twoblokesgofishing.webs.com

  TBGF angler Russ had a book published in June 2009. It's a series of true stories about his fishing adventures before he was involved with TGBF. In hs own words:

" Like many anglers I used to keep a diary of my fishing trips.  After a couple of  years I had a folder stuffed with stories and photos, so I prepared a manuscript and had a book produced by a print-on-demand publisher. I just thought I would have a couple of copies for me and my family."

A few days after submitting his manuscript he received an email from the publisher asking for permission to sell it on Amazon. You can check it out here: 

 Every angler has a story to tell - what's yours?

Here's your chance to see it in print.

Here's Russ again:

" It's been suggested I write another book, but I've had a better idea!

If several TBGF viewers contributed a short story and a couple of photo's, we'd all have a fantastic book to be proud of.

The first TBGF video this year was an example of what we are all capable of when we collaborate on something. The result would be a fantastic and unique book. I've tried to anticipate a few potential questions so if you're interested in being a contributor read on...."

What will the book be like?

a professionally published 6" X 9" paperback printed on good quality paper with a glossy cover and full colour photos. At least as good as you'd get in any bookshop. 

If I contribute will I have to pay for a copy of the book? 

Yes. Sorry, but that's the way print on demand publishing works.

How much is the likely cost?

This depends on a number of factors, including the number of pages. Up to 200 pages should be less than £20 . An e-book cold be made available for much less, possibly free of charge.

Will other people be able to buy the book?

Yes, it will be available direct from the publisher, who could decide to make it available on Amazon.

Is it guaranteed to be published?

If we can put together a viable manuscript it will be published

 When will it be available?

The last manuscript took me a month to prepare in my spare time (around 40hours) - and that was when it had already been typed. It might take a few months to collect sufficient contributions to make the project viable. Lets be realistic , if there are enough contributions by the end of October it might be out by Christmas.

 Is there a deadline for contributions?

Let's say the end of  2009. If more contributions are needed the deadline would have to be extended. If there are insufficient contributions it wouldn't be viable. We need 150 pages at least.

Will any of us be making any money out of the project?

This is unlikely. We can decide on a profit margin, but this increases the price.  Dividing up profits is complicated. Let's just set the price of the book at cost, nobody makes a profit, everybody gets a cheaper book. If it turns out to be a best seller, we'll revise that decision and divide the millions up on a pro-rata basis, i.e number of pages contributed.

 What kind of material do you want?

 Avoid technical articles and 'how to' content. Any story that will be of interest to other anglers - adventure, humour etc. Stuck for ideas? How about the first fish you ever caught? The time that slug crawled in to your sandwhich and you didn't notice, or the time you fell in the river...or ended up in hospital...or your personal best,.....every angler has a story to tell - what's yours?

Include a couple of photos if  you can - make sure you're in one of them if possible. Try to write at least 1000 words, but not more than 2000. Feel free to contribute more than once. A word document is fine, or use the  Open Office software which is a free download. Send the photo's seperately as jpegs.

Will I get full credit for my work?

Absolutely, all contributions will be fully acknowledged. I will get a credit as the compiler.

I'm not very confident about writing, can I still contribute?

Yes - Why not just rough out your story and get a friend or family member to give you some feedback. You can send it to me, I will vet and/or edit all contributions, and get your approval for any amendments. If it's not suitable, I will provide polite feedback and tell you why.

What do I do next?

Don't send me any material yet - I need to ensure sufficient interest  before anybody puts lots of effort in. Contact me to tell me you're interested, a phone number would be appreciated. I will send you my phone number in return.

C'mon - don't be left out of this project.

I'm not aware of this ever being done before, are you?

Let's do this, folks! Cheers,  Russ