Writing a book

I worked with a college for over 20years and he was writing a book for about the same time, to be correct he was writing two books one he had published.
The main book he said, it was about the people he worked with and the public he met but he told me on more that one occasion he had given me a complete chapter.
I did ask him if I could read some of it but he said definitely NO.
He was saving it for his retirement.

Re: Writing a book

How strange, if someone had written a whole chapter of a book about you they should not only let you read it but approve it before any attempt to publish if that is what he intends to do. Who knows what has been written.

Just wondering ....saving what for his retirement? Do you mean actually writing the book or publishing it?

Re: Writing a book

I think he means finishing it, that will be in 2016.
His first book was a travel guide and he also designed a book cover that I did not like much.

Re: Writing a book

I wouldn't have thought he had any right to mention you in a book without your permission unless he didn't mention you by name.
I once wrote about one of my jobs when I was younger. I didn't want it published, just to show my grandchildren etc but made sure that I slightly altered the names.

Re: Writing a book

I would probably not want anything published about me if I hadn't read it at the very least. That seems wrong on many levels.

Re: Writing a book

I had a email about writing a book , it was about my family history and it would cost in the region of £2,000 +,,
It did look professional and if i had that amount to spare i would have like to have done so ..

It does seem your friend was saving it to publish at his retirement , that would add an income to his Pension.
It could be one of these books that use alias names so in not naming you personally no one would be the wiser .

Re: Writing a book

I did see one bit of his work, he had to do a report on a unruly customer, it was about 3 pages long, it was shown to me by my manager, reading through it we both ended in stitches, he made it so funny, we decided to send it to our head quarters instead of just filing it away.
PS. I have emailed him, asked him if he still has a copy of the report, if so I will share with you.

Re: Writing a book

Maybe it's some sort of 'Spilling the beans' book and he's keeping it secret until he's well out of his job. Was the one he had published a success?
I have to hand it to him, anyone who has the patience to write a whole book has my admiration, and I wish him the best of luck.

Re: Writing a book

It's not easy to get a story published unless you are famous.
I have written three novels and a few short stories for the family to read.
I did send off one of my short stories many years ago to a national newspaper competition and won a prize of £150.

While reading some short stories in a magazine I decided to send the one that I got money for to this magazine hoping to get it published, being as I thought mine was more interesting than some of those published.
I was refused saying that it wouldn't hold the readers interest. How strange yet I won a prize for the very same story.

Re: Writing a book

They reject things on very strange grounds, maursey, don't let it put you off.
A couple of years ago I wrote a children's story, tried it out on a few 6yr olds, who loved it. Sent it to a publisher - rejected on the grounds that the grammar and syntax were too perfect for a modern child to understand !!