Update on my book about Chapman

[Rubyretro]

I think it is best to stick to just one name/alias, my pick would be George Chapman.

About a JtR reference in the title or subtitle, well, puff is part of the trade!

What about "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper: George Chapman, Southwark Poisoner"?

Good one, Bolo !

[bolo]

I think it is best to stick to just one name/alias, my pick would be George Chapman.

About a JtR reference in the title or subtitle, well, puff is part of the trade!

What about "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper: George Chapman, Southwark Poisoner"?

[Rubyretro]

Well, obviously the subject is going to appeal to anyone interested in Jack the Ripper -so you have got to reach those people searching on the internet.

So maybe you could 'turn' the title ? 'The Southwark Poisoner -the Jack the Ripper Suspect Who Never Was' sort of thing..

(I don't mean that particular title, but along those lines)

The Southwark Poisoner -Was He Jack The Ripper ?
(at least it doesn't let them down before they start reading !)

Maybe you don't need his name in the title. People who know about Chapman will understand 'The Southwark Poisoner', and if they don't know him, the name will mean nothing.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Apologies for re-posting this, I don't mean to annoy anyone but I was worried that my question will get lost buried under later posts, so here it is again:

Can you all give your opinion on another problem I have with my book?

Paul Begg says my book will reach "the world-wide Ripper-reading audience."

My problem is - how?

Mr Gordon's three books about Chapman ALL have the words "Jack the Ripper" in the title, and I am sure that is what gained him the sales he has achieved. Would he have sold any books without JtR in the title?

The problem is, unlike Mr Gordon I don't believe there is enough evidence that he was Jack the Ripper to justify putting the words Jack the Ripper in the title. But without it being in the title it will not show up on searches on Amazon and other online bookshops, or bricks-and-mortar bookshops, or libraries when people are searching for Ripper books.

I plan to call it The Southwark Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Seweryn Klosowski alias George Chapman. But when I asked an online group of successful self publishers for their opinions, I was told two things that I simply don't know how to fix. Firstly, it sounds like a novel. Secondly, I was told, the title is "too full of difficult names" which is off putting.

Can anyone please advise me?

Helena

[Rubyretro]

BLIMEY!

Buy them via my website and I will personally autograph and dedicate them!

Already ordered and paid for them !

It's a shame -it would have been nice to have had them autographed..

Hang about..I just checked and I did buy them from your website. I am ' Lesley', and I asked for them to be sent to my mother's adress (Mrs King) in Cuckfield, Sussex (I know that my mother and sister will want to read them, too).

[HelenaWojtczak]

What a bummer, Helena -you have just cost me some of my (very) hard earned wages.

I clicked on your link and had to crack for 3 of your books !

They look so very interesting, to me and my family in Sussex, that I couldn't resist them. I think that your explanation of your attitude to research was a clincher.

BLIMEY!

Buy them via my website and I will personally autograph and dedicate them!

[HelenaWojtczak]

Siobhan> You could do the other version of spicy, mentioned above, too!

Helena> There just isn't any relevant material. I don't want to be gratuitous.

S> Congratulations on all the work you already have under your belt. Haven't had a chance to check out your website(s) but will do.

H> Thanks. Aw that is a shame, just one click and it's in your face. I've looked at your blog, and another page linked from it - all very impressive stuff. I love comedy, it's my favourite thing in all the world.

[Rubyretro]

What a bummer, Helena -you have just cost me some of my (very) hard earned wages.

I clicked on your link and had to crack for 3 of your books !

They look so very interesting, to me and my family in Sussex, that I couldn't resist them. I think that your explanation of your attitude to research was a clincher.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Can you all give your opinion on another problem I have with my book?

Paul Begg says my book will reach "the world-wide Ripper-reading audience."

My problem is - how?

Mr Gordon's three books about Chapman ALL have the words "Jack the Ripper" in the title, and I am sure that is what gained him the sales he has achieved. Would he have sold any books without JtR in the title?

The problem is, unlike Mr Gordon I don't believe there is enough evidence that he was Jack the Ripper to justify putting the words Jack the Ripper in the title. But without it being in the title it will not show up on searches on Amazon and other online bookshops, or bricks-and-mortar bookshops, or libraries when people are searching for Ripper books.

I plan to call it The Southwark Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Seweryn Klosowski alias George Chapman. But when I asked an online group of successful self publishers for their opinions, I was told two things that I simply don't know how to fix. Firstly, it sounds like a novel. Secondly, I was told, the title is "too full of difficult names" which is off putting.

Can anyone please advise me?

[The Good Michael]

Yeah, even the diary I got from his sister's grandson has a couple of dates a few days off. He also stakes a claim for Alice MacKenzie. If that doesn't beat all.

Mike

[Siobhan Patricia Mulcahy]

Oh I see what you mean now, ho ho ho it was the word "spicy" that threw me! I thought you meant spicy as in fruity, sexy etc

You could do the other version of spicy, mentioned above, too!
Congratulations on all the work you already have under your belt. Haven't had a chance to check out your website(s) but will do.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hi Helena,
you could give examples of other poisoners (briefly) of that time...or go into detail on the poison itself and where it could be bought or if it could be manufactured at home...or what was happening historically (elsewhere?) on the day of each of the slayings.

You refer to your first book in previous post...what's it called? Will look it up... Sounds like it was a success in terms of sales so well done.

Oh I see what you mean now, ho ho ho it was the word "spicy" that threw me! I thought you meant spicy as in fruity, sexy etc

I have included details about the different neighbourhoods in which he lived. My friend Chris who has kindly offered to edit for free will have to decide whether that is of any interest or not. I hadn't thought of what was happening on the exact day of the slaying (love that word ).

The book I referred to wasn't my first but my fourth (of five). It's on my website here: http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/vol4.html (£1,000 of the conservatory cost was covered by winning the first prize for best self published book of 2007, after I entered a competition I saw advertised in a copy of Writers' News magazine that someone gave me on Freecycle. http://www.hastingspress.co.uk/railw...dsjtaward.html

[Siobhan Patricia Mulcahy]

Thanks very much Siobhan for taking an interest. I really appreciate it.


I think I will probably do it as an e-book download and a short run of printed copies, probably on coated paper throughout (for the photos).

Spicy background information? Could you expand on that?


Helena

Hi Helena,
Spice up the background? From time to time, add interesting detail. For example, if he was a poisoner you could give examples of other poisoners (briefly) of that time...or go into detail on the poison itself and where it could be bought or if it could be manufactured at home...or what was happening historically (elsewhere?) on the day of each of the slayings: eg: On the day he murdered his first victim, Westminster MPs were talking about reducing the cost of providing gas lighting in Whitechapel... (this last bit is made up but it adds a bit of detail or spice to introduce something else...you would have to use something that was actaully true!). I hope you get my drift.
You refer to your first book in previous post...what's it called? Will look it up... Sounds like it was a success in terms of sales so well done.

[HelenaWojtczak]

chapterise it in the form of a section by section outline

create an e-Book

you could provide a very good thesis on Chapman (with all the necessary corrections you provide) for the Dissertations section here on Casebook.

If you think Chapman is boring, you could take a break...

liven the story up with spicy background information of the times so the reader stays interested in the story.

Have you tried some of the London publishers who specialise in Ripper output?

If they gave you a small advance for the project, it would definitely keep the wind in your sails!

Thanks very much Siobhan for taking an interest. I really appreciate it.

Yes the book is already chapterised: I did it geographically for now: Poland, London, Hastings, St Luke's, Bishops Stortford, Southwark. But thanks for the idea.

Sorry if I gave the impression that I think he is boring, because I do not, I have loved every second of the research, and thoroughly enjoyed the process of putting his biography together, I could not have spent eight weeks holed up here doing nothing else if I were not fascinated. No, it's that I am fretting that the rest of the world outside of myself won't find it interesting, because I know that what interests me isn't generally the stuff that interests the masses, and vice-versa.

I definitely would not give this book to another publisher. I had a contract with a major London publisher for one of my earlier books and it was incredibly restrictive, dictated the number of pages and the number of images etc. I managed to wriggle out of it without being sued and self-published with double the number of pages and six times the number of photos. I also got to keep 100% of the profits and that paid for my conservatory to be built. They were going to give me 7.5% of the net receipts.

Advances are pretty rare these days (unless you are some bimbo who shagged a footballer lol). I really could not stomach losing editorial control. I don't find money to be any sort of incentive to make me work, by the way. If I break even on this book, I'm happy.

I think I will probably do it as an e-book download and a short run of printed copies, probably on coated paper throughout (for the photos).

Spicy background information? Could you expand on that?

You have clearly a lot of expertise in writing a book Siobhan, have you written any/many?

Helena

[HelenaWojtczak]

Feel free to hang me at the upcoming Whitechapel conference. P.S. The book cover looks great.

May I also draw & quarter?

Aw, thanks for the compliment. I am still fiddling with the blurb. I do it as light relief away from the exasperation!