Finding a co-author who has credentials

I got my MSW too, before I got my doctorate in psych. I think you can fudge a little on the exact area of practice, but not on the years since your graduation date could come into question if you did. I mostly worked with kids, and with their parents secondarily--but I've got some (limited) experience in other areas that I wouldn't be lying about if I said I had "experience with...." even though it was not my area of expertise.

I think everything depends on your goal for the book. If you want to be commercially published, I don't think you have to have an expert for your topic (isn't it a girlfriend's guide to sex-- from friend to friend?.) If I'm right about your topic, I don't think an expert is necessary--you can ask experts questions that are better answered by an MD or a therapist who specializes in sexual relationships, then just credit the person with a footnote as an "interview" (I interviewed someone for my dissertation and used his quotes that way.)
If you want to publish the book just for fun, going the proposal/query root will suck a lot of that fun right out of your project.
If I'm right about your topic, I think your book seems very, very marketable.

How do you work with other people? Do you enjoy collaboration? If you do, maybe think of getting a co-author. I wrote 3/4 of a self help book with a co-author. I was in the director's seat, she mostly did what I asked, but we were clear about that from the start. (the reason it was 3/4th was that I did NOT want to write a pop-psychology book, but since it was self help...it was turning out to be and I got bored to tears with the topic. I worried the book/workbook might have enabled whiners to have more reasons to whine, LOL).

If you work better alone, then don't do it. Why do something unpleasant, when writing was supposed to be fun?

You can leave self-publishing as a last resort, if your goal is to publish.

Good luck.

The only reason I wanted a co-writer for the self-help book was for someone to do the grunt work, honestly and it sounds like the only reason you want one is to sound more marketable.
I don't read dating books, but I remember a book called He's Just Not that Into You that I think was written by 2 guys in a bar. I would think this is a different type of querying that if you were querying a serious, academic type book. Your book sounds fun--helpful--but helpful in a way that it's your big sister or best friend telling you from the been there done that POV. I assume that's a different market than a book someone will buy as an expert in the field giving advice--and maybe even a different agent. Also probably a different publisher, because it's more mainstream.

Getting a co-author can be as easy as finding someone with the right credentials and then offering them part of the royalties as payment for their input. Doesn't necessarily mean they are doing the writing with you or even driving the project, as long as you make those expectations clear from the beginning. Do you know any professionals who have the same ideas as you about your topic who'd be willing to essentially endorse it for profit? You would be writing for the both of you, and interviews could help you add personal experience and quotes from the other person to give it more credibility.

Cat Scratch said:

Do you know any professionals who have the same ideas as you about your topic who'd be willing to essentially endorse it for profit? .

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That's a slippery ethical slope, in my opinion-- I'm not saying some doctors or psychologists wouldn't do it, just to think about all the aspects.

I think anyone who is really an expert will have their own ideas rather than just endorse those from another author...

Fruitbat said:

Also, getting the co-author, I guess, would be my job before even submitting the proposal?

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Well, you don't have to share all the glory. You could assume the "editor" role and parcel out sections to "co-authors", not evenly, but just in their area of expertise. They have to do less, and you get their name. There again, you will have to settle all the details with the publisher.

What are your goals?

A lot of people who have subject matter expertise in a particular area don't only write a book to publish/sell a book, they write a book that is part of their big picture business model. The book is a tool to let people get to know/like/trust them and use their services.

Trouble is, an expert with credentials would be much, much wiser to write his own book, or to simply hire a ghostwriter.

It generally does come down to type of book. If you lack the credentials, then write the type of marriage/sex book that doesn't require credentials.

Unless you're a well-established ghostwriter, it usually isn't wise to try writing a book you aren't qualified to write.

To find a cowriter who is an "expert" you want to look at magazines that specialize in your topic/field and contact those writers. They are already "experted" because they have been hired and are influential, and have a platform.

Why don't you consider yourself an expert? You have the degree. I'm sure you had to do something to get which is considered training, etc. Think creatively. Don't short change yourself.

Fruitbat said:

So, it seems even with everyday tip like books on spiffing up your marriage/sex life, collecting info. is not enough. They want experts in "the field," even when it's not really even a "field."

The ones I've found that aren't by experts are few in number and published by very small houses. (Not that I wouldn't be happy to get that but why not aim higher)

So my choices are do it anyway, or else try to find an expert who will put their name on it with mine. One more thought is self-publishing. Since it is a book to solve a specific and very common problem rather than for entertainment, perhaps it would do much better than the self-published fiction has the reputation for? (I have no idea).

One more thing, I do have the degree listed on several of the "expert's" books, (MSW) but I don't have the experience. Do you think that could be worded in a way that makes any difference? (most of the ones I've seen say they've been doing x, y, z for twenty years or something like that).

Also, getting the co-author, I guess, would be my job before even submitting the proposal?

All thoughts appreciated.

Thanks!

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