The lesser of two memoirs

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Wayne K

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I've been sitting here for two days trying to figure out if I'm just a sell out or what. I've written two memoirs, and one of them is magnificent in my opinion. The problem with it is that, though it has generated some interest, it came close as you can get and was rejected because of the economy.

The other project is just a flashy gangster book that will sell quickly and has the eye of two major agents, but it doesn't give the reader any idea of who I am or what I want to say. I wrote it in less than a month, and I think it's good, but it's just a salable book is all. I got into writing with my first book, and I wanted to be a writer, not Brittany Spears. The wife says "Sell the first and the second will sell on its coat tails" but I just received a request for the first from a reputable agency and it requires some work to get ready, but I haven't done any of it. I feel like my back was broken when ECW Press said no.

I'm also not proud of the things I did when I was young. The content is brutal, and maybe I'm being overly dramatic here, but I never intended to do anything but make money from it. I feel like I'm selling out, and even the promise of being published and making a ton of money doesn't make me feel any better about that.

I don't even know if I'm asking for advice. I just don't know what to do. Maybe I just needed to vent.
 

michelle25

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but I just received a request for the first from a reputable agency and it requires some work to get ready,
That's the one you're proud of, right? Go for it. Also, I don't know how different your two books are from each other (other than the second being more salable) but maybe you can merge elements of one into the other...I don't know. Good luck!
 

Puma

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I'm a bit confused - you said memoir one was the one you were proud of and now you have new interest in it, but it's not ready. Memoir 2 is a gangster memoir and a money maker. Then you go on about ...

"The content is brutal, and maybe I'm being overly dramatic here, but I never intended to do anything but make money from it. I feel like I'm selling out, and even the promise of being published and making a ton of money doesn't make me feel any better about that."

Is that talking about #1 or #2? If you're talking about #2 then I'm not sure what the problem is with the new interest in #1. Can you elaborate? Puma
 

Wayne K

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I'm a bit confused - you said memoir one was the one you were proud of and now you have new interest in it, but it's not ready. Memoir 2 is a gangster memoir and a money maker. Then you go on about ...

"The content is brutal, and maybe I'm being overly dramatic here, but I never intended to do anything but make money from it. I feel like I'm selling out, and even the promise of being published and making a ton of money doesn't make me feel any better about that."

Is that talking about #1 or #2? If you're talking about #2 then I'm not sure what the problem is with the new interest in #1. Can you elaborate? Puma

Sure. The second is called Black Dark and origionally I wrote it just to make money. When my first book was well received well by a publisher I wanted to dump Black Dark because of moral issues. The thing is that when my first A Life Gone Awry was rejected Black Dark became the book that would sell in a bad market. I've had a few agents look at A Life Gone Awry and tell me that they loved it, but that the market stinks, and especially memoirs like this one. However Black Dark was requested by four of the first five agents I sent it to. I honestly feel like A Life Gone Awry explains why I became the sociopathic scumbag that I am in Black Dark. I also have a moral problem with profiting from the things I've done, but the economy in my house collapsed way before the rest of the country and if I'm going to get a doctor to fix my shattered shoulder and get me back to work it will be with my own money since no one in the medical profession will even look at it.
Mike Tyson just announced that he's writing a book about his time in prison, and my first thought was "So you're going to spin you raping a woman into money" but then I thought about me...
 

Puma

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And now you have some interest in A Life Gone Awry - right? How much fixing needs to be done? Do you have a request for the first couple chapters only or for a full? What I'm getting at is - can you fix up enough quickly to satisfy the request and then start working on the rest while you're waiting for a response? Another option is to be up front and tell whoever has the interest when you send the manuscript or chapters to them that you can see now it needs a little bit more work which you're willing to do. But get on it - don't miss the opportunity. Puma
 

Wayne K

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And now you have some interest in A Life Gone Awry - right? How much fixing needs to be done? Do you have a request for the first couple chapters only or for a full? What I'm getting at is - can you fix up enough quickly to satisfy the request and then start working on the rest while you're waiting for a response? Another option is to be up front and tell whoever has the interest when you send the manuscript or chapters to them that you can see now it needs a little bit more work which you're willing to do. But get on it - don't miss the opportunity. Puma

That's sound advice. I need to re-write the entire proposal because I re-wrote the entire Ms at the behest of a publisher. He also asked me to write an introduction so I thought it was sold but he eventually passed. I have to get my fire going again for the first because it's the one I love. Thanks Puma.
 

Lauri B

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Another way to look at both books is this: you can't undo the things you did, but you have people interested in your writing now. You wrote a book--that's something that's good, regardless of the subject matter. You could get the second book published, make enough money to make your life and your family's life better, get known as a good writer and have the time, money, and buzz to get your first book published on a much stronger platform.
 

Wayne K

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Another way to look at both books is this: you can't undo the things you did, but you have people interested in your writing now. You wrote a book--that's something that's good, regardless of the subject matter. You could get the second book published, make enough money to make your life and your family's life better, get known as a good writer and have the time, money, and buzz to get your first book published on a much stronger platform.

Exactly what my wife is saying.
 

lkp

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Book #1 is chronologically prior to book #2, right? If that is so, and book #2 is "you being bad", it makes some sense for you to publish that one first. It will create a bigger audience for book #1. It may be easier selling book #1 as a follow-up to book #2 than on its own.
 

Wayne K

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Book #1 is chronologically prior to book #2, right? If that is so, and book #2 is "you being bad", it makes some sense for you to publish that one first. It will create a bigger audience for book #1. It may be easier selling book #1 as a follow-up to book #2 than on its own.

I'm starting to see book two as the only way of being published at this point. I'd like to thank all of you for responding, it gives me a lot to think about.
 
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