Book publication | Imamother

amother

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 7:23 am

I’m considering writing a book. I’ve always been a a very strong writer. I have a nine to five so it’s not the end of the world if my book doesn’t succeed. I’ve submitted a few stories to the magazines but they weren’t what they’re looking for. I’m either confident or delusional enough to think that it was an issue of content rather than skill.
As a relatively recent BT (5ish years) I think I lack the ability to make my stories pass as authentically frum because … well, I guess because they’re not! I’ve been to Lakewood all of once and am out of town even for my own out of town community!
Now why do I bring this up?
I don’t know where / how to publish such a book. I feel like all the frum literature I’ve read doesn’t dare touch on anything more serious than parents of an already married young couple getting divorced. I want to write a book that’s part memoir part parenting guide. And if it’s my memoir it has to involve things that nice frum ladies would never read about. Child abuse, dysfunctional families, elite athletes behaving badly . I’m parenting a high needs kid and I want that to be part of the conversation- you know, how I love this kid when it’s so hard especially coming from my background to be giving.
But I can’t see writing for a secular audience either-can’t downplay HaShemnor hashgacha pratis, don’t want to explain why I send my husband out to chevrusa at night when I really could use the help with our thirty seventh sensory meltdown of the evening. Things like that.

Well, if you’ve read this far, yasher koach!

Any advice?

amother

DarkKhaki

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 7:35 am

It sounds like you’re only minimally familiar with the world of frum literature. There have been books written on

-Child abuse and neglect
-Divorce of young couples
-Parental alienation
-Parenting non-religious adult children
-Domestic abuse
-Alcoholics
-Gambling addictions
-Foster care
-Blended families
-Deaths of all kinds (sudden accidents, illness, murder etc at any age or stage)
-White collar crimes/serving a jail sentence

I can go on, but my point is: write your book.

amother

Pink

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 7:48 am

Two things.

Mosaica is a good option content wise, but all their books are published with a hybrid model- the author pays to publish, and it’s not cheap.

A bestseller novel in the frum market sells a few thousand copies (around 3k), at 10% royalty rates, you’re not coming home with that much ( after all that work) and you don’t see any of it for 6 months- a year after publication.

Basically, if money is your motivation- find something easier and more lucrative.