Draft book feed back (not lifting related)

[zappey1]

Well Fam this is not an article on lifting but I am trying to draft a book on local legends. I have the Prologue and first chapter roughly written. I'm going to post the google link. If you like reading and editing give it a read and give me some feed back please. Does not mean I will take it. Don't be to harsh! I hope to get about 1 chapter done a week so if I'm not updating on that schedule call me out to get me to stay accountable!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQ4 ... sp=sharing

[zappey1]

Finished another chapter! If you like what you read or have constructive advice/criticism please leave a comment

[OrderInChaos]

Were you ever stationed at Whidbey? I'm looking at some opportunities down at Camp Murray/JBLM but damn, it's nicer up Norther than anything around Olympia and Tacoma. Peak US Geography for sure though.

[zappey1]

Were you ever stationed at Whidbey? I'm looking at some opportunities down at Camp Murray/JBLM but damn, it's nicer up Norther than anything around Olympia and Tacoma. Peak US Geography for sure though.

No not at Whidbey. I would go on vacation there when I was young.

Olympia and Tacoma are better then Seattle IMO. Depending on the area

[zappey1]

New chapter done! Still have not gotten much feed back. If you like it let me know. If you hate it and are confused in parts let me know!

Thanks Guys!

[zappey1]

Another chapter done. What do you guys think so far?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQ4 ... sp=sharing

[zappey1]

2 chapters in a week! I'm also trying to hire someone to draw a picture per section. If you know someone with art skills or you are an artist yourself DM we can talk prices.

I tried to hire my buddy but I have had issues with him before finishing projects.

[zappey1]

3 chapters in a week!

[Inverstone]

Hi Zappey,
I don't know why you haven't gotten any responses but I found your manuscript interesting and well done. It may be that I'm local/regional to you and thus had more interest in the material than the other folks here, who knows but it would have been nice, I'm sure to receive more feedback...

This would make a good "guide book" formatted publication if maps and driving/gps locations for some of the historical/geographic events/features were provided so that your readers could go there as a day trip outing or an educations family adventure. It might open up a market for distribution at local tourist shops, booksellers or amazon, etc.

I also (being a past public school teacher like yourself) can see a YA audience if the illustrations made that a selling feature. Scholastic books anyone?

Something that I thought might be fun for you to tackle would be a local/regional history of lifters, strong men (persons), etc. There's a jazz music history book called: "Jackson Street After Hours" by Paul De Barros that covered the scene and musicians of the S. Seattle area in the '50's (+/-) that might be a model for a strength oriented local history book if you can get ahold of a copy to see what I mean... I think you'd do a good job on something like that and maybe...get a few more responses on exodus

[zappey1]

Hi Zappey,
I don't know why you haven't gotten any responses but I found your manuscript interesting and well done. It may be that I'm local/regional to you and thus had more interest in the material than the other folks here, who knows but it would have been nice, I'm sure to receive more feedback...

This would make a good "guide book" formatted publication if maps and driving/gps locations for some of the historical/geographic events/features were provided so that your readers could go there as a day trip outing or an educations family adventure. It might open up a market for distribution at local tourist shops, booksellers or amazon, etc.

I also (being a past public school teacher like yourself) can see a YA audience if the illustrations made that a selling feature. Scholastic books anyone?

Something that I thought might be fun for you to tackle would be a local/regional history of lifters, strong men (persons), etc. There's a jazz music history book called: "Jackson Street After Hours" by Paul De Barros that covered the scene and musicians of the S. Seattle area in the '50's (+/-) that might be a model for a strength oriented local history book if you can get ahold of a copy to see what I mean... I think you'd do a good job on something like that and maybe...get a few more responses on exodus

Thanks for the feed back. Maps is a great idea. I'm trying to get an illustrator now. I'm trying to get my former lifting protégé but I tried to higher him before for a few illustration jobs and he never came through. I offered him $50 per drawing with an option to share profits if the book starts making money.

I hope I can plug along and finish it up strong. School is about to start then I will get real busy for a few months as the new year settles in. I think this format of short stories is good for me as I can finish a short story before I loose interest.

A history of local lifters would be a great idea.

[Inverstone]

What avenues of publishing are you considering? Self published/Amazon sales? Local PNW stores? E book?
If all else fails in finding an illustrator maybe your school district's art teacher or a tech school/graphic arts student at a community college? My Dad wrote for Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Photography Magazine, etc. when I was a kid as an avocation so interested to see what you're thinking for getting your stories out there.

[zappey1]

What avenues of publishing are you considering? Self published/Amazon sales? Local PNW stores? E book?
If all else fails in finding an illustrator maybe your school district's art teacher or a tech school/graphic arts student at a community college? My Dad wrote for Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Photography Magazine, etc. when I was a kid as an avocation so interested to see what you're thinking for getting your stories out there.

I don't really know. My cousin is or was a editor so she might have some ins. A teacher at my wife's school published several books so when I get closer to being finished I was going to reach out to her. She actually just stopped teaching to write full time.

Good idea about the art teacher or a student. Art can be expensive and I need a decent price now with them on board for more later if the book goes well.

If you have knowledge on that process I'm all ears.

[zappey1]

Another Chapter done and got my wife to work on more editing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQ4 ... sp=sharing

[Inverstone]

I'm no expert, but from what I remember my father saying, you have to decide what specific market you're writing to and shape your article, story towards that. Tourism, history, gift shop inpulse/gift buys, serious academic review, etc. If your friend is writing non fiction then she might have some useful tips and editors are ALL business so see what input they can give.
My Dad loved Sci Fi and tried writing fiction but his strengths weren't in fiction writing...

Another thought is that even if you have a completed book, serializing chapters into stand alone "articles" might be another way to get it out there. My Dad wrote technical and DIY short articles mostly so he didn't have experience with serializing. (Magazine days).
If you don't get hard copy published there are always YouTube videos you could do for each chapter if your illustrations are aimed towards that medium-another monetized form of serializing.

He also told me that he had enough rejection slips from publishers and magazines to wallpaper the bathroom in our home before he got published and that you just have to keep going/submitting until something "happens"...

That's really all I've got. There used to be a "Writer's Guide" published every year with tons of submission advice, pay per word rates, publisher's addresses, etc. That was the main guide for writers forever. I assume it's still around and could be invaluable.
That's all I've got. My only personal experience with publishing was through our small mail order recording company (copyrights, radio airplay, point of sale at concerts, etc.) It was an Americana/Folk based label/business so limited for markets anyway. We got airplay in Europe and on NPR and College Stations. The performing rights orgs. rarely bothered with tabulating those radio markets so we only once received a royalty payment of...39 cents! We took it out to dinner rather than plowing it back into the business

Our sales principally came from magazine ads quoting critics who reviewed our CDs in well known Folk Music magazines. ("Sing Out",
"Dirty Linen" (a UK reference to gossip/news), Victory Music Review (PNW local rag), etc. That fueled our mail order sales and got us airplay in Europe, sandwiched between famous acts like "The Boys of the Lough", etc. So, getting some pre-publication reviews by someone of "note" if at all possible or an educator or museum in the area for a "blurb" on the cover never hurts.

That's all I've got! It seemed evident that we could have gotten some "success" (invited to be featured at a major folk fest.) had we been able to tour extensively but our teaching careers were our "real" careers so it wasn't really doable on a risk reward basis.

We stopped performing/touring regularly after we retired from our day jobs so the business ended. It was always an avocation anyway. My wife lost interested in all the "paying to play" so I took up recording studio work and these days only play for fun and socialization.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead ... RBU&adurl=

[zappey1]

Well guys I edited the first 3 chapters and submitted them to a local publisher. Now it is time to wait!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQ4 ... sp=sharing

[zappey1]

Got another chapter done and added a sasquatch story at the beginning. The publisher said they usually publish 80 to 150 thousand words! I was planning on this book being like 30k. I'm going to have to start typing much more!

[zappey1]

Added a Original Picture also

[zappey1]

I finished a few more stories and another picture. I'm about 3/4 done with the originally planned length.

I think I might have to restructure the book to make it longer. I will have to combine the 2 sections then add a few more random stories from around the state I like to the corresponding sections.

I'm also going to try and call the publisher next week If I don't hear back by then.

[zappey1]

Another section done and added some more to the last one. Plus I got another illustration done. Things are moving along and I just passed 20k words. I'm almost done with all the originally planned stories. But as mentioned I may have to go back and combine the two sections and add more stories.

Sounds like publishers want 60k words.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lQ4 ... sp=sharing

[zappey1]

I think I'm going to submit the book to amazon for publishing when I'm done