To publish or not publish, that is the question............

[minxthemanx]

Have written something over the last year, about my experience having a critically ill child. It started off as a journal, for me, but has grown and grown... I think it's a really good story, and others would like to read it. I asked a friend (not a really close one) to read it and give me her thoughts - she found it very upsetting, but couldn't stop re-reading bits and thinking about it. She felt it was a very powerful story, "beautifully told."
Not sure what to do. Could bite the bullet and start casting around for literary agents (not sure how to choose one but we'll cross that bridge), but am hesitating...................it's such a personal, emotional piece of writing. Whilst I would like other people to read it, I'm wondering what problems I could be opening up for myself. (If anyone was interested in publishing, they may well not be.)

Any thoughts? Would I be stupid to bare something so personal? What nest of worms might i I open?

[minxthemanx]

Can of worms!!! Ha ha! Brain dead from writing!

[Alurkatsoftplay]

It's an interesting question...How many words is your story? Is it the size of the average first book yet, approx70-95,000 words? If not, maybe it would be something for the Sunday magazines. They often feature powerful and well-written real life stories.
I would read around the area a lot. This kind of book does have an audience, its v. crassly nicknamed 'Sick Lit'. Can't think of any off the top of my head but I know there are some.
If it is book length and if you feel it is as polished as possible, ('beautifully told' is a lovely compliment) I would probably proceed with agents etc. and worry about the personal/private implications until later. They still are a long way away.
Good luck!

[minxthemanx]

Thanks for your response. I wondered about how long it would need to be for book length - at the moment about 30,000, but absolutely nowhere near finished. Any idea how I would go about choosing an agent? Just lucky dip on google?

[Alurkatsoftplay]

Writers and Artists yearbook are a great resource, listing all agents and publishers and what they like, how to submit etc.
You could also check out any similar books to yours, and see who their agents/publishers are, it might well be that you'd be a good fit for them too.

[minxthemanx]

Thanks, I really appreciate the help.

[KinkyDorito]

I've been writing similar and submitted to a magazine, but it wasn't picked up. I wonder if it because I can't help but be fairly bleak at times? I think if I was going to extend on this, I would need to find some lighter moments. Sadly, because I am still very much living through it, it is quite difficult to do. There's an extract of some of it on my blog:

theacutelymphoblasticleukaemiadiary.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/beginning-losing-her-hair.html