Notes for prospective authors.

A 13-point list of questions that will help interrogate your thoughts about the first stages of a proposed publication and help the Trustees make a decision on how best to help.

Please cut and paste this list into a word file.

1. Please provide your name, address, telephone & E-mail.
2. Have you written and published a book before? If so, please give details.
3. What is the subject and proposed title of the book you are planning?
4. Do you know of anyone who has previously published a book on the subject?
5. Please can you provide a brief synopsis of the contents and- if possible- a list of chapter headings?
6. How large is the book to be? An estimate of the number of words and illustrations would be helpful.
7. Please can you provide (preferably two) sample chapters and illustrations.
8. When do you think that you will have completed the book, ready to be printed?
9. Given the number of words etc, have you any idea as to the likely size of the book and format?
10. Have you a publisher in mind? If you have, have you had preliminary discussions yet?
11. Have you, at this stage any idea of your costings and the likely number of books you plan to print? Have you an idea of the selling price of the book?
12. Have you a business plan showing the funds required and the likely returns? If so, can you provide this to the Trustees?
13. Can you at this stage indicate the likely markets for your book, (car owners, historians, general motor enthusiasts, engineers etc) and possible sales?

Once the information regarding proposed publications is received, the proposal will be reviewed by members of the board of Trustees. This is normally a rapid process and the persons involved are most likely to be experienced in the author’s subject, it is possible that they may raise further questions, but the information provided is assumed to be confidential. The Trust can provide information on alternative ways of publishing the proposed book, e.g. by conventional means, via a motoring publisher, or via self-publishing. Lists of publishers and printers are available. Advice is also available on such items as ISBN registration, copyright matters, publicity and other items.

The Trust requests that writers include an index in their publication and also an acknowledgement regarding support given by the Trust in the publication. Details of this will be made available to the author, the current format of the acknowledgement is shown in the Style Guide section. Further, with particular reference to self-publishing authors, allowance should be made in the author’s business plan for professional proof reading services of the draft, prior to publication.

Given that the proposal meets with the approval of the Trust, a sum of money will normally be agreed with the author and this will be paid on receipt of three copies of the printed book.

An agreement may be made whereby a sum of money may be paid back to the Trust on the selling price of the book, over and above an agreed level of sales. In this way, the Trust can help to provide funding for future authors.

Please provide this information, and any other data that you think might be relevant, and send it to the:

Hon. Secretary of the Michael Sedgwick Memorial Trust
Ian Dussek, Churchers, Church End, Upper Farringdon, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 3EG or at msedgwickmt@gmail.com

Some Good News!

The Trustees have arranged special discounts with the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu for authors using the Museum’s research and library facilities, also for the use of photographs from the Motoring Picture Library. These discounts can be claimed by any author whose work has been provisionally approved by the Trustees to receive financial assistance. Further information on these arrangements may be obtained from the Secretary to the MSMT, or access to both library’s using the NMMT link at the top of the page.