This is about the “stuff” you run into running your own business, out of your home, with a full time staff of one.
#1. If you haven’t noticed, allow me to point out that I’ve lost the sidebar on the left of this blog with all the links. I was trying to put some information into what’s called a widget and I eliminated the text. As you can see, I’m fairly clueless beyond the basics about blog technology. I sent a pleading email and I’m waiting for my tech support consultant to get back to me. In the meantime, I’m staring at this, unable to do anything about it.
#2. I’ve always hated drawing out decision-making. (Yup, I’m a “J” on Meyers Briggs.) I have learned, however, to slow myself down and just be with the anxiety of “making a well thought out decision”.  And this decision deserves that.
So this is the deal. Joan and I have just finished writing and editing our book, Keep Working, Girlfriend! The last two months have been consumed with a myriad of details to get to this place because when you self-publish, the printer prints what they get. But we’re almost there. And then, this week, a well respected medical publisher contacted me with interest in publishing the book. Although I had made a well researched, clear decision not to go for a publishing contract and to self-publish, this is tempting.
Why? Because it just showed up and because there is “cache” in being published by a publisher. So far, those are the only good reason I can come up with. I’ll lose control of the manuscript content, artistic control and publishing control. And, I’ll still have to market it myself. Sure they have contacts, disease organizations, book stores — but I know how to market virally. And I know the internet.
I’ve always hated drawing out decision-making. (I’m a “J” on Meyers Briggs). But, I’m purposefully slowing my natural process down and letting myself just be with the anxiety that comes up when I don’t have a decision. This deserves that.
FYI - I’d love your input on this. How do you hear about books? Do you notice who publishes a book? Where do you buy the business, self help or health books that you read (the internet, bookstores or not)?
Rosalind
Sue says
Thank you for the nice post.
Sherril says
I hear about books from all different sources. I guess lots of them these days are on the internet, on mailing lists I belong to, on blogs, stuff like that. I do not usually notice who publishes. I buy from both the internet and book stores.
Rosalind Joffe says
Sherrill, That’s helpful. How do you “hear” about books that you buy?
Diana Brice says
I’m a librarian and I hear about books from lists, publisher’s catalogs, patron requests, magazines and journals, talking with patrons and friends, Midday Connection on Moody Radio and other talk shows, browsing the shelves in bookstores, bibliographies in the backs of books that I’m reading, links on internet pages and newspaper articles, to name a few sources. I do pay attention to the publisher for to find if the information contained in the books has value.
Also, you might want to pay attention to who the publisher’s primary audience is, the general reader or those in the medical community.
Rosalind says
Hi Diana, Good to hear from you again. That’s very helpful and I’ll keep in mind. The publisher is trying to build it’s presence in the general reading public with medical texts for the layperson.
Rosalind