Publishing a book

[ClintI]

I have a book containing my 2x great grandfather's 1864 CW diary including pictures, documents, and his entire diary that he kept during his last year of service for the Union Army. I'm interested in getting it published - any suggestions, ideas for me are appreciated.

 

[LSBusch]

Wonderful! I had the diary my gg-grandfather's kept in camp the first few months he was in the Army, and then I researched the action his regiment was in the following year. The only publisher I submitted my manuscript to was Savas Beatie, and I received a sympathetic reply explaining that there isn't much of a market for regimental histories. I ended up self-publishing it through Amazon (see my signature). It has received good reviews but has sold few copies.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

A diary by an obscure individual that only covers the last year of the war doesn't sound like it would be of much interest to a regular publisher. Other than self-publishing your best bet is probably asking the local historical society corresponding with where your ancestor lived during the time of his service, and the state historical society corresponding with the regiment he served in. Alternatively, depending on the length of the diary you might be able to get it published in a periodical (many state historical societies publish a quarterly historical periodical).

You will likely need to transcribe the diary yourself. Maybe if a historical society is willing to publish it they might be able provide volunteer assistance.

You will need to make a decision how much editing you want to perform - correcting spelling, punctuation, etc.

A biographical sketch of the diarist's life is pretty important for context. I also recommend annotating your transcription to help it make sense to readers.

 

[Woods-walker]

I have a book containing my 2x great grandfather's 1864 CW diary including pictures, documents, and his entire diary that he kept during his last year of service for the Union Army. I'm interested in getting it published - any suggestions, ideas for me are appreciated.

There are two approaches- finding a publisher to purchase your manuscript or self publish. Both have their pluses and minuses. The biggest in my case was retaining ownership of the material.

In your case you're going to have to transcribe your ancestors documents and I would suggest you add a story line to each event. In other words I doubt you're going to be successful publishing by just transcribing his work without writing about the circumstances going on around him as he recorded events.
Self publishing requires A LOT of work, and money. Neither of which can you expect a return, other than the satisfaction that you had a published work. When self publishing be aware there are good ones and not so good ones- all will structure the contact in their favor.
Good luck. It's a long haul and when you're successful you'll be surprised at how many of your "friends" will expect you to "give" them a copy and how little appreciation they will show when you do.

 

[captaxe]

I have a book containing my 2x great grandfather's 1864 CW diary including pictures, documents, and his entire diary that he kept during his last year of service for the Union Army. I'm interested in getting it published - any suggestions, ideas for me are appreciated.

Clint- what a nice thing to have! Content is king-- where did he serve (and with what regiment), what battles did he participate in and how descriptive are his diary entries? Short observations or comments on weather, miles marched, etc. are not out of the ordinary, so there wouldn't be much interest in publishers from that. If his experiences were in any unique, or he wrote substantively about his experiences, you might generate some interest.

 

[19thOhio]

ClintI,

You have a "book"? Is it already published? or a box with the diary, photos and artifacts?
You may have the beginning of an adventure if you want to proceed with annotating and publishing it.

 

[SwampFoxSoldier]

Go search ALLi (stands for Alliance of Independent Authors) for ideas and suggestions for both self-publishing and "hybrid" publishing. I chose to go the route of hybrid publishing for my first time thru the process. I highly recommend Charleston, South Carolina's very own Palmetto Publishing if you choose the hybrid route. They were extremely helpful and had a reasonable fee structure. They utilize IngramSpark as their distributor which is great because you do not have to worry about inventory, accounting, or distribution. You just get a direct deposit of royalties the first of each month!! They will automatically list your HC, PB, and/or eBooks w/ major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google Play, Kobo, BAM, Walmart.com, and others. They even distribute globally!

The Alliance of Independent Authors

Join us for self-publishing advice, advocacy, community, contract service, discounts, education, watchdog and more.

www.allianceindependentauthors.org

 

[ClintI]

Thanks to all who have replied. To clarify, the book is completed and is being printed with copies only for my family and friends. I have done as many suggested with due dilligence to explaining terms, noting places, ships, rivers and towns he writes about, as well as some of the colloquial expressions he uses. It's been completely transcribed, and is annotated, with some spelling corrections, but largely left as he wrote it, again with explanations as to correct spelling when the words weren't always clear. In addition to the book, I have included copies of his muster rolls, discharge, etc. as well as some family photos. I appreciate the suggestions as to possible publishers if I choose to go that way.

 

[Gary Morgan]

I agree with the others -- unless your ancestor wrote in detail about a particularly famous battle or had a unique military experience, it will be hard to convince a traditional publisher to offer you a contract, and so self publishing would be the way to go. Unfortunately, what they don't tell you with self publishing is that not only do you (or your ancestor) need to be a good writer, you also need a degree or experience in marketing, because it's up to you to make people aware that your book exists.

When I approach a traditional publisher (I have 5 published books so far, but only one is a CW History), I spend at least as much time in the book proposal explaining the market and how the book will make them lots of lovely money as I do telling them what the book is about. In the case of Andersonville, I wrote about the number of people who visited Andersonville National Historic Site the year before (it didn't hurt the stats any that that year happened to be the 150th anniversary of the prison camp), and how Eastern National, the book distributor for the National Parks Service had already expressed an interest in carrying it in the NPS gift shops, as well as how the book might appeal to "true crime" enthusiasts as well as ordinary historians, etc. I try to sell the marketing along with the subject matter. So far, so good, and I am working on Book #6, another book relating to Andersonville.

Good luck and if you have any other questions, feel free to pop in!

 

[19thOhio]

Seems like you've printed and distributed all the copies you intended to produce. If not:

1. Try to get on Amazon or somehow make it available for the general public or researcher looking for that type of content. It might be of interest to anyone looking for information on the regiment to which he belonged. It would be nice to provide a listing on CWT.

2. If you have photos and other objects, make a PowerPoint and go "on the road" locally anyway, especially if you can, visit and illustrate the battle sites in which he was involved. That does, though, involve some more research. Contact local history societies for gigs and possible sales. They looking for interesting programs, maybe you have an interesting story to tell.

What state unit was he in?
PM me for my experiences if interested.

 

[ClintI]

He was in the 68th OVI.

 

[speedylee]

I have a book containing my 2x great grandfather's 1864 CW diary including pictures, documents, and his entire diary that he kept during his last year of service for the Union Army. I'm interested in getting it published - any suggestions, ideas for me are appreciated.

If it is in book form now, I'd recommend you contact McFarland & Company Publishers. They have a history of publishing Civil War books, including mine. If your project is not in book form now, I'd recommend you transcribe it first and then write the book. That way, if you accomplish nothing else, your family will have the transcription. Once the diary and documents are transcribed and in the form of a book, then submit it to publishers. Usually, they want a submission to include two full chapters, plus a letter about the project. In my experience, McFarland has been more receptive to hearing from new authors than other publishers.

If your project is not accepted by publishers, you can always self-publish. I have self-published 16 fiction titles (not related to the Civil War) through Amazon. But if you go that route, be sure you have a proofreader go through the manuscript.

I hope this helps!

 

[Strawfoot]

As a person with some experience in publishing/editing, I do believe self-publishing (via KDP, IngramSpark, etc.) is the way to go with a niche topic. And earlier posters are right: promotion is everything. There are some fantastic Civil War podcasts out there . . . if you could score an interview or a book review from someone with a following, you might be able to sell a few copies beyond your family. I'd also look into giving a talk at a local library, museum, genealogical society or historical site pertinent to your soldier. Museums/historical sites, especially small ones, are great places to start with marketing on a small scale, and you can form valuable partnerships with like-minded people. Best of luck!

 

[SwampFoxSoldier]

If it is in book form now, I'd recommend you contact McFarland & Company Publishers. They have a history of publishing Civil War books, including mine. If your project is not in book form now, I'd recommend you transcribe it first and then write the book. That way, if you accomplish nothing else, your family will have the transcription. Once the diary and documents are transcribed and in the form of a book, then submit it to publishers. Usually, they want a submission to include two full chapters, plus a letter about the project. In my experience, McFarland has been more receptive to hearing from new authors than other publishers.

If your project is not accepted by publishers, you can always self-publish. I have self-published 16 fiction titles (not related to the Civil War) through Amazon. But if you go that route, be sure you have a proofreader go through the manuscript.

I hope this helps!

I concur!! I used Reedsy.com to have copy editors bid for my "job," then I selected based on most favorable terms, ratings, and price point. Saved me a good bit of money!

 

[19thOhio]

Online, Larry Stevens has a bibliography of 29 sources of information and stories relating to the 68th Ohio. His information was a large sources of places leading me to many excellent primary sources. . . if considering a regimental history. The last source appears to be such a history but could be a good resource for giving background for your book. There is a place for a regimental history and a place for memoirs and personal stories.

 

[ClintI]

Where may I find out more about his stories regarding the 68th Ohio?

 

[19thOhio]

Where may I find out more about his stories regarding the 68th Ohio?

Ohiocivilwar.com 68th OVI Infantry. Anyone looking up ANY Ohio regiment should check this site out. Enjoy.

 

[observator]

a veteran 68th OVI

John Kigar (1843-1873) - Find a Grave Memorial

John was a Civil War Veteran, serving in Company A, 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (mustered in on October 1, 1861 In Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio). John married Emeline Frederick on January 29, 1867 in Henry County, Ohio. They had 3 children: Nora Jane Kigar Knapp, Daniel Kigar and Mary E. Kigar...

www.findagrave.com

 

[19thOhio]

Perhaps you checked Larry Stevens and Ohiocivilwar. He has 30 sources that could be extra info for you or he could put your research there so as to be available for others interested in the 68th Ohio.

 

[CWdiaryPA]

Same. Pitched my proposal to a variety of presses, academic & otherwise. Was advised by a few historians if the goal was to make the diary last AND be accessible to the general public, that I should put the diary online. So that's what I did. Had to learn how to create my own website. No words will ever suffice to say how challenging, & at one point downright death-defying, that was for me. But it's all up now.

And online allowed me narrative freedom I never had a shot at going the trade route. No ragrets, as the tattoos say. But if I had to do it over, I'd have figured out from the start I'd be putting it online. And I'd have at least attempted to cull a tendency to go overboard & shoot for the moon. Did this thing really need to approach the million words that I typed up? Was it necessary to blow four years in a row of my life? No, no, God no. At one point in the process I got up out of my chair & started throwing any & all furniture around the living room. I was not well. So whichever route you choose for this diary, consider the pitfalls in advance, how your personality dovetails with what you face. Expectations for this. I could have used more of an ability to look at this as a blessing rather than the curse I'd carried for decades after being handed it not knowing what to do with.

But Jill Smo in Ohio may not have the means or time to order a copy of this from Important Ivy Covered Campus Building in the Northeast. Maybe Jill just wants to check something quick, or quote a regular hospital steward present at Jackson's Campaign. Is she really going to comb through every last publisher's offerings then haul out a Visa card for it? On a wing & a prayer all the hardbacks she's scrapping up her change machine coins for will have the particular info she hopes exists between the pages? For every research question, is she going to purchase that information to have access to it? Or cross her fingers interlibrary loan can get it to her in a month or so? No.

Last, copyright. An attorney told me it could take a hundred years to get permission to reprint what I had were I to profit off it. Much is in the public domain, sure, but much isn't. This way, "for educational purposes" is just that, plus the creative license to add to & expound on passages that caught my eye for the reader. I'm glad not to be selling this.

Really, you ask, logically. All that for a few hundred to stop by since you went live? To drop in, read a few entries, then click off? Yes. Yes, because that's already scores more than would have ever read it via tree pulp.

So it comes down to priorities. What's your #1 intention for where this diary goes & who gets to read it. What, if anything, you sense your gfather would have wanted done with what he left behind. How long his diary should exist after you're no more, then who should caretake it after you're gone. No pressure. Any updates? How long is it? What were some events he noted? We'd love to read it. Good luck, Cheyenne