Are you famous?

This is my opening paragraph attempt to discourage you from hiring me or even attempting to write a book because the odds are not good for someone who is not famous. A famous moron has a much better shot at getting published than a genius with a compelling story or idea. Plus hiring me costs money, and I cannot in good faith guarantee that a publisher will buy your book.

Here is the deal. I will be upfront so that you understand what you are up against and why I am different. A book is a gamble unless you are famous. It’s unfortunate but there is a dirty word in publishing called "platform" and that means what kind of platform do you have to sell your book from? Oprah, for instance, has a big platform. Bill Clinton did too.

On the other hand, you appear to have a compelling story or idea. So, what now?

Well, the first thing is a quick lesson in the business. Publishers publish books but they buy book proposals. A book proposal, essentially, is a business plan for a book. It is usually 40-80 pages long and includes a number of sections:

Brief Synopsis - Reads like flap jacket copy
The Book or The Story- What is the architecture of the book or, if it is a narrative, an overview in 4 pages
The Market - Who will buy this book?
Marketing Plan - What do YOU plan to do to sell the book?
Author Bio - Why are YOU qualified to write this book?
Collaborator Bio - Me
The Competition - What successful books are like this and why yours is similar but better?
Press - Any press you have received
Chapter Synopsis - Begin every chapter as if writing it, then tell what will be covered. Do this in one page per chapter
Sample Chapter - The most important section, so pick the best chapter

The first thing to do if you decide to proceed forward with me or on your own - an option - is to begin to organize your thoughts. Thinking is hard work, and organizing a book is actually almost like mathematics. Interestingly, I studied engineering in college before changing to journalism.

So, in organizing, you would want to know how the book begins, how it ends, and what stories and ideas you want to include in each chapter. You want to make it flow and be one book, not a bunch of ideas bound together. More than that, though, you need to define what is your book about? Think about this: Through a twist of luck you are on Oprah's couch right now and she turns to you with 30 million people watching and she asks, "So, what's your book about?" Quick, you've got 20 seconds.

If you are interested in spending money and rolling the dice, I would be happy to talk. I also have a literary agent who might be interested but I already know what he would say: "I don't know, I'd have to read it."

Another option is to self publish. You can write a book yourself or hire a ghostwriter to help make it better and then you can publish it at a number of places. It is much easier than in the past and also no longer looked down upon. Many authors have made money doing this and some have later landed publishing contracts with traditional publishers. Google "self publishing" or “print on demand” and you will find many companies.

If you hire me, I will help you create a book to be proud of, whether it is published by a traditional publisher, or by a self-publishing company. If you do sell the book, I would ask for a small percentage of royalties, besides my pay to write the book. This keeps my incentive at its highest, and you will know I have an interest in sales too. If you want to try first with a book proposal, all the information put together in such a document is always helpful towards self-publishing if that becomes your only option.

Finally, a word about how I work. Writing a book is hard work, and it requires you to do hard work even if you are hiring me. After all, it’s your book!

If you decide that you like to write, you can write me a draft, which I would rewrite and then we would pass it back and forth a couple of times. Or you can meet with me while I record you (I am a journalist, trained at asking questions) and then hire a typist to get the tape transcribed. I would use the transcription as my material to work with, my clay so to speak. In either case, my goal is to stick to your voice as much as possible. When it works, it’s a lot of fun and the end result is a book you are proud of.