A book

I'm thinking of writing a book about my ten months in China, two years ago. I think I'll maybe make it into a small 50 page book.

I know that a lot of you think that its crassy to write a book about "your experiences" in China. Does anyboy have any tips? Who may be interested in publishing it?

Do you reckon I should write it under my real name or a pen name? Whilst living in China I was on a "cultural exchange" (nudge nudge) for ten months on an F... Worried about retaliation from some "baijiu swilling butthead"... 

Nah, I wouldn't worry too much. And I think I know the baijiu-swilling butthead you're referring to.

But much of what you ask really depends all upon yourself and what you write and how good it is. We can opine and we can commiserate, but we can't really answer them for you.

Writing a China memoir is one of those things that everybody talks about, but very few actually do...

Writing a China memoir is one of those things that everybody talks about, but very few actually do...

I'd add one word: "well." There are a lot of shit books there. The simplify the people, glamorize and exoticize (I'm making up a word) China in aggrandizing hyperbole (some doubling as self-serving propaganda).

To the original poster:

I am of the opinion that a lot of the books I've read by expats that focus on China tend to come from people who haven't been here very long. There's so many that they are a bit redundant. Either they are political or fantasy posing as reality. It shows. With a few exceptions, it's a niche that hasn't been exploited well.

Here's a suggestion. It's free for the taking, or free for ignoring: make China a secondary character and place your own life into the foreground and you might have yourself a start. If your personal life is fascinating then layer on your China based experiences as the spice. Putting China first and then using your experience as the glue that holds it together is old hat, and really, what can you explore with any authority if you've only been here a year? Explore yourself and put that down on the paper. You've "visited" yourself every day of your life, and I'm sure there are stories to tell that some people will enjoy.

Good luck.

Of course you should write it. Who gives a shit if others think its a good idea or not, write even if you are the only one that will read it.

As for publishers.... well you could always self publish in iBooks on the cheap

http://is.gd/cwd00