OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS ! WHAT SHOULD I DO ? - HELP !

12/20/2010

I just received an e mail from a friend I used to work with, he wants me
to meet this person who he met, he states in his e mail the following :

" I recently met a fellow by the name of blank (name withheld ) from Santa Fe
who has had a rather interesting life experiences and he shared some of them
with me. I found them to be quite fascinating and captivating. New Mexican
tri cultural background, childhood living in an Indian Reservation, on the streets
at the age of 12, dealing drugs, prison, recovery and becoming a maker of crosses.
I tend to think of your personality and his coupled with your creative writing talent
and his extremely unusual life story could yield a masterpiece. Let me know."

Regards, Wayne

Now I don't know about this, first off I did a biography on someone who lived
under Fidel Castro's Regime, the hardships, terror, etc. I usually write in the
first person so I can feel what they have felt, many times people have thought
after reading this book on Cuba, they thought I lived the story. I don't know
how to write in the 2nd or 3rd person. Now I don't know what to do, I really
don't want to get into writing a book with someone who use to be a drug dealer
or in prison, I know I sound prejudice but I'm not, it's just dealing with someone
you don't know, 2nd publishing today is a dog eat dog world, and if you publish it
yourself it may not sell, so what is your opinion?


Cheers..Joe

Jpe.


You have legitimate reservations. Do as you wish. Don't let others run your life. You help a lot of folks, so don't feel pressured about this now.

Others can easily think of things for you to do. I remember a friend who said she would pay me to make pj's for her granddaughters. There was not enough money in the world to satisfy the vexation the making of the pj's produced.

I'd wonder whether the kind of personality that results in those kinds of stories could somehow derail the project after I had invested time and emotions.

12/20/2010

That's the question , time , energy and what if they think
your the big author your not, it would be easier to write
a famous person's biography. I have to check this out
more carefully, maybe Shelagh has some thoughts ?

Cheers..Joe

Yes, Joe,

They probably would like a best seller. You know that is unlikely. His idea of a masterpiece is a bit daunting.

We know a book is a labor of love.

12/20/2010

Alice..

It also can be a horror !

Cheers..Joe

If you are interested in the project, it wouldn't hurt to discuss it for an hour at Starbucks. Ask him to tell you some stories, see if he has enough to make a book. Know that it will come down to him telling you stories and you organizing and writing it all. So evaluate if he has enough grist for the mill and a solid, interesting theme.

He also probably expects commercial publication, so if you don't think you can pull that off, tell him upfront about what kind of publisher you'd take it to. If you are thinking Lulu, explain to him what Lulu is.

I agree with all the advice provided to you so far. A young man in my town whose life is equally mesmerizing asked me to write his biography and I chose not to. It takes a very special skill to write a biography and rarely do they sell no matter how interesting unless they have a celebrity name. An exception was the short life of the young man in "Into the Wild."

I believe they are very time consuming and might better be written as autobiographies (you as paid ghost writer) so you get your money for your ghost writing and whatever else you work out in a contract. That way, once written, your responsibility is done. Just a thought. I had considered the ghost writing route; but of course, the young man didn't want to pay the price....

12/20/2010

I have to find out from that friend exactly what he told
him? Yes it's okay if he said I wrote four books, but hello
these days it's a hard sell with more than 5,000 titles
coming out every year and so many authors. It's not a new
story I've read many that were similar, it would have to be
much more than what I've heard and yes shocking....I would
be better off if I wrote a biography on someone famous and
dead...


Cheers..Joe

Joe.
You would be better off doing most anything you enjoy doing. There is no money in books nowadays.

Everyone writes books now. Selling them is the trick. Even Sarah Palin is having trouble.