Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

How to start a book!!!

  • 18-01-2010 02:32PM
    #1
    arthistory
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭


    Hi,
    Was thinking of writing a travel book but not sure how to go about it. Would i send a sample chapter to publishers or what is the usual way of going about getting it published? How would I go about finding funding for research? Thanks so much in advance!!!


Comments

  • #2
    Halla Basin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 316 ✭✭Halla Basin


    Well first of all!!! You have to contact a literary agent!!! Then!!! He will do all the legwork!!! AND!!! HE WILL TAKE CARE OF!!! IT!!!


    OKAY!!!


  • #3
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 36,214 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Are you writing a book based on travel experiences or a guide book for travellers?

    I would start with writing the book, or at least some of it, and wouldn't hold out any hope of getting paid to pootle about the world as un unpublished author 'researching' a book :)


  • #4
    EileenG
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭EileenG


    What he said.

    Unless you are already very well known as a writer, no publisher will pay you to go and do research for a book that may never get written.

    In fact, it would be much easier to write and publish a series of travel articles than a book about travel. Newspapers constantly need features, and consistent writers can always get published and make money. Books are much harder to crack.

    Unless you have a finished book or a great track record, no agent will look at you. An agent's first business is taking care of the writers already on her books, not babysitting people who haven't managed to write a book.


  • #5
    claire h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,056 ✭✭✭claire h


    arthistory wrote: »
    How would I go about finding funding for research?

    It'd be very unlikely that you'd get funding for research. With non-fiction, you can often sell on proposal - i.e. before having written/finished the book, whereas with fiction you'd be mad to do that - but you'd still need to have a very clear outline, sample chapters, etc. And without a decent writing/travel CV, it'd be a difficult one to sell. The writing-for-newspapers suggestion is a good one - plus it means that if they're successful, you can revise a collection of them for publication in book form.


  • #6
    arthistory
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭arthistory


    Thanks everyone, your advice has been very helpful and much appreciated Thanks again!!


  • Advertisement
Advertisement