Book Proposal

Proposal for:

AN UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT

By Gregory Smith

1. One-page sell sheet-

An Unbreakable Spirit
Inspirational Autobiography
132,383 words

Tagline: An Unbreakable Spirit- My Life With Brittle Bones. "I may break bones, but broken bones cannot break me."
Back book cover paragraph:

An Unbreakable Spirit is the life story o Gregory Smith, one of the oldest survivors of Osteogenisus Imperfecti, a rare bone condition. Greg endured hundreds of broken bones as a child. His inspirational story details how he coped with his disablitiy as a child all the way to adulthood and beyond. Despite the numerous challenges and limitations, Greg became a social worker and devoted his life to helping others in need. An Unbreakable Spirit tells of one extraordinary person overcoming countless fractures with determination  and motivation to reach his goals. It is a story that will make you laugh, cry and feel. It is a story with  great heart, a story of a lifetime, a story of broken bones, broken dreams, but an unbreakable spirit.

Abbreviated bio ( author photo forthcoming).

Gregory Smith is a retired social worker, with thirty years of experience in health care facilities. Greg penned a newspaper column called Wheeling Around Phoenixville, and currently writes a daily blog about disability issues and sports. This is his first book. Greg lives in Phoenixville, Pa with his girlfriend Holly, and their two canine friends, Bud and Katie.

2. Biographical Sketch

Qualifications: I'm one of the oldest survivors of OI. I've had brittle bones all my life and have spent many of those years cruising through life in a wheelchair. Iam on Facebook and Twitter (#WheelinGreg).

3. Description of the book.

My story begins as a baby with the onset of brittle bones. That is when the fractures were so frequent, even the doctors lost count. A big part of my early years deals features my loving parents, family and friends, and the assorted heroes who helped me smile and gave me much-needed things to look forward to.  My unique school years, first in a school for kids with special needs, then later at home, using an intercom system hooked up to class, are related. So is the special relationships I begin to grow, some fleeting while others last a lifetime.

All the while the focus of my brittle bone condition is always there, in everything I do. My college years, earning a degree in social work; helping others in need, primariliy  in nursing home and hopsital settings;even finding love in relationships that, in the end, were not meant to be. My heart breaks just as easily as my bones do.

There is a special bond between a special needs child and a mother. One of the most heartbreaking parts of the book is when my mom needs nursing home care- in the very facilty where I work- to her sudden illness and death, of which I am the only one present to witness her last breath.

And yet hope abounds as life goes on. I finally find true love near the end of my story. I find peace in my heart after a lifetime of pain. And although the future is cloudy, unchartered territory with a rare disease that has no sure, I cherish  and appreciate my golden years with humor, love and comfort in my heart and soul.

Along my Forrest Gump-like  journey I meet many characters, both famous and ordinary, all special to me and my story. I share my personal insights about life as a person with a disability, both in the past sixty years up to today. And I comment on everyday and unique situations I have faced in my life, as common as being stared at in public to the frustration of a world full of inaccessibility.

The end is full of hope and wraps up my philosophy on life- I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Many personal photos are included in the book, painting vivid colors of my experiences.For example,t the reader will not only read about the early fractures but will also  see yours truly as a child in casts.

Purpose:

Shedding light on such a rare genetic affliction such as Osteogenisus Imperfeci is a big reason why I wrote this story. Hopefully the next generation will become more aware of brittle bones and OI. Also, I hope my story shows that, even in a wheelchair, with a disability, one can succeed and live a rich, fulfilled life. Never giving up and always having hope are keys.

Audience:

I believe my story is for everyone. People with a disability will relate; able-bodied people will become enlightened; health care workers will read about familar situations they face on a daily basis, especially social workers; and I think most readers will identify with family situations, and those who share a common bond- like a mother and her special needs child- will be touched by the love of such a link.

My book is unique on that it is very hard to find a first-person account of what it is like to have OI. There are plenty of medical journals and websites about brittle bones, as far as treatment is concerned. But my story may be one of the first to talk about what it feels like to constatly break bones, both physically and emotionally.

Chapter outline:

1. China Baby- The hard early years when OI first came into my life.

2. Heroes- The special people in my life who helped me survive those early years.

3. Timmy and The Box- I begin attending special needs schools, and meet others with disabilities, man of whom make lasting impressions on my life. My unique high school days using The Box.

4 .Praying for a Miracle- Our trip to Lourdes, Frace, searching for a mircle.

5. Pins- The surgical times when the doctors inserted stainless steel pins in my legs to keep them strong, only to see my body reject them each time.

6. Making Waves- Starting college-level classes, my life on C.B. Radio, finding my first real girlfriend, and reaching out to the world for the first time.

7. Tough Times Make You Stronger- The frustration of failing in school and being trapped in my disability. Plus I lose my father and the hardships it brings.

8. We All Have An Uncle Henry- Vivid portayal of my Uncle Henry, who became like my second father, and how he helped me to become more independ in life.

9. Cards and Cigars- My first experiences volunteering in a nursing home and about John, my first resdient that I grew close.

10. Going For It- Returning to school, a second chance at respect and independence, as I take the first difficult steps to becoming a social worker.For the very first time in my life, at age 28,  being in an actual classroom with other students.

11. I Made It Through The Rain- The special relationship with singer Barry Manilow, how he touched my life, and the special pen pal I met from his fan club.

12. Breaking Down Barriers- Facing discrimination for the first time. Doing things no one imagined. Not satisfied with the stereotypical "disabled" individual.

13. One Sweet Summer- When my pen pal from Norway spends the entire with my family- and the first time I fall in love.

14. Don't Ever Lose your Sense of Humor- Graduating from college and doing my internships at the local hospital and nursing home- where I first starting volunteering.

15. Barry's Buns- Further asserting my indepence, as I spend a fun and eventful night camping out with friends, waiting to meet Barry Manilow in person.

16. Social Worker- My initial exp[eriences with the title of social worker.

17. My First Real Job- At age 32, I start my first full-time job at a local clinic. I meet an old friend by surprise, witness a knife-fight in our lobby, and experience the dangers- as well as the education- of working in a city.

18. Three Wishes- The magical day meeting Barry Manilow with my pen pal.Finding out celebrities- and life- isn't always what it seems.

19. Breakable Heart- A surprising, emotional chapter where i learn my heart can break as easily as my bones.

20. My Dream Job- I begin wrking where it all started, and my special relationships with the residents I love.

21. Teddy- The one resident I will never forget, and how he changed my world and made me a better person.

22. Happy Birthday Mom-Helping my mom through heart surgery and celebrating a landmark birthday with her.

23. Rocky- To my surprise, I  suddenly need to deal with another emergency medical condition, one which I never was aware of until one fateful day.

24. New Paths to Follow- After nearly ten years I am forced to leave  the work I love, only to find a new calling.

25. Another Bad Break- OI rudely reminds me it is still in my life as I suffer a devastating fracture in my forties. Suddenly. it is like my childhood again, as I relearn to cope with a cast, rehabilitation and pain.

26. Coming Home- My mom enters a nursing home- the same facility where I work. Her goal is to come home, but will she?

27. It's Okay to Let Go-Mom suffers a stroke and I'm the only one there when she draws her final breath- the special bond of a mother and her special needs child.Our beloved dog, Louie, dies only days after her.

28. From Now On Your Name is Bud-Life without mom and Louie. I find Bud, a rescue pup who helps to save my life.

29. Is There Someone Special Out There?- Looking for love and finding it- over the internet. Finding Holly, the true love of my life.

30. Life Returns To  Dianna Drive- Holly breaths life back into my life. I have a reason to go on.

31. You'll Be Okay- Holly finds out she has a brain tumor. How she overcomes the tumor and all that goes with it.

32. It's Been A Great Life- My retirement years, with Holly, with so much to still look forward to.

33. New Beginnings- I now have a corp of new, young doctors as I face a new challenge with my OI.

34. The Hard Way Every Time- A recap of my life, and a special song which defines me.

Competitive analysis:

 Honestly, I haven't read anything similar to my story. It's a little of everything. It is a very leasurely tale, told in a way in which the reader and I have a nice chat.

Marketing strategies:

Hopefully my story will be on the internet, like Amazon.com, but also in bookstores, like barnes & Nble. With social media so easily accessed now, the possibilities are endless, from Facebook to Twitter for promotion. Althoguh travel is a challenge, I would be open to book tours, appearances ( especially on the East Coast), and numerous book signings.

Not only would I wish to promote and sell my book, I feel it's important for readers to meet me too. Since they will get to know me in my very personal story, actually meeting in person will be important.

With so many people wiuth disabilities in the news, on television and in the movies and media, it would be only natural for my story to be accepted and enjoyed. now is the time!

History of the manuscript;

I have not submitted my book to a publisher. I wish to find the right home for my story with a caring agent, who will also love what I have done and be willing to share it with others. My agent will know best where my story belongs, finding it the right home it needs.

Same chapters:

I am sending the introduction, the first chapter, as requested, and chapters two, 27, and 34.

Thank you!