--- Jim L'Hommedieu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > There have been scores of books written about Bob > Dylan. Many of them have been dreadful scholarly > tomes that made money and more importantly, found an > audience that needed to hear the drum beat. > [...] no one has yet written a dreadful > scholarly > tome about Joni's lyrics. There's a market. It's > just too bad that Joni's lyrics don't stand up to > repeated examination, like say, constant > contemplation > over 20 years. NOT!! > > Do we need credentials to get a book published or > just > enough chuzpah to knock on doors? I can just see > the > cover letter: "Here's my manuscript. I'm an IT guy > who's a Joni fan but this isn't a fan book. I have > no > credentials as an author or as a scholar but I've > written a scholarly book." >
I wasn't sure at this point whether to call this jc or njc so forgive me for opting in favour of keeping it jc. There are scholarly tomes and scholary tomes. I get distracted by constant footnotes (I have a short attention span and I can never figure out where my eyes are supposed to go next.) And the ones I'm referring to are the ones that overanalyze to the point where you get so sick of the original work you never want to see/hear it again. I think a serious study of Joni's work would fly, as a matter of fact, so go for it. Don't tell them you're an IT guy, don't knock on doors and don't send them the whole manuscript. Tell them you've been studying Joni's music for however-many years and don't mention your day job. Send them an outline of what the book is about in clear, concise language and send them a sample chapter only. Send it through the mail. Oh yeah, call them first and ask them how they want their manuscripts sent; then follow it to the letter. Make it neat and easy to read. Choose an easy-to-read typeface and try not to spill coffee on it. Affix sufficient postage and a stamped self-addressed return envelope. If they tell you they're not taking any unsolicited manuscripts, send it anyway, but choose publishers that you think would be best suited to it. Be prepared to be rejected many times, but keep going anyway. The odds are in your favour. Ultimately someone will take it (probably?); if not, there are people here who would buy it. That way may not make you rich, but you will know your work is appreciated and will be read and you might make a few (not a lot of) bucks at the same time. Have fun. Always good at providing advice to others; rarely good at accepting it myself... ===== Catherine Toronto ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
