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Original poster

Where to get the Book of Boff published?

164 replies

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 14:55

As some of you may know from other threads, or from being sent bits of my housekeeping book to help you out, I have written a domestic manual for those short of time and money that I'd like to get published. I did a lot of research into pitches, wrote what I think is a good one, and susequently approached Darley Anderson, a literary agency, and also Dorling Kindersley, the publisher, and have got absolutely nowhere (not that I expected to, tbh). Not even a standard 'thank you for your email' response. I would welcome any advice people care to give me on how to move this on, as I think it would be a real shame if it never saw the light of day.

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Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 18:02

Austerity today usually means either growing your own turnips or swapping massage oils for a non-branded type. Or alternatively prostrating yourself recycling things that were never meant to be recycled. I think it can be so much more.

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Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 18:00

Austerity Housekeeping OK you lot, here it is. Hope MNTowers don't mind. Please post some comments so it doesn't look so new!

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helloimhere · 15/02/2011 17:39

Need a link to the blog.......please please please.

madwomanintheattic · 15/02/2011 17:29

can't help you with twitter but am loving the Box of Last Resort (ran out of milk yesterday) and social accountancy aspects of the pta.

am right out of the loop on uk mags/ sunday supplements etc, but am assuming the austerity/ sensible shoes angle is de rigeur?

Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 17:10

If anyone has any advice on Twitter I am all ears. I think I may have managed to Tweet and I have copied some of the lovely Nigella's followed list to look all cool and meeja but I am still in the dark about most of it. Found MN Tweets though! Actually interesting, unlike a lot of what's on there.

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madwomanintheattic · 15/02/2011 17:07

linky please

Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 17:01

I never got to be a girl guide but I suppose I am there in spirit!

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midnightexpress · 15/02/2011 16:17

Oh that's great. I think it's a great way to get feedback on what you're doing too if you can attract people to it. I'll link it from my FB and Twitter pages. I had a quick peek but have both DC home today and have to go out and pick up a car now, but I'll try and get back to you later or tomorrow. It looks like you've done LOADS already! I love your box of last resort - it reminds me of being a girl guide with my pockets full of 10p to make a phone call and bits of string. Fab.

Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 15:32

Either would be great.

I am very excited. I seem to be hitting the mother lode. Two other websites are already referring people to my blog, which I didn't expect. It works so much faster than with 'proper' websites. I am starting to get a sense of the real power of social networking, something I was vaguely aware of intellectually but which I think I hadn't properly appreciated, despite my pretensions to know about IT.

However blogs are quite addictive. I am on sick leave and hence have been tweaking it all day. I hope this is the novelty factor! It is worse than MN in this regard!

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midnightexpress · 15/02/2011 13:42

Hi Boffin - got your PM. Am in a bit of a rush today, but will try and have a look at it later and give you some feedback. Is it OK to post it here or would you rather I PM you back?

Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 13:36

I am still nervous. I reckon that would make even less than academic books do.

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Icantbelieveitsnotbitter · 15/02/2011 13:33

try www.lulu.com

You can publish your own book from there - including setting the price etc etc

My father-in-law did this with his own autobiography and his father's biography - they are both well-known psychotherapists but their memoirs are obviously only relevant to a small field. His books are bought online and he receives regular 'royalties' !

Original poster

BoffinMum · 15/02/2011 13:00

I have reported the post as a means of bringing it to the attention on MN Towers so they can hopefully give me a bit of advice on this, before I blunder around.

I am actually really enjoying this whole blog thing, it's a lot easier and more satisfying than I realised it could be.

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sethstarkaddersmackerel · 15/02/2011 10:06

I think if a whole bunch of MNers are begging you for the address of your blog because we think it sounds like it is stuffed with useful info, MNTowers could not possibly object

that is very different from a non-MNer swanning in and posting a link completely unsolicited IMO.

if you can't work out how to link just tell us the name and we will find it.

midnightexpress · 15/02/2011 08:27

PM us with the address?

theyoungvisiter · 15/02/2011 07:45

you could put a link on your profile if you want people on this thread to view it, and then you could delete it from your profile yourself afterwards?

But completely understand if you want to stay anon!

Are you a member of facebook and twitter already? If so, obviously you just start linking and tweeting your blog entries. If not, well, to be honest I would concentrate on getting a following for your blog first by getting friends and family to view it and comment. Then when you've got a small following, you create your facebook and twitter IDs and start talking about your blog on there, invite your friends to friend/follow you, friend/follow related pages and celebrities, and hope that strangers join in.

Original poster

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 23:42

Um, don't know how to link to a blog, not sure it would be appropriate to post it here as that feels like free advertising, and not sure whether I would out myself again and consequently be very annoying to MNTowers as I beg them to delete things later on. Advice on any or all of these matters?

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whethergirl · 14/02/2011 23:03

Could I have a link to your blog please BoffinMum?

Original poster

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 22:59

Done my blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very enjoyable process it was too.
Two posts on there already. Rising dawn header, very tasteful and naturalistic.

How do I do the Twitter/FB publicising thing?

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theyoungvisiter · 14/02/2011 21:40

Oh good! Sorry if my post was a bit patronising - people often don't realise how different it is writing a fiction pitch and a non-fiction proposal - but it sounds like you have it nailed.

I think the blog is a really good idea - publishers are usually enormously impressed by connected, promotion-savvy authors.

But mainly they will be wanting a USP - a quirk - an angle. Something which makes this particular book different from all the other housekeeping books out there. This is where point five comes in - you have to illustrate why they need to publish this particular book.

Original poster

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 21:35

Youngvisitor, that is more or less what I have done. I have pitched academic books before (successfully) so used the same structure for this pitch and it seems pretty similar to what you are suggesting. However I think I need to spend more time on the rival publications, as you say, so I will put some work in there.

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theyoungvisiter · 14/02/2011 21:29

Is your proposal good? Do you know how to write a non-fiction proposal and what to include?

At a minimum it should include:

Pitch/concept
Sample chapter[s]
Chapter breakdown/detailed contents overview
A short biography of you, explaining why you are the right person to write this (here is the place to slip in your hugely popular blog with 000,000 followers)
Information about the market and a list of competitor titles, explaining why yours is different/fills a gap in the market

A proposal normally runs to about 15-25 pages and they are a real art.

If you've done your research properly on point 5 you should already have a looooong list of publishers who do exactly this type of book. You don't always need an agent for non-fiction, but it can still help, so it's a good idea to find out who reps the authors of these books (it often says in the acknowledgements, or google, or as a last resort try phoning the publisher and asking).

Also do keep an eye on the bookseller rights deals as they can be a goldmine of information about who is buying what, where, and they give specific names which is very helpful when you are addressing the letters.

Good luck! It's bloody tough getting published.

Original poster

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 21:08

Yes, I think I looked at that for an agent and so on but got nowhere.

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RantyMcRantpants · 14/02/2011 20:45

This any good?

writers and artists yearbook

Original poster

BoffinMum · 14/02/2011 20:24

This is all brilliant.

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