So you want to write a book with another author. Two heads are better than one, correct? If you take a look at the literature, you will find that, although it is not a common occurrence, you can find many best-selling books written with two people at the helm.
Being a librarian, one of my recent favorites, of course, is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Coauthoring can be a grand partnership, for sure. But it also presents unique factors to consider for it to be a success. After all, there is another person besides you in the mix who has their own distinct goals, talents, and ways of working.
What are some of the factors to consider, based on my own experience as a first-time fiction coauthor of Artificially Yours: A Tale of Uncanny Animals? And let it be known, I am sure every alliance is different.
Things to be gained:
Double the experience or background
In my case, my coauthor, Tee Clarke, and I come from very different areas of authorship. She is a creative writer and brought a multitude of talents and “tips of the trade” to the table, such as a non-linear fiction writing approach and “showing, not telling.”
On the other hand, I have authored many academic articles in professional journals and books and approach writing from a very structured and linear point of view with careful research, although I have tried to infuse public interest and humor into my writing where warranted.
Different skill sets. But both were useful in their own right in our joint project.
There is also a case to be made for just double the life experience in general. My coauthor and I met in first grade at a school on the far south side of Chicago and lived on the same block growing up. Because of this common ground, we share many experiences and memories. But viewing each of our childhoods through different perspectives made for a richer blend of reminisces that we could draw on for background in some sections of our book.
As young adults, we moved on to college, where she attended a very small private institution and I enrolled in a massive public university. We also embarked on very different careers—business and academia—and lived in opposite parts of the country. This provided a larger pool of resources to draw on for inspiration with settings and characters.
Double the creativity
Creating characters and plot can potentially go twice as fast, with two people pouring their thoughts into the mix. There are also built-in checks and balances, with another pair of eyes examining everything being written.
My partner and I often took turns fleshing out different characters, but we would look to each other for ideas when there was a character that seemed to just be falling a bit flat and needed an infusion of life.
Divide and conquer
Writing a book is a labor-intensive, long process. Dividing up the work is, well, dividing up the work. That must be a plus, right? It can be given the right circumstances.
Keeping the flow going
Accountability to forge ahead with the project can be greater when there is a coauthor who is willing to move the manuscript along when you might not feel like it, and vice versa. It can also be more energizing and just plain fun to have someone to share your writing with.
This all sounds great, but what are some considerations to keep in mind that can impact the project in significant ways?
Commentaires