Had a look at the article. Looks fantastic. You must be brave, fit and adventurous. Could you turn the whole experience in to a book or at least a feature?

I'm looking for some advice - when I am not writing fiction I write health related features and books. I have recently had a children's book dealing with a dietary condition accepted by a company involved in testing for the condition. They want to publish the book and give it hospitals and GP surgeries free of charge. The problem is how much can I charge for this?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Ruby, well done!

It’s usually the publisher who decides the payment – you then either accept or not. My strong advice would be to contact the Society of Authors. As you have an offer to publish your work, you'd be eligible to join the society and they will give you endless professional advice about how to handle this, including going through any contract with their legendary fine-toothed comb.

Good luck

Dee

Thanks Dee. I shall contact them though this is slightly different in that they are employing a PR company to handle the negoitations and to oversee the printing of the book. They want me to name a price and when I did this they said it was too much!! I have to pay the illustrator so I didn't think I was being too demanding.
RB

Afraid I don't know anything about the question, Ruby (what to charege), but can I just say, well done!!

Rosy

<Added>

And also, on the motivation-without-a-deadline thing, I reckon joining a group here and plugging into a network where you post work and gets crits on it (whilst critting others' work in exchange) does give a brilliant impetus. Simply the fact of getting some feedback instead of writing being such a lonesome business - and the idea that some other people might actually care what happens next, and be waiting for that next chapter...

Hey, yes, well done!!

Thanks all. It's nice to have something come to fruition once in a while.
RB

Hi Ruby

Noticed you're a journalist too - and a fellow Libran!

Good luck with the book - Danuta Kean's blog www.danutakean.com is very good on the business/money side of publishing so very much worth a read.

It's easier to get an advance upfront for non-fiction rather than fiction - I got 10K for The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L Plates - how to pass your driving test published by Simon and Schuster.

And re the book - as it sounds as though the fee will be just that, and there won't be royalties, quoting journalist rates of round £300-500 per 1000 might be a good start.

Good luck with it!

Maria McCarthy

Hi Maria,
Do you mean per thousand words or per thousand print run?
I have recently read about your book somewhere - can't remember where though. Would it have been RED or EVE magazine?
Do you freelance or are you with a particular publication?
The title of your book could work for a novel - losing virginity, losing boyfriend, losing L plates sort of thing. I can see it in print!
Thanks for responding,
RB

My book was published in Jan 2007 and has had a fair bit of publicity (am trying to wangle some more off the back of the David Tennant /Learners drama coming out on BBC on 11th Nov - nagging Woman's Hour etc!

I freelance for a variety of mags - Company, Cosmopolitan, Express, Mirror etc, etc -

And yes, I meant per thousand words re the book you've been approached to write - sounds like they'd be offering you a flat fee, rather than linked ot printing.

all best

Maria