Assuming all goes well with the book sale (contract was offered, still negotiating) it's time to put some effort into the next project.
Here are the options:
Principals- Written a few years ago as my first book. Needs a huge re-write and possibly hundreds of pictures, but it would be relatively quick and easy. It's a combatives book and centers around the handful of principals that make or allow techniques to work.
Godbox- My one piece of long fiction. It's your typical science fiction western medical mystery. Seriously it was fun to write. Needs one chapter (easy) and a polish to submit. A local small press editor said he'd like to take a look.
The Citizen's Guide to Police Use of Force- This has been bouncing around in my head for some time. When I read the news articles that piss me off or whine about how civilians don't understand the people who protect them, maybe it's my responsibility to try to teach. So it will be part a legal guide to Use of Force issues, but more the way officers are taught to think about violence, danger and force and even more on how common (and rare) experiences contribute to a world view that most civilians don't get.
Talkin'- There are a fair number of books out there for dealing with the mentally ill or emotionally disturbed and most of them just don't work. They are either too theoretical or too dependent on a clinical setting. A psychologist who talks people down all the time starts with people who were stable enough to find his office. Emergency workers have to have some tools for dealing with people who are in worse shape, in uncontrolled environments and with untrained civilians nearby who made need protection.
The Corrections Emergency Response Team Manual- This would be very niche-market, but there isn't a good book out there for this. The tactical/SWAT situation in a jail or prison is completely different than outside. I have two friends who really want to collaborate on this, but I'm not 100% sure that's a good idea.
So, loyal readers- what are your votes?
About Me
- Rory
- I noticed a scar on my shoulder last night. A 'vee' about an inch on a side. I don't remember how I got it.
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12 comments:
"Talkin'"
"The Citizen's Guide to Police Use of Force"
"Godbox"
Ģirts
I'm voting for "Principles". I always find your discussions on why certain things do or don't work (particularly kuzushi) to be very informative. However, I'm also frequently confused by one or two of your points, due to my inexperience. A book where you offered a more detailed discussion with visual aids would be very helpful.
Daniel
When I posted something of yours about dealing with "naked sweaty guy," a couple of people remarked that they also have to deal with him in other contexts and would appreciate a guide. These people are on condo or homeowners association boards or interact with mentally ill people in other ways than LEOs do, and have little or no training. So I think there's a market for Talkin'.
For myself, I'd like the science fiction novel, of course.
I'd vote for "Talkin'" and "The Citizen's Guide to Police Use of Force"--two areas where the disconnect between people who rarely (if ever) and frequently deal with violent or potentially violent individuals are largest. A good, strong dose of perspective by someone who understands the situations AND can write would be very useful to a lot of people (and potentially salable as a result).
Mark
Principles, Talkin and Godbox.
I am thinking that you might reach your target audience if The Citizen's Guide to Police Use of Force was excerpted in a rag like Black Belt first.
Mike
Damn.
I thought I was the only one writing a science fiction western medical mystery.
I vote for the Citizen's Guide to the Police Use of Force. You stand a good chance of making EVERYBODY hate you with that one, cops and, well, not-cops. But it needs to be done.
Next vote would be Talkin'.
All of them? ;-)
Irena
OK - I read a couple of chapters of Godbox way back when - you gotta finish that one, well written, very close to home.
And Citizen's Guide, if you could get it excerpted in a local weekly (whatever each towns version of Williamette Weekly) you would hit a larger audience. I know Tampa's weekly is always trying to get more edgy exposing the underbelly of society. People like to look at the darkness, as long as it is ony in their living room, not in their back yard.
I don't think a citizens guide to police use of force will sell. People are less interested in why cops have to do what they do, than in just bitching about what cops do. You saw that with the interactive press conference you hosted on use of force.
Talkin' is a neat idea, and I would find it extremely helpful in my job. I need more tools for working with the crazies.
Publishing the first CERT manual would attract only a specialized audience, but it might also throw your name out there as a cornerstone of your profession. Kinda like Loriega and the sjambok?
I love the idea of Talkin'. I'd also like to see Godbox out there, and the bonus is that Godbox doesn't need much work on it before you start marketing it, so that's an easy go.
As for collaborating, never collaborate with a non-writer unless you want the project to drag on and on. Well, never may be too strong.
Let it be a cold day in hell before you collaborate on a book with a non-writer. It'll be the case of leaders lead and followers get in the way to the nth power. Unless you get lucky and find your collaborator is a natural. Anyway ...
all of them ...
or 'Talkin' and 'Principals' would be my picks,
for the comment on 'The Citizen's Guide to Police Use of Force' I kinda of recognize that it can be an argument but it depends on your goal. If all books were written with the question "will it sell" lots of very important book wouldn't have been written. Intelligent book might not sell as well as others but my concern is "Is there a need for such a book?" and my answer would be "yes".
Alex
Congrats on the book contract! My vote would be Godbox.
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