Megan P = Megan Potter, Writng Corner Senior Editor

Kim W = Kim Wilson, Freelance Author

<Megan P> Welcome Spring! Kim W is our guest speaker - if you have any questions on book proposals please feel free to ask them!

<FunnyGirl> Kim, how long have you written nonfiction?

<Kim W> Professionally 14 years

<FunnyGirl> Do you write fiction at all?

<Kim W> No, I don't. I've tried and it looks like something a 5th grader would write.

<Kim W> I admire anyone who can write good fiction.

<Megan P> Kim - maybe you'd like to intro yourself!

<Kim W> Sure, Hi everyone. I'm Kim Wilson and I'm a nonfiction freelance writer/author.

<Kim W> My first book is coming out this spring and I've been professionally writing for 14 years.

<Kim W> Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

<terij> LOL first off I have a question and I am whining... do I have to make a table of contents?

<Kim W> Teri, for your proposal?

<terij> yes

<Kim W> In my opinion, yes. Agents/publishers want to see what your book will entail. Now you may have to change your TOC, but I would include one.

<Kim W> I put a TOC in my proposal. It changed over the course of time, but it gave my agent and publisher a good idea of what to expect.

<terij> ok... I have a letter from a bookseller who sells at homeschool conferences…they want our book.

<terij> do I include that and where?

<Kim W> Put it in your proposal towards the beginning.

<Kim W> After the marketing stuff but before your sample chapters.

<terij> oic

<FunnyGirl> Can you tell us about your promotion plan on paper?

<Kim W> You want to tell them why this is such a great book, then go into the book contents.

<Kim W> Funny, I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. Are you interested in the marketing plan?

<FunnyGirl> Yes, I know some of the agents and publishers use either word.

<Kim W> I just got notice from the publisher that we (my co-author and I) will be on a national publicity tour.

<Spring> How many books do you have to compare yours with?

<terij> I am doing an informal survey of homeschoolers on how many books they have bought in the past three months... where can I put this?

<Kim W> That basically means, book signings, national tv shows, etc.

<Kim W> Not many. Ours is very unique.

<Kim W> Teri, that depends. If the results are good, put that in the who will buy the book section. If the results are not good, skip it.

<terij> They have been incredibly good

<Kim W> Then in the who will buy the book. Explain that homeshoolers purchase certain books and site your stats.

<Megan P> Kim -0 what is your book's topic?

<Kim W> Premature Babies

<Kim W> The title is

<Spring> No , I meant how many books do I have to compare with my book.

<Kim W> Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies.

<Megan P> Oh I see Spring - IS there a limit to how many books (or a min.) you should compare your book to? Is that what you mean?

<Kim W> Spring: As many as you can. Limit it though to the ones that most closely compete.

<Spring> Yes, that is what I meant... thanks.

<Kim W> I think in my proposal we sited about 7 books. But they were similar. Ours topic was very unique.

<terij> so is mine... I have maybe seven

<terij> and none are exactly like ours

<Kim W> Our book is the only one with numerous accounts from parents whose babies survived. We had all different gestational ages and cause of prematurity.

<Kim W> Other books only concentrated on one baby or were written from a medical standpoint.

<Kim W> Basically we found a niche and filled it.

<FunnyGirl> Did you get accepted on the first try?

<Kim W> Spring, did that answer your question?

<terij> what are you supposed to put in marketing... I mean I can't travel too far away..

<Kim W> Funny, no...first we queried 50 publishers. All rejected the query. Then we sent out 50 queries to agents. We got a huge positive response.

<Kim W> 27 were interested.

<FunnyGirl> WOW!

<FunnyGirl> That could be a record!

<Kim W> I NEVER thought I'd be turning down agents.

<terij> so about marketing?

<Megan P> Kim: BTW the Idiot's Guide to Getting Published was a great book! We have an 11% discount going on the site for it!

<Kim W> That is a great book.

<FunnyGirl> Anyone else writing a nonfiction book?

<terij> I haven’t gotten it yet though I did get the Kim Lyons book and had it so long I could have self published with the fine money

<Kim W> Terasia, how's your crime book coming along?

<FunnyGirl> I am waiting, forever waiting (LOL) on an agent. I have had good response from one agent and two publishers.

<Kim W> lol

<FunnyGirl> But.. I am picky.

<FunnyGirl> LOL

<Kim W> Teraisa, good...you should be picky.

<FunnyGirl> I am ready to rewrite with my new perspectives.

<FunnyGirl> Thanks, that makes me feel better.

<FunnyGirl> :-)

<Kim W> I'm currently working on two more Law Enforcement books.

<terij> Is your national tour paid for?

<Spring> Do you find it hard to cover stories that haven't been done before? I mean there are so many books out there and so many topics that seem to have been exhausted because they have been done so many times and ways.

<terij> Or do you pat yourself?

<FunnyGirl> Good question.

<terij> LOL pay

<Kim W> Teri, I'm still waiting for all the details, publicist stuff, etc.

<FunnyGirl> I will love to read your law enf. books.

<FunnyGirl> Can we get autographed copies?

<Kim W> Spring...I don't find that discouraging. Seems like my books are well thought out.

<Kim W> Meaning.....

<FunnyGirl> Did you make an agreement to buy a certain amount?

<Kim W> When I get the wild idea for a book, I'll check to see what's been done and so far I'm filling niches.

<terij> do you get a certain amount of copies?

<Kim W> No...we asked the publisher for free copies for our families and for all the contributors and happily agreed to that.

<Kim W> We're not under to contract to buy any of them.

<terij> how many pages should your proposal be?

<Kim W> My agent and the publisher is GREAT. I can't thank them enough.

<FunnyGirl> I was asking, as I have reviewed proposals with an amount in there, maybe to sell books.

<Kim W> Terri, I think our proposal is about 150 pages...longer than normal.

<Kim W> We included photos and a pretty large appendix of supporting material.

<terij> what do you put in an appendix?

<Megan P> What kind of supporting material is important?

<Megan P> QUESTION TO ALL - is anyone thinking of a FICTION book proposal? It's slightly different!

<Kim W> We put photos of preemies that would be in the book, magazine articles, stuff like that which shows why the book is needed.

<terij> so I can include any mag article that i published on the subject?

<terij> or anyone else to show interest?

<Kim W> Absolutely and any other mag articles written by others.

<terij> and where would that go?

<Kim W> in the back in the appendix section.

<terij> oh ok

<FunnyGirl> Did you send out your own press releases, or will you?

<Kim W> I'm sure we will, and the publisher will too.

<Kim W> In fact I know they will....I just saw the catalog copy, I'm also pleased with that too.

<Megan P> Kim W is Kim - our guest speaker... she's answering questions on book proposals plese feel free to jump in anytime!

<Kim W> Oh, even though I didn't mention my agent...the publisher is St. Martins Press

<Kim W> They are wonderful to work with.

<Megan P> Are you thinking about a book too Linda?

<Megan P> Nonfic or fic?

<Sherwood> Fiction. But am compiling a nonfiction too. But I think just one copy.

<Sherwood> Historical. The copy would be a reference at the local library.

<Megan P> Well then please ask your fiction proposal questions because so far it's been all non-fic oriented!

<bearpaw> I have heard of authors sending in their proposals before they have their book finished. Is this common practice?

<Kim W> Just for the record...I know didly squat about fiction, so I won't be able to answer any fiction questions...which is to your advantage...LOL

<Megan P> I know a bit about fiction proposals...

<Kim W> Oh, Oh, Oh...I know that answer....LOL

<Megan P> Linda - are you talking fiction or non-fiction?

<Kim W> In nonfiction yes, in fiction no

<Kim W> BUT....I prefer to finish my books then send in the proposal.

<Kim W> Some would say that's unprofessional as an author (waste of time) but it's still my preference.

<FunnyGirl> The rule is nonfiction you do NOT finish book, Fiction you FINISH.

<FunnyGirl> I think it depends what kind of book, though, in nonfiction.

<bearpaw> OK, now ...why?

<Kim W> Bear...you asking me?

<Megan P> Why? Because non-fiction the publisher is buying and idea - your writing style is evident in your proposal

<Sherwood> If there is a huge commitment by the author before writing the book, you'd want to guarantee it would be published.

<bearpaw> Who ever can answer the question

<terij> LOL Jan, that is what I was wondering... I could work better if I had a bit of money and a deadline

<FunnyGirl> If you only send three chapters with fiction, they do not know if you can finish the story adequately and cannot take that chance.

<Megan P> In fiction - it's not an idea they are buying but a plot and characters... so they need to see it all...

<Sherwood> By huge commitment, I meant financial.

<Kim W> I like finishing my books for several reasons.....

<terij> I guess that makes sense

<Kim W> 1. It's a great selling point. St. Martins loved the idea that ms was ready to go.

<bearpaw> I change my mind about several items in the story line often

<Sherwood> Could you explain how it works if the publisher accepts the idea before the book is written? Do they then have a lot of input in the writing process?

<Kim W> 2. My books involve lots of people, consents, etc. I want to know I can deliver what I promise. If I finish the book first, then I know I can deliver.

<Kim W> 3. If I can't sell it to the publisher, I'll self publish it, so it's not a waste of time for me.

<terij> that’s a good point Kim

<bearpaw> Kim that would be the way that I would go also (#2)

<Kim W> Plus, you just never know what's gonna happen in life by doing proposal before the book.

<bearpaw> Ok, when you self publish...are you doing it by computer or the traditional way?

<terij> do you send a chapter outline with proposal? Even the outline for the chapters you have done?

<Kim W> What if I got a deadline, advance and then got really sick, etc. that would prevent me from not meeting my deadline...YIKES>

<Sherwood> Kim, I'd like to know how you find the people to interview for your books and articles?

<Kim W> Bear...I'm not sure. I haven't had to self publish a book yet.

<Sherwood> And in case you missed it, I was wondering how much input the publisher has into the book if they buy a proposal versus a finished manuscript?

<Kim W> I target areas where they are at. For example for the premature baby book, I found many parents on the Internet and through word of mouth.

<Megan P> Teri can tell you a bit about that too.. she's had an enormous reaction...

<Megan P> I on the other hand have had a slower reaction...

<Kim W> Sherwood, I'm not sure about input before the ms is finished. St. Martins was great. They suggested a few changes to the ms, but said it was ultimately up to my co-author and me.

<Megan P> I think maybe it varies by publisher/editor

<FunnyGirl> For my book, I have interviewed almost 500 people, you will be amazed who will talk once you talk about your project.

<FunnyGirl> BTW - I only had to toss about 50.

<terij> I sign up for onelists in my subject area and then ask.... we also have a website and have put the call for contributors in several different mags and newsletters

<Kim W> Teraisa, that’s great!

<Sherwood> What was the hardest thing for you in the process of writing your book to the finished product?

<Kim W> Teri, that's what I do too for my LE books.

<Sherwood> Did you use an agent? (if i repeat questions, I'm sorry. I was working late and just got home.)

<FunnyGirl> And Teri is great at getting people to open up!

<Kim W> Reading the stories and writing my own. Going down memory lane and reliving some really tough times when my son almost died.

<Kim W> Sherwood, yes I have an agent.

<Megan P> Ohh = I was using newsgroups and getting low response.. is onelist better?

<Kim W> onelist has TONS of topics

<Kim W> I have an article coming out in Writers Digest about writers lists

<Megan P> My advice is get a free email like Yahoo where it goes to a separate box and go through it every now and then reading what you like, deleting and responding for exposure..

<Sherwood> When?

<terij> cool Kim W

<Kim W> It should be out sometime this spring.

<Kim W> Writers Digest is great to work with.

<Sherwood> I set up separate folders on my regular email. So everything gets sorted right away.

<Tammie> yep same here

<Kim W> Sherwood, that's kinda what I do, I have several email names, but list stuff goes to one email name and gets sorted.

<Megan P> My email program doesn't sort them separate - bulks them together... what program are you using?

<Sherwood> I have numerous emails, but use only three on a regular basis.

<Sherwood> Outlook Express

<Kim W> I'm currently working on a law enforcement web site, so all mail and lists currently go to that name.

<Tammie> same here

<Megan P> Ok so am I - how do I have it automatically sort?

<Sherwood> Under Tools, choose Inbox assistant

<Tammie> or Message Rules in the later version..

<Kim W> thank you Sherwood, I was trying to mentally think about how to tell Meg to set up sort.

<Sherwood> Then set the parameters. For instance, all of my Get-It-In-Writing goes into that folder if the "To:" is GIIW@onelist.com

<Kim W> Sherwood do you set up only the to: or do you do the from as well?

<Tammie> can do either

<Sherwood> For the onelist, I tried the from and it didn't work. So I just do To

<Megan P> Thank you so much!

<Megan P> I have so many mini folders.. it will be a big help!

<Sherwood> But I also have some email addresses listed From, that go into the same folder

<Kim W> whew, I thought it was just my system acting up when the from wouldn't work.

<Kim W> from, gives me problems with lists

<Sherwood> Me too.

<Sherwood> It wouldn't work at all.

<Kim W> yep same here, imagine my surprise when I got several hundred unsorted emails...ugh

<Tammie> my from's are okay..

<terij> yuk.... T could use that

<Tammie> but I have the latest version of o.e too

<Tammie> so maybe it's a bug they've fixed

<Sherwood> I didn't realize there was a newer version Tammie! I'll have to check into upgrading.

<FunnyGirl> LOL on using that... I checked, I don't have a tools list, but let's not go there, right Tammie?

<Kim W> Okay, are there any other proposal or writing questions?

<Tammie> if you upgrade to IE 5 it updates o.e. as well

<Tammie> lol fg

<FunnyGirl> Good Idea, Kim.

<FunnyGirl> Kim was scheduled an hour, I believe she has served us well!

<FunnyGirl> Show of applause?

<Megan P> True enough...

<Sherwood> Thanks Kim!

<bearpaw> clap,clap

<Megan P> clap clap

<Megan P> No final qs?

<Sherwood> clap, clap, clap