Breaking the whole one-post-per-day rule I have imposed upon my self I post again. If you are just coming in today, read the post below this one first. Trust me. I initially wrote this post as a comment on the last one, but it is so intrinsic to my dilemma that it deserves its own space.
In response to my last post my friend Bill wrote: "That very much depends on whether you want to be able to say on your resume that you are a published author, and that your artistry is on record. It might just be worth it in terms of increased exposure and sales..."
And that is exactly what my husband Dave says, and it comes under the category of "less tangible". And if it were a big coffee-table expose of my achievements and artistry LOL), well that would be a nobrainer (and not bloody likely). But let's be honest, this is going to be a little craft "how-to" book.
Am I really going to gain "artistic" cred from having it published? We all know what an effort it will be to do it, will the kind of cred that comes from it (even if it is very well-done) be worth it? And that is a serious question. I will be sinking an incredible amount of time into this endeavor almost to the exclusion of the rest of my business--shows, commissions, new projects and techniques. Of course I will be learning as I validate the techniques I write up, but I won't be intentionally trying anything new.
But if not now, when. I know if not me, who (anyone else). Seize my moment and see where it goes, or don't do it because I know the publisher has set this up to entice me and take advantage of me. How long has it been since I was last seduced? I can answer that--last spring when I bought the gutter covers from the guy who promised me that they would keep out the Georgia long-leaf pine needles and water oak leaves and my gutters would run free forever. I was screwed then too. In that scenario there was no upside--unless you count that it is easier to clean the clogged gutter tops than it is to clean the clogged gutters. Both require a ladder. The only upside here really is Fame and Glory.
Do you feel lucky, punk? Is there enough Fame and Glory? What would YOU do? If you have time, post a comment and give me your opinion (anonymous posting is allowed, but I would appreciate a name).
3 comments:
Oh Brenda,
I think this is one of those things that if I was offered it, I would do it, no matter the cost to me in time and tears. Why? Because if I didn't I would always wonder "what if?"
On the other hand (and usually I have about five hands) I would think about how many hours I expect to go into the book, double that and assume that that's the number of kiln hours I would be missing. How much income will you lose because of writing the book? Can you afford to indulge yourself for the purpose of writing the book?
On the other hand (see?) I think about the unexpected doors and windows this could open, television appearances for once. Authoring a how-to book, no mater how skilled you are or are not at making the thing the book is about, instantly transforms you into an expert.
On the other hand, there is fan mail. Are you going to hire an assistant to answer all of those emails "now what kind of kiln should I buy?" "Now how many layers of glass should I use?" "I got these funky bubbles, how do I fix them?" tee hee (Some days the help-me mail annoys me. My husband thinks of it all as a huge compliment...)
I have to go back, on the fifth hand, to what I said at first. It's a rule I live by. Never leave an opening for a what if regret later down the line. The rule works well for me. I wouldn't have married my husband if it weren't for the what if rule....
Go for it. Then make sure that you hang a copy of it in your booth. It will increase sales. People like a published person. A friend of mine in the insurance business published a book about estate planning for women. At first it didn't mean much, but she gave away a few copies to her clients and to a few friends and then had a booth at the her State Fair showing her book. Now she gets so much business she had to hire additional people to help her.
It makes you a professional and people like to buy from a professional. Think about your walk around the one of a kind show. How many people had their pictures up of magazines they had been published in. Few could have said I have published a book. They sale because of the publicity.
Go for it!!!
Good Luck
MonyMan
Listen to Andrea above; I think she's got the jist of it. If you can complete a page or two of work a day, it should be finished pretty quickly, and I would think it would be worth the effort...
I wrote a few small items during the late 70s and early 80s, all for the RPG environment. It was an area of interest. A few folks have related to me well due to that, and most of my best friends came through the joys of RPGing, including your husband. You can have no clue at this point what doors will open up due to your book, or who will enter your life. I would suggest that, after attempting negotiation with the publisher, you accept the commission...
Post a Comment