories about growing up in a certain era, stories about pets, stories about travel, etc.
Once you know which "real life" stories you want to gather, go find the people whose stories you want to use. You'll have to have them sign something that says you are allowed to use their stories, and if they want you to change names, dates, places, etc. for privacy reasons, you have to respect that. Just put everything in writing so there's no surprises down the road - and once you're done your publisher might do the same thing.
When you interview the people, record the sessions if possible so that you won't miss or forget any details. And don't interview passively - ask questions! Get all the details of the story. And if the person starts to talk about something else, gently guide their attention back to what they were talking about earlier.
Once you've got a good number of stories (depending on length), type them up. Leave out details that aren't necessary or are repetitive, don't just transcribe what was said (unless you're writing something about language or dialects - then you might want to).
After that, then you look for a agent. Sometimes an agent will take on a project before it is finished but generally you need something to show them. An agent will shop your work around to find the best publisher for it.
2007-03-10 20:08:15 · answer #3 · answered by Kate 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Write the book first [gather stories, etc.]
& search for publisher's in the meantime.
Good Luck with the book!
<3
2007-03-10 20:00:34 · answer #4 · answered by kelsey 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gather your stories first, then seek a publisher with your gathered material.
2007-03-10 19:58:22 · answer #5 · answered by cashew 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're not a published author with an established reputation, you're going to need to write most, if not all, of the book first.
My tip: Be sure to approach an agent and get them to promote your book to publishers! Never pay for anything to be published.
2007-03-10 20:12:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get the stories first. Once its finished you can send it out to publishers. You'll get a lot of nos before you get a yes.
2007-03-10 20:00:39 · answer #7 · answered by nokhada5 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋