Description
So You Want to Write about American Indians?: A Guide for Writers, Students, and Scholars is a thoughtful and well-researched guide for any would be novelist, children's book author, high school or college student considering writing about Native North American Indians. Choctaw scholar and writer Devon Mihesuah combines her years of experience as editor of the American Indian Quarterly and college teaching experience to her latest book published by the University of Nebraska Press. A slim volume, this is a must have reference guide for those trying to break into the book publishing field. Even those students preparing to write their thesis or book review for publication should read this book. Full of thoughtful questions for writers as they consider the potential topic about any aspect of First Nations or Native Americans, the guide provides step-by-step guidelines, checklists, and clear examples. After considering the reasons for writing, Mihesuah moves to an overview about the various kinds of fiction and non-fiction books written about American Indians. She then moves on to explore some of the challenges and issues surrounding each genre. The book provides ethical guidelines for such issues as the appropriation of voice, common stereotypes to avoid, and issues relating to culture. Although the book is not a grammar guide, one chapter is devoted to editing and includes a checklist to use when reviewing the content and presentation of the writing project. The final three chapters cover the process for submission of journal articles and book manuscripts, and publisher contracts. The appendix contains two helpful examples for a curriculum vitae and book review. Basing her suggestions, tips, and guidelines on her publishing career, Mihesuah offers practical advice and uses numerous examples from the real world. An important contribution to the literature about Native Americans from an Indigenous author, and a work that all future writers about anything Indian should read.