Hi all,
I'm a fledgling writer based here in the sunny old UK. I'm interested in writing a book about the recent military history of the 18th Military Police Brigade, particularly the work they've done in Iraq in recent years (training the Iraqi police, going on patrols with them, the initial invasion in 2003, etc), but not as a comprehensive list of facts & figures, but more as a series of personal accounts from members of the Brigade, from privates through to the C.O., both male and female members of the Brigade.
Similar types of book are 'Band Of Sisters', 'Band Of Brothers', 'Weekend Warrior', and 'In The Company Of Soldiers'. In many ways, this book could be considered biography, but the biography is of a unit, not a person.
The many query I have is; where would I start? Would it be easier for me to approach the US Army and see what they have to say before I attempted to approach an agent or publisher, or should I do it the other way around?
How much of a 'platform' would I need? My army experience is confined to cadets and such when I was younger, but I have been a keen follower of the military (as a concept) for many years (since I was 10 and walked around HMS Gloucester when it was docked at Abu Dhabi port prior to Desert Storm). Would it be easier for me to approach an agent with the aim of co-writing it with one of the other, more established, military historians who do have more experience?
Lots of questions, but I'm hoping you folks can provide some sort of answers, whether it's "you need to do this..." or "there's no way you could do it!".
Thanks,
Tim
I'm a fledgling writer based here in the sunny old UK. I'm interested in writing a book about the recent military history of the 18th Military Police Brigade, particularly the work they've done in Iraq in recent years (training the Iraqi police, going on patrols with them, the initial invasion in 2003, etc), but not as a comprehensive list of facts & figures, but more as a series of personal accounts from members of the Brigade, from privates through to the C.O., both male and female members of the Brigade.
Similar types of book are 'Band Of Sisters', 'Band Of Brothers', 'Weekend Warrior', and 'In The Company Of Soldiers'. In many ways, this book could be considered biography, but the biography is of a unit, not a person.
The many query I have is; where would I start? Would it be easier for me to approach the US Army and see what they have to say before I attempted to approach an agent or publisher, or should I do it the other way around?
How much of a 'platform' would I need? My army experience is confined to cadets and such when I was younger, but I have been a keen follower of the military (as a concept) for many years (since I was 10 and walked around HMS Gloucester when it was docked at Abu Dhabi port prior to Desert Storm). Would it be easier for me to approach an agent with the aim of co-writing it with one of the other, more established, military historians who do have more experience?
Lots of questions, but I'm hoping you folks can provide some sort of answers, whether it's "you need to do this..." or "there's no way you could do it!".
Thanks,
Tim
