BooksPartner: C.Q. Test

WELCOME . . THE BOOK . . C.Q. TEST . . INSIDER'S TIPS . . CONTACT DALE . . RESOURCES



.	.		"Writers are traditionally inept marketers, often incredibly so. So finding a writer is not as easy as finding that real-estate guy who's always hanging flyers on your doorknob." — Dale Fetherling, author of Comrades in Ink				.	.

	.	.	. Are You Ready to Collaborate? A Test for Aspiring Authors			.	.
			.	.	A literary partnership is not to be undertaken lightly. There are egos involved. And a lot of work. And money. And lines on a resume. And if you don't do it right, there's bound to be anguish, too. But, most important, there's the possibility of significant ideas being conveyed—cleverly or clumsily—to a waiting public. Here, then, is a test to see if you're the kind of person who can make this process work. If you have an idea for a book, but realize you lack either the time, skill, credentials, or discipline to produce one of the quality desired, you're a candidate for a collaboration. But before you jump in, you might ask yourself these questions: 1. Do you have proven credentials and have something that needs to be said…but lack a literary bent? no. . . maybe. . . yes 2. Do you want a book as a part of your marketing plan or to give yourself further professional credence…but you need someone to guide you through the sometimes convoluted publishing process? no. . . maybe. . . yes 3. Is having a collaborator a practical necessity, given how your mind works? (Some people's minds work in a linear fashion-e.g., always thinking beginning/middle/end, a helpful compulsion when doing a book…while others think in a more free-form way that may benefit by another's discipline.) no. . . maybe. . . yes 4. Do you need help in thinking through the book idea-its slant, market, and promotion possibilities, for example? no. . . maybe. . . yes 5. Are you a rookie when it comes to knowing how to market a book once the idea has jelled? no. . . maybe. . . yes 6. Do you enjoy working as a team? no. . . maybe. . . yes 7. Are you willing to share the money and/or ego strokes that may come with being a published author? no. . . maybe. . . yes 8. Do you have patience and endurance? no. . . maybe. . . yes 9. Are you slow to anger, quick to forgive? no. . . maybe. . . yes 10. Are you willing to compromise, and do you have a genuine respect for others' crafts? no. . . maybe. . . yes If you can honestly answer "Yes" to the majority of those questions, you may benefit from working with a professional writer/collaborator. In Chapter 4, I'll tell you (and your partner) how to judge if your book idea is sound. And in Chapters 6-9, I'll suggest where you might find your counterpart, what qualities to look for, how to fashion an equitable agreement, and how to make sure it works from the standpoint of personal chemistry. .