I want to write a book

amother

Sun, Apr 11 2021, 9:33 pm

Simple1 wrote:

I don't think the first paragraph is taboo nowadays. Many books are like that. Well I guess as long as you're not outright condemning the kollel lifestyle instead of just condemning the dysfunction.

Right. But then I want to discuss getting married and having relations because that’s what a good wife does even if it’s painful or she’s tired. Of not knowing the basics like organ and female pleasure. Of going to the Mikvah in shame and dreading each moment of it. Of asking for birth control as a newlywed and being denied. Of asking birth and being told no because you only have one gender ect... don’t want to give too much away but that’s the storyline playing in my head.

singleagain

Sun, Apr 11 2021, 11:40 pm

I would suggest that you create character profiles to make sure you have everyone straight in your head. Perhaps a first blog post can be a character tree and the way everyone is related. A little world building will go a long way.

thegiver

Mon, Apr 12 2021, 12:29 am

sequoia wrote:

Nothing.

You’re right, no frum publisher will accept it.

I’ve thought of writing a similar book myself and came to the same conclusions you did. A frum
publisher only wants stories of perfect lives. The problems that are allowed to be mentioned are infertility and not finding a shidduch. That’s it.

The secular press wants juicy prurient details ala Unorthodox.

Not going to happen, either way.

What about ou press?

ora_43

Mon, Apr 12 2021, 10:22 am

I am saying this with all love and respect, OP:

First write the book.

Then let it sit for a month or two. Then go back and reread and realize it's not nearly as good as you thought. (ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PERSONAL, just - every first draft of a first book has some pretty major issues.) Figure out what the problems are - pacing? Characterization? 'White room syndrome'? Etc...

Do a major rewrite.

Let it sit for a month or two. Go back, reread, realize there are still some issues. Do several go-throughs, where you check for individual issues - setting, character movement (what are characters doing during conversations, are people standing up who were never said to have sat down, do motivations make sense, and about a dozen other things), general flow.

Get someone to read it over for you. Then another someone. Take their suggestions into account, and make changes.

Get a professional editor to look at it. Take their suggestions into account, and make changes.

Then figure out where you want to publish.

Unless you're only planning to do this if you can make money off it, write the book first, and you can figure the rest out later. You can always publish it online or just send it out upon request or whatever else makes sense given how you prefer to balance publicizing vs restricting access (since you don't want non-frum people reading it).

ora_43

Mon, Apr 12 2021, 10:24 am

There's no way for anyone to know where a book should be published until it's written, because until it's actually on the page, with a definite plot and style, who knows what the target audience is? Or whether the themes are too intense for traditional publishers? A concept that seems at first like, 'oh, nobody will be interested, it's too niche' can turn out to have mainstream appeal when it's on paper, and vice versa.

For that matter, who knows what new options might exist several months from now, when it's actually written?