Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with publishing

How do I publish biography?

Saucy Intruder — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:42:33 -0800

How does one successfully publish biography? I'm fascinated by the life of a certain (long-since-dead) American political figure and it appears that he has not yet been given a full treatment by historians. I'm not an academic or a journalist - just a lawyer under the delusion that he can do a good job at something like this.

Query, propose, publish.

Ouisch — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:45:17 -0800

I want the best resources to help me write a nonfiction book proposal. I will be writing a nonfiction book in the next year (my first.) I'm looking for the best books, websites and articles to help me write a proposal and query agents. Things I'm currently reading:

Miss Snark, the literary agent

Ten Basic Steps to Writing a Non Fiction Book Proposal/Finding a Literary Agent/Finding a Publisher

Soyouwanna Publish a Book?

As you know, there's a boatload of books out there on proposals and querying agents, but I have no way of narrowing down which ones are good, especially while shopping online.

So, Mefites with actual publishing experience -- please list for me your favourite books, websites, and articles about proposals, agents, and publishing in general.

Online publishing for poetry chapbook

Astro Zombie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:12:42 -0800

Looking to self-publish a small poetry chapbook. Anybody got recommendations for online sites that will do this for me? I am looking to have hard copies I can sell at readings, rather than have people order from the Web.

Interacting with university presses at a huge conference to our mutual benefit

anonyme — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:24:04 -0800

I'm an author, and I have a great job helping my fellow faculty members publish their books with university presses. Through this job I visit presses one-on-one sometimes, but that is expensive and involves major travel. A huge conference is coming up with 20 of our target presses in attendance, each at a booth. What is the best way to contact them pre-conference to arrange intelligent, mutually meaningful interaction? Should I write to the directors themselves, or is there a more grassroots way to poll university press staffs to get a feel for who wants to meet and discuss their take on scholarly publishing? And what's in this for them, other than the fact that my university is reasonably high on the prestige scale? Any other benefit to them?

Library and indie bookstore acquisitions help

bitter-girl.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:32:02 -0800

Library and indie bookstore acquisitions -- help? Tell me how new titles are chosen and if this plan might work. My colleagues and I write books on a popular (though niche-y) topic (fiber arts/knitting), and many of us have started publishing our own books. One of us who never went with the big publisher system is now making more annually with her self-published knitting books than I have earned over 10+ big publisher advances combined. It happens to be a book category that is easy to do well as a small publisher, and has a large built-in audience. All good things.

I would like to approach both large library systems and smaller, independent bookstores about stocking our respective books. If you work in library acquisitions or at an indie bookstore, can you tell me more about how the acquisitions process works for you?

Would a well-written letter with relevant information get tossed on the junkpile or...? We're thinking of making it a group presentation akin to this form of cooperative knitting magazine advertising, but in letter format. So...

* intro, who we are
* what's on offer -- info on the individual books
* format info -- print or, in some cases, digital options
* how to order/get additional information

I hate the thought of being overly cheesy or sales-y, I just love libraries and small bookstores, and think that some of the traditional means of distribution leave a lot to be desired (though we of course have access to those, too).

Is there some secret formula to get the acquisition department's attention? Would we be better served doing an ad in a library trade mag (or a combo of all of the above?)

Thanks in advance.

This sounds really familiar...

amicamentis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:56:56 -0800

How do authors ensure that they aren't copying older stories? Is there a process that authors go through when fleshing out (fictional) works? Is this the publisher's responsibility? Do they ask around?

I would imagine that an author would want to know as soon as possible whether or not the plot of his story resembled a film or book already published. And while he or she may know of many works, it's impossible to be familiar with all of them.

For example, if a writer says "I know! I'll write a book about a nerdy journalist who goes back to high school and gets a second chance at love!". Hopefully they have a friend that says, "Dude, that was Never Been Kissed. Try again". But what if they don't? Does this happen often? Is there some sort of "plot database" in existence?

I'm not referring to deliberate parody or spoofs on classic works, more of a general and unintentional similarity.

How to take a blog from online to book format?

Mysticalchick — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:25:35 -0800

My goddaughter passed away three years ago at 19. She has an online blog (which I host) with about 4 years of entries. Is there a way to take all that text and drop it down into a program so we can print it out easily (almost in book form)? Or is the best way to cut and paste into a word doc and then put it all together? It's a very old version of Word Press (circa 2005) so not sure it would work with a current program.

I did see this previous entry but it's almost two years old so I thought I'd see if anyone knew anything more current.

Looking for ideas - whatever you think might be do-able. Thanks!

What are some good resources about digital publishing?

jonathanstrange — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:19:39 -0800

What are some good places to get information about digital publishing? I'm looking for some good places to find out information about digital publishing, especially in regards to developments in tertiary academic publications.

What are some good websites or podcasts etc to keep me informed?

I'll be reporting to my entire department about my research, and I have very little idea where to begin.

I read Smashing Magazine, which has some good information about designing iPhone applications, and stumble across other articles occasionally, but I'd like to be kept more informed on a regular basis.

Please hope me!

Which publishing tool should I use for topic-based blogging?

diogenes — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:36:33 -0800

What tool should I use for publishing extended thoughts that I want to link to from Twitter? I'd like something topic-based, with tagging, that lives in the cloud? Does such a thing exist? I'm a technical writer, and I recently discovered a thriving community of my peers on Twitter (much to my surprise). Now that I've joined the dialog, I find that I often want to say more than I can fit in 140 characters. Obviously I need a blog. I've used various tools (Blogger, WordPress, etc.) for short-lived blogs in the past, so I'm not a complete newbie to the idea.

Basically, I'm wondering what newfangled technologies are out there. I'm not even sure if what I need is a blog. I just want a way to post and organize extended thoughts. I'm starting to use topic-based tools in my technical writing, and I love the idea of building standalone bits of information that can be tagged, sorted, and rearranged. Is there anything like that for "blogging."

I see a blog post in your future

arcticwoman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:37:51 -0800

Do I have the right to transcribe and publish a recording of a psychic reading (I was the client)? Nearly ten years ago I saw a psychic and at the conclusion of the appointment she gave me a cassette tape recording of our conversation over the previous hour. I no longer believe in psychics, and I think a line-by-line analysis of the reading would be interesting to myself and other skeptics - do I have the right to transcribe and publish the recording online? Do I have to get her permission? I have nothing against this psychic in particular, and have no intention of publishing her name or any identifying information. I don't make any money off my blog - no ads or anything.

I am located in Canada.

Small press. No, not THAT small.

256 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:47:42 -0800

As a writer trying to press into the next stage of my career, how can I emphasize in my publishing history that "small press" isn't always a euphemism for "vanity press"? Having recently completed the first draft of the manuscript for my debut full-length novel as well as a query package for a non-fiction book, I find myself about to embark on the quest for a literary agent. There is no shortage of general advice, guidance and hearsay on this subject available online, but I have a more specific problem.

It comes in the form of my publication history. I have had a couple of semi-regular paid freelance gigs writing for print lifestyle magazines. I've also made a few fiction sales to minor magazines, both print and online. No problem.

The problem is that I also wrote a novella. I thought it was pretty good, good enough to see print, but I also knew that novellas are a really hard sell. In fact, from an unknown writer, they're an impossible sell.

I lamented this fact (with no ulterior motive; I can be quite dense when it comes to business sense) to a friend of mine who was the proprietor of a successful local independent record label and events promotion company. He asked if he could read the manuscript.

Long story short, his label offered to publish the book, provided that I would come on board without charging a fee to help them make it happen. We signed a contract (which involved no financial risk or obligation on my part) and the label basically dumped some money in my lap and said "bring us a print run."

I then did all the things that someone self publishing with money from their own pocket would do and, in the end arranged for a small perfect bound print run of 500 copies. We had a launch event and I promoted the book online. The label sent me on a reading tour of Canada and the northeastern USA. The books were sold at these events, online, and were on the shelves in a few dozen, mostly independent, bookstores in the USA and Canada.

We ended up selling out completely and having to do a supplementary print run of 250 to meet demand. Eventually, that sold out in entirety as well. Both the label and myself ended up with a decent amount of money in our pockets. It was the first and last book they ever published and the label has since closed down shop.

Anyway, the problem is that there doesn't seem to be any elegant way to compress this nonstandard publication experience into a query letter. On the other hand, I think this is my most significant publishing experience and, when properly framed, reflects quite well on me as both a writer and as someone who is willing to work to promote my own work.

My goal is to:

1. Make it clear that this was not an instance of self-publishing or vanity press.

2. Maintain professionalism by not shoehorning too much autobiography into the query package (as I have done in this post).

3. Most importantly, not misrepresent (or look like I'm trying to misrepresent) this publication as something more than it was.

I fear that if I just list it as "Title of Work," Label, Year as though the label were a conventional publisher the agent or publisher may simply not have heard of, then I'm violating #3. On the other hand, if I do something like "Title of Work," Label (Small Press), Year then I'll be violation #1 unless I violate #2.

Am I overthinking this plate of beans?

Volunteer editing

Caduceus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:41:58 -0800

Where can I get volunteer editing experience in the Portland, OR area, or via the internet? I have been looking for an editorial publishing job since I graduated with a Master's in June, and have had no luck. I'm living in the Portland, OR, area, where there are virtually no positions, so have mostly been applying for positions in other cites. My working theory is that there are so many qualified applicants around right now that no one has had any need to dip into the non-local applicant pool. I've also applied, at a lower rate, to local non-editorial but vaguely related positions, and similarly had no luck.

At this point it doesn't seem likely that I'm going to find a position in the near future, so to keep my skills from atrophying and to possibly make some new contacts, I want to start looking for opportunities to do volunteer editing or proofing work, but I don't have the first clue as to where to start. I'm looking for suggestions or ideas as to what organizations I could volunteer at and actually get to do editing work, rather than general office busywork or anything else that's not related to what I want to do. It doesn't necessarily have to be for an organization that does publishing, though that would be preferable.

Where can I publish old literary crit essays that are burning a hole in my pocket?

duncecap — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:59:13 -0800

Where can I publish some old literary crit essays that are burning a hole in my pocket? I was an English minor in college and have no advanced degree to back up my stuff, but a professor who I respected highly remarked at the time that I ought to hang on to the work b/c they were graduate level pieces. I guess he presumed I might go for an MA, but I never made it that far and now feel like the essays have just been wasting away in storage.

Is it possible to get these published somewhere? Moreover, how stupid is it of me to think that I can write new critical essays on other works, on my own, with only a Bachelor's? Please bear with my ignorance. I love critical essay writing and could do it all day long for fun; it would be nice to find a market for such an activity but know almost nothing about the world of academic journals.

Innovative Book Designs

0bvious — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:37:46 -0800

Innovative Books: I am looking to compile a list of the most innovative uses of the book format. Books that break the mould in their layout and design, perhaps books that use online systems to extend their content value or push their form into new places. I am most interested in narrative and theory, but any book that is interesting (artist books etc.) would be really appreciated. I have a few examples, in order of publication, to set the ball rolling:

Compendium for literates : a system of writing by Karl Gerstner - A book about book form in an innovative form. Beautiful and still fresh

Dictionary of the Khazars: a lexicon novel in 100,000 words by Pavic - a 'dictionary novel' "written in two versions, male and female, which are identical save for seventeen crucial lines"

A Humument: A Treated Victorian Novel by Tom Philips - an artist who has used one particular edition of one particular book as a space for his work for many years

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larson - extended use of footnote, side-note and illustration to give the narrative dimension

I would love any ideas you have!

In 1988, invented the Oscillation Overthruster while an intern for Team Banzai.

Shepherd — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:28:27 -0800

What happens if somebody lies in an obituary? I was reading up on Poe's death recently; Griswold's "obituary"/poison pen letter about the man following his death was intriguing, and I've been wondering what happens if somebody crafts an obituary that contains deliberate falsehoods, or provides the newspaper/funeral home with facts that aren't necessarily true. I'm not talking about "news obituaries," as those are obviously the work of paid newspaper staff and fall firmly under its wing. I'm wondering about the "classifieds obituaries."

This is partly legal curiosity, and partly my own desire to have an obituary that contains sentences like "in 1987, wrestled George 'the Animal' Steele at WrestleMania III in his masked identity as Doctor Resisto."

Are standard-grade obituaries fact-checked or even reviewed for ridiculous claims, or are they (in terms of the paid-per-inch details) "free space" that an author can fill as she chooses?

Who is legally responsible if an obituary contains false or even defamatory information?

need publisher, imagination will travel

gypseefire — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:49:06 -0800

I've recently begun work on a children's book. It is inspired by my granddaughter. I was wondering if anyone had any information on how to get a children's book published? Suggested Publishers? Also, any other information pertaining to this process, would be appreciated. ***I realize that children's books are a dime a dozen...but mine just might be spectacular ;)***

Help me price my (amateur) photography

AnyGuelmann — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:26:29 -0800

Photography pros: I've been approached by an editor who wants to publish my photos, and he asked me for my rates. I never sold a photo before. How do I price them? (I realize there are a few previous postings on the subject, but most were 3+ years ago, so I thought I'd ask again and see what comes up.)

I took photos of a parade a few months ago. An editor for a small, local travel guide wants to use them and asked for my rates, but I have no idea how to price them. I read all the links on previous threads (this thread was very helpful), but I'm still lost on figures.

I'm in New York City, if that makes any difference. This is also where the parade happened and where the guide will be published and sold. They will credit each individual photo on the caption.

The guide will be distributed for free AND sold on bookstores. It will run twice a year. Although they call it a "travel guide" I assume they're mostly of local interest and small, as each sells for about 5.00 dollars. They sell adds on it for anywhere between 400.00 (1/8 page) and 7,000.00 (2 page spread).

Does the number of copies on each edition affect the price I should charge?

Do I give a price for each individual photo, or a batch?

Do I ask for a copy of their standard contract to take a look?

Not only are there many people all over the images - busy parade - but the best photos are closeups. I don't have model releases. Does travel-guide photography count as editorial?

PLEASE, if you have any idea on what photographers charge and/or an opinion on how much an amateur should charge on a first time sale, GIVE ME FIGURES! I don't know if I should go 100 or 1,000 so actual numbers would be greatly appreciated!

Copyright filter

quidividi — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:42:34 -0800

Copyright filter: Do publishers of books like Richistan, Microtrends and The Ascent of Money—all of which use stories from newspapers, magazines and wire services as source material—have to pay the periodicals for the use of their material? Thanks!

What's a seven-letter word for "disseminate"?

John of Michigan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:39:06 -0800

I've taken a huge step into the dark side of dorkdom, and I've begun writing my own crosswords. Mostly for fun, mostly to see if I could actually do it. Turns out I can. Now, how can I go about getting these published somewhere? Online, magazines, newspapers--I really have no idea how to start. Suggestions?

Publishing a book on rivethead culture

velvet winter — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:51:33 -0800

I want to write and publish a book on the industrial music scene from a feminist perspective. I’m a decent writer, but I have no photography, graphic design, marketing, or publishing experience, and no industry connections. Where do I start? I have a long-standing interest in the harsh distorted music, extreme fashion, dystopian military aesthetic, and apocalyptic culture of the industrial/dark electro/EBM/powernoise underground music scene. I want to write and publish a book focusing on the people who are involved – bands, artists, fans and supporters.

There are a few books on industrial music and culture out there already, but I want to approach my project from a different angle. I envision the book as an affectionate portrait of a selected group of unusual people, focused on certain aspects of the subculture that I particularly appreciate. Rivethead culture is commonly seen as overwhelmingly male-dominated, but I see it as much more feminist-friendly than it might appear at first glance. It’s very accepting of LGBT folks, geeks, and body types that don’t fit conventional standards, for example. It’s also one of very few places (aside from a few others like goth, riotgrrl and punk culture) where women’s anger and aggression are accepted, and even encouraged.

What I want to do is shine the feminist spotlight on rivetheads of various genders, ethnicities and sexual identities. I want bold, insightful feminist analysis. I want to feature photos of real people with a variety of body types, rather than professional fashion models. I want to highlight older people involved in the scene, to counter the mistaken idea that this is just a youthful phase that everyone outgrows. And hey…it certainly doesn’t hurt that gritty settings featuring men in eyeliner and utilikilts, or women with purple hair and spiked leather jackets, are inherently interesting to me.

Inspirations for this project include:
* AxWound: Gender in the Horror Genre
(I found this while searching for one of my childhood heroes, Lt. Ellen Ripley in Alien!)
* The work of Kyle Cassidy, author of Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes (previously on MeFi)
* The work of UK journalist Mick Mercer
* The Origins of Industrial Music by Jennifer Onativia

I’ve never done anything like this before. I don't know any of the people I mentioned whose work inspires me. Though the scene is fairly small, I’m not well-connected at all – I’m not a musician, DJ, or promoter. I'm just a fan with an abiding interest (and an introverted one at that). I’m definitely not a photographer. And although some of my writing has been published in small-press zines, I’m hardly a professional writer, editor, marketer, graphic designer or publisher. So I really have no idea where to start. And furthermore, I just finished a post-bac in accounting and am currently looking for a job, which means I’m cleverly camouflaged as a semi-normal middle-aged woman and would not be able to devote myself to this book project full-time.

In any case, I would not want this to be a fly-by-night kind of thing. I'm organized, hard-working and responsible, and I’d prefer to take a professional approach. I realize that the market for a book like this is very limited, and that it would be more a labor of love than a profitable venture. But beyond that, I'm clueless. What kind of budget would I be looking at, and would I have any realistic funding options aside from tapping my own pocketbook? Would it even be worth trying to pitch this idea to a traditional publisher? Are there any specific people I should talk to, and if so, what would be the most appropriate way to approach them about a project like this?

What else should I know that I probably haven’t considered?

Any advice would be very much appreciated, particularly from those who've successfully completed projects of similar scope. Thanks!

Canadian webpages to print pages

ashputtel — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:35:45 -0800

Can you name any published Canadian bloggers? I saw this question already, but time has moved on and I'm specifically wondering about Canadian bloggers (or internet self-publishers if they can't be called bloggers for some reason) who have moved into print.

Also, if anyone knows of any Canadian publishers who have put out a notable amount of internet-affiliated works, I'd be interested in hearing about them too.

I wrote a book... but I only had a copy for me...

Madamina — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:03:26 -0800

I have this amazing idea for a book that has never been done before and will sell like hotcakes. (No, seriously!) But I have absolutely no idea where to start. What do I do? I am very into local history, and I am astounded -- ASTOUNDED! -- that nobody has ever written a book about Local Phenomenon X. (Sorry to be so coy; I know it's annoying. I'm doing it anyway.)

For the purpose of explanation, let's say that I'm talking about the Empire State Building: you look at it and say, "You're kidding me, right? Surely people have written SOMETHING! I mean, it's the fricking Empire State Building!" Maybe people haven't written about it because it's too big of a subject, or they assume it's been done. Whatever the case, I know that there's nothing out there. Maybe a few historical booklets, but nothing of substance.

The thing about writing a book about the not-Empire State Building is that it could be so awesome. I have access to a huge repository of photos and stories, both in historical archives and from tourists. It's a beloved physical landmark with a great history, but people also have really strong feelings about it: working there, being tourists, the way it looks, what it means to the city, rumors, legends, you name it.

And that's just it. I know it could be a beautiful coffee table book, or even a bigger book with stories and a Website and and and... where do I begin? How do I focus my idea? I have ideas for the divisions (history, famous people who have been there, a tour of the area) but I want to make sure it's not too much of an overload.

(Also, I have ADD. Ooh, is that Julie Andrews over there?)

Things I have on my side:
--I've seen this thread.
--I am a writer and media professional, so even if I don't do it myself I can give it to someone who is good.
--I know the perfect people to get involved with it; one is a great photographer and the other has been involved with Local Phenomenon X for many years. They're young, but they've written a somewhat-similar book that is getting good press.
--People in my area will buy it, no doubt. I'm not concerned about making money, but I could price it really high and they'd still buy it. This is a huge nostalgia item.
--I work for the university and, as I've said, have access to all sorts of public information, experts and the historical society archives.
--My dad has written multiple books (coffee table and nonfiction) and operated his own publishing company, so I know he could be realistic with me about what has to happen.
--I have many contacts at our university press, who would probably publish it (or at least tell me where else I could take the idea).

Am I crazy?

Becoming a writer during my gap "year"

jeatsy — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:38:38 -0800

I have savings and, soon, no work. I want to do something interesting, write about it, and publish - ideally to kick-start a writing career. How should I go about these 3 things? I am a talented writer but have let my skills lie pretty much dormant since high school. Recently I took a fortnight's holiday and, having forgotten to take a camera with me, decided once home to write an account of my travels. It ended up many times longer than I had expected, I adored writing it, and all those who've read it seemed to really enjoy it. Hive mind: I'm hooked. I think I want to be a writer.

This desire coincides with the last few months of a research degree in computer science, about which I have become completely ambivalent and after which I have no plans other than to avoid programming for a living. (To the programmers out there: A great way to make a living. But not for me.) I have a lot of pent-up wanderlust, a desire to do something interesting in some interesting corner/s of the world, and a reasonable stash of savings with which to fund myself. I guess what I want is a worthwhile gap year, plus or minus a few months. And I want to be a writer.

So my logic is, let's go somewhere interesting, do something interesting, and write about it - ideally in order to kick-start a fruitful and enjoyable writing career, but in the worst case to have fun and to develop as a person and as a writer. That's about as specific as I get at the moment...

My question to the hive mind is: how should I go about (a) choosing what I'll do, and (b) writing about it, both with a view to getting published? Should I get talking to publishers right away? Do I approach them with an idea, or do they have ideas that they want people like (hopefully) me to work on - or a mixture of both? What kind of publishing format should I be targeting? Am I mad to even want to write for a living, in the age of blogs and tweets ten a penny?

I should add that the other genre of writing that particularly appeals to me, once I have satisfied my biting wanderlust, is popular science; and I'm 25 and based in the UK.

Help me write a professional short story cover letter.

uans — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:34:08 -0800

Short story cover letters: How do I indicate I have actually read the journal I am submitting to , or do I do so, at all? I am a Canadian who wants to publish short fiction in the far larger market in the U.S. Every literary journal’s submission guidelines urge you to read at least one copy of their magazine before submitting. But even *if* I did buy a copy of every single interesting literary magazine out there—a very unlikely prospect-- what are the editors looking for in my cover letter that indicates that I have indeed read at least one edition of “Fiction Forever”? I feel that saying “my story has the same kind of ‘theme/realism/tension’ I enjoyed in Volume 1000 of Fiction Forever” sounds ….not right. The advice in Writer’s Market also feels somehow….not right. Do I really say “I think my writing has the ‘vitality/deep characterization/youthful daring’ you asked for in your description of yourself in Writer’s Market?” This certainly does not indicate I have actually read the journal, anyway. It only shows I've read Writer's Market.

Want to write a biography

frosty_hut — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:41:50 -0800

I've fallen in love with a certain older British character actor and want to write his biography...where do I begin? The thing is, I'm not a published author. I'm finishing a novel, but don't have a deal or an agent or ANYTHING lined up yet.

I think the field is pretty wide open for me. I've scoured the Internets and haven't found any evidence that this guy has either written an autobiography himself, or had anything written about his life so far. I don't know if he's a nice guy and approachable, or impossible to get in touch with. I haven't tried. I'm terrified.

My question: How do I approach him? Should I wait until I've published my own book, so I don't look like a complete crackpot and phony and have some minimal publishing credentials (although in another category)?

This is a minor actor, a name most people wouldn't recognize -- but fans of certain of his movies and television dramas might know him. He's more familiar to English audiences. If it makes any difference, I'm American.

Any thoughts appreciated, especially from any writers/biographers out there.