"Dear Peggy, I have an idea for another book..."

Jen asks:
"I have an idea for another book that would be a compilation of stories from women around the country. The first part of my question is, how would I get these stories? Do I put an advertisement somewhere soliciting stories, buying a mailing list, etc? I’ve seen it done again but I don’t know how it is accomplished.
"The second part of that question is, gathering these stories. I am assuming I also need permission to publish their stories without compensation. Is this correct? How should this be worded?"

Hey Jen,
The website is a wonderful tool to connect with women all over the country. My suggestion is to start a website and advertise for contributions to your book on there. You can create your own simple website for free with google pages. Or if possible, hire someone to build a site for you. Advertising in a writer’s magazine is another idea, or a magazine relevant to your topic. Make it clear before hand that there’d be no payment for these stories. Most authors do offer a copy of the book, however. Yes, you will need consent from the women. When you accept their story, you should then send them a contributor’s consent form. I’m sorry, I’m not really sure of the exact wording. Maybe you could search for that information online. Good luck!