Has anyone here ever published a book?

[UberScout]

At age 61

Great golden gravy on fine china, you made it to sixty one with autism?! I thought we aged faster and sometimes never make it to 32! (Thats what my stepfather theorized at least)

Or i guess i just never seen an elderly autism patient before...

"MURIEL! TURN THE MUSIC DOWN! I CAN'T FEEL THE NEWS!"

No offense.

 

[SixTimesNine]

A version of my doctoral dissertation was published in 2004. I thought the price was a bit too high, but they were targeting libraries for sales.

When people ask me how long it took, I ask when to start the clock.
Started Ph.D. program in 1992.
Finished coursework in 1995.
Finished oral exams in 1996.
Took two years to come up with a proposal in 1998--much of the time was spent spinning my wheels with a brilliant but completely unhelpful advisor who kept pointing me in different directions. He did not like the idea I eventually used, so I finally switched advisors.
Finally began field research in 1999.
Began writing the historical background chapter in either late 2000 or early 2001.
Defended the dissertation in May 2002.
Handed in revisions in August 2002.
Officially received degree in October 2002.
Found a publisher in 2003.
Spent several months adapting the dissertation into a book (including removing about 100,000 words or 1/3) while my then-infant son slept on my shoulder
Finally published in May 2004.

 

[Edward764]

Great golden gravy on fine china, you made it to sixty one with autism?! I thought we aged faster and sometimes never make it to 32! (Thats what my stepfather theorized at least)

Or i guess i just never seen an elderly autism patient before...

"MURIEL! TURN THE MUSIC DOWN! I CAN'T FEEL THE NEWS!"

No offense.

I would not say I have made it. I have merely survived.
OCD , crossed dominance, bad luck, poor decisions, poor coping strategies, toxic friendships, bullies, and syncronicities are probably equally responsible for my failures.

 

[UberScout]

I once wrote a (very cheesy) creepypasta and published it on the Creepypasta Wiki. It got a few reviews and responses, and SomeOrdinaryGamers read it on Youtube at one point!

 

[Running Girl]

I published poems many times in literary journals all around the country. I published a couple of short prose, too. The vast majority of humans have never, nor will ever, hear of these literary journals. Nevertheless, it was incredibly competitive and for every acceptance, there were maybe 12 to 15 rejections. In serious writer's circles, self-publishing is frowned upon. Its a snob-intensive business. Nowadays, memoir is very hot, so you're ok on that score. Forget about publishers anyone has ever heard of. Any legitimate literary journal is a true win. You dont need an agent. Google 'literary journals memoir' and take it from there. There are requirements in order to submit your work, and yes, you must follow them exactly .

Blogs are big now, too. I didnt have a blog when i was writing and publishing, so i know nothing about that!

If you are good, and you work at it, and you can take all the rejection letters, go for

 

[Edward764]

What I am banking on is the uniqueness of my life story. I do not think my combination of learning disabilities, obsessions, fetishes, strange interrelated events, unusual awareness of these events, life altering statistical anomalies real or imagined, and the multiple butterfly effects created are collectively like anything anyone else has ever written about or experienced.

The worst case scenario is that if all else fails, that I make duplicate copies of my estimated 500 written pages and hand them out to various psychiatrists, psychologists, and maybe even paranormal researchers for review.
I might not earn a dime, but I would like to somehow get my story out there.
The fact that I am 61 and have never been out on a date might not even be included in my book since it is merely a symptom of the bizarre, and is not nearly that bizarre compared to everything else.
It is also bizarre that I appear so normal.
How many people on this forum have ever encountered a person who seems normal but has never been out on a date? This simple concept alone would garner some attention I would think.
I have about 500 hours ahead of me for the first draft. I hope I can make it, but I have a life script of failure to overcome.

 

[NecroCurator]

I don't write fiction, but I have been published in several factual publications already. I have had my essays in two different essay-collections, one about communal policy and one about utopias. The latter was in collaboration with a research center in philosophy, and I was the publishing editor in that one as well. Then I have funded a pamphlet in unemployment by myself. I am now in the process of finishing my own collections of essays on philosophy of ideology. I don't know yet if I want someone else to publish it, because I've got some damn rad ideas for the cover that publishing houses are surely hesitant to accept.

 

[Wolfnox]

I don't write fiction, but I have been published in several factual publications already. I have had my essays in two different essay-collections, one about communal policy and one about utopias. The latter was in collaboration with a research center in philosophy, and I was the publishing editor in that one as well. Then I have funded a pamphlet in unemployment by myself. I am now in the process of finishing my own collections of essays on philosophy of ideology. I don't know yet if I want someone else to publish it, because I've got some damn rad ideas for the cover that publishing houses are surely hesitant to accept.

Your a philospher?

 

[NecroCurator]

Your a philospher?

If by philosopher you mean a dean or a professor of philosophy or a member of philosophical research-institute, then no. If you mean someone who has written peer reviewed articles in philosophical journals, then still no. If philosopher is someone who has simply studied philosophy at uni, and then proceeded to publish something on the topic with the approval of academic philosophers, then yes I am.

 

[Wolfnox]

If by philosopher you mean a dean or a professor of philosophy or a member of philosophical research-institute, then no. If you mean someone who has written peer reviewed articles in philosophical journals, then still no. If philosopher is someone who has simply studied philosophy at uni, and then proceeded to publish something on the topic with the approval of academic philosophers, then yes I am.

You sound like a philosopher to me.

 

[Aeolienne]

@Edward764 , maybe you should try Jessica Kingsley Publishers. They specialise in books about autism.
Jessica Kingsley > Write for us

 

[autism-and-autotune]

Yes, I think there's truth in that. Another option: Write about your life in a unique way.


Congratulations. You must feel a wonderful sense of achievement to have finished such long works. May I ask why you withdrew them?


Classical? I like classical, baroque or opera for writing because I find it less distracting than the other types of music that I like.
I'm also attempting a fictional work @Wolf Prince

Oh, @Wolf Prince can I suggest using more than one USB? For safety sake.

I too enjoy Baroque music.

 

[autism-and-autotune]

At age 61, I have failed to obtain any educational or employment success do to my inability to deal with the bizarre, both in my mind and the real world.
One way to take advantage of my failures would be to write about them and publish them.
This would give my failures purpose, and allow me to turn my failures into success.

If anyone has written a book, how did you start?

Did you begin writing in a notebook by pen? Did you begin typing on a computer?

Printing everything out as a backup could be very expensive.

What happens if your notes get lost, or if your computed crashes and you lose everything?
How do you find a publisher?

Input would be welcomed.

I already have 18 hours on cassette tape, which covers my first 30 years, so this is a start.

I've contemplated, and begun, my memoir--but only after twelve years or so of keeping journals practically endlessly.