Would you? I think I could and sell it to Taunton Press.
Our gracious host here has offered her service as an editor, which I am sure I need.
Besides the pubs like tips and techniques and short articles in the mag, has anyone gave this any thought?
I worked with Micahael Dresdner and was party to Sandor ( I ain’t gonna spell it, but it was naglanzky or some thing}
Michael Mode, Ken Smith, Roy Underhill..what do I have to do?
Needing to make something happen, soon
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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“If Brains was lard, you couldn’t grease much of a pan”
Jed Clampitt
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i would, why not, being in the field i love to read books by people in the field. Larry Haun, Joe Carroll ( i think, worrking alone guy), and coming here, reading all the posts here i appreciate the time put forth sharing what works.
I wouldnt have been able to pull off alot of the things without alot of your guys input, sharing of virtual coffee and talking things out.
Do it man
Woods favorite carpenter
Do you have a theme for the book?
Anything unique?
Intriguing or interesting?
Or it could be a "jack of all trades" book in terms of what you've built, but the common thread is that they were all made with hand tools. Your old Alice Walton stairway, musical instruments, etc.
Your background is pretty sick when it comes to being not just a jack of all trades, but you're a friggin master of pretty much all of them. Well, you haven't quite mastered not getting banned from forums.
You have the skill sets, the knowledge, and you're a smart cookie.
The theme of the book is the hard part. I used to do a lot of writing and editing back in the '90s. I enjoyed the creativity, and getting the finished product back from the printer. Being an engineering/math/physics guy, I was so out of my element when I started. Eventually I found writing to be easy once I stopped thinking of it as "writing" and instead just thought of it as a conversation through the keyboard. Write the story as you'd speak it. As time goes by your writing will evolve to a comfortable style and it will become more concise. After writing, I'd then set it aside and revisit another day to edit, looking at it with a fresh mind.
Funny thing is that we all converse differently, and as such we adopt different writing techniques. Phrasing, grammar, etc.
I still edit technical publications and grant applications for a couple of engineering firms, including the company I sold a few years ago. There are a couple of people whose writing I really can't edit, to me their style is so absurd that I have to rewrite everything. Others are easier. Again, different styles.
When editing, I'd do the final editing after printing out a hard copy. An old school editor taught me that trick. Sounds strange, but you find errors on a hard copy that you sometimes miss on a computer screen.
One other tip is that for whatever software you use to write, learn to format your articles using the software's formatting tool/menu/keyboard shortcuts. That way when you cut and paste and chop and hack your content, everything still stays formatted.
You have GREAT points!
Ok, ferinstance that stair case, to make winder treads I had to saw half logs in half and add a wedge, then reglue and whittle.
I invented the valve springs and washers with foundation bolts for the cherry dovetail "never squeak" treads.
My wife is screaming at me to just go for it, and the theme is still escaping me...I love Roy's style, the side story..like a tree standing it self back up in a creek bed, while yer on it whacking away.
Or the way I met Dresdner..walk in and start beetching at him for selling me lousy product, look around at the guitars and say "hey, I can help with that"...next thing I know I'm working there and I DID futz with the product..I went to the quickie mart and got milk and ammonia...viola, water based wood finish..surfactant and emulsifier and an aliphatic resin ( Elmers).
I gotta get this stuff out of my brain and on paper.
Heck, I can have a whole chapter on sona bouys and Orions if the wood working gets boring.
Fish farts.
I'll try to call ya, gotta go.
Christ, I lost yer number.
Story of my life.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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"like a tree standing it self back up in a creek bed, while yer on it whacking away."I should get you a photo of a cedar on this property I'm working at. It apparently laid right over when the tidal bank collapsed, then started growing straight up again, so it has about a 4' horizontal trunk, then goes back to vertical.See that a lot in the woods here when one gets blown down, but not right on the salt water edge.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I think it might sell. As long as ya don't put your picture on the front cover.(-:A friend of mine wrote a book a few years back, and they sold it as "publish on demand". As I understand it, they only print a book when someone orders one. That way you don't have to front money to have 1,000 copies printed up just hoping that they would sell. I know very little about it, but it would be worth looking into. I've been told that I should write a book more than once. I've gone so far as to save a lot of my stories in MS word documents - Like my Santa stories I've told here on BT. Some day I may give it a try. If nothing else I may put together a bunch of the stories for my Sons to keep.Maybe you could try something similar - Write some stuff down and keep it for your kids. Then if you like doing it, you can go ahead and put it together in a book format. If you do work on it, I'd be happy to do some proof reading for ya.
The Big Bang Theory: God Spoke and BANG it happened.
"Maybe you could try something similar - Write some stuff down and keep it for your kids. Then if you like doing it, you can go ahead and put it together in a book format."Exactly what I'm doing. It's all worth it whether it gets published or not.
Mike Smith posted a link once to a site that does self pubishing on an individual basis.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"If you do work on it, I'd be happy to do some proof reading for ya.The Big Bang Theory: God Spoke and BANG it happened. "Sounds like you've been doing some POOF reading too.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
There's several guys here who I think would be good authors.
You and Sphere are a couple of them.
I'd be proud to add a book by either or both of you to my bookcase.
Thanks fer the kind words. .You know, I got to thinking. (Dangerous, I know) Someone gave me an informal book of memoirs that a relative of theirs had written. He printed it up on regular printer paper, then had the "books" spiral bound. I assume it was fairly inexpensive, but don't really know. Something like that would certainly be good for my memoirs, if I ever get around to writing them.
Last night I was in the mood to see something silly and idiotic on TV. So I put the cat there.
Thought about it many many many times. Trouble is, the field is so wide open to possibilities that it would have to be narrowed down.
I am more a story teller in my writing leaning heavily on the poetic & philosophic, so I imagine the subject would be subject to that form of book, perhaps with the sprinkling of field info & work experience.
So little of my writing is about the work I do which is odd in a way
It's a matter of research, collecting & organizing the material into a style that is widely palatable & yet unique. I've worked with and for authors and writing is a real discipline and much more so when you're doing a book. No project better embraces the old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day".
So....
I guess the first question is...what lights your fire?
We'll talk.
This is a dream , but a possible one, unlike the Lotto.
Ok, we can do it toGETHER?
You have a more deft hand with verbiage than I.
I'm tired. I can't or won't do this alone.
Someone said about getting rich, LOL it is rich already, it;s about shareing....left right, pop the chip. Left right, pop the chip.
Slone's a " Reverance for wood" was a great treatise, I dunno if I can compete.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I think the interest lies in side streets that people want to go down. Stay the course of the freeway but travel the blue highways in doing it and duck down an alley once in a while.Anthony Bourdain (chef, best selling author), has a popular tv show called No Reservations that demonstrates this. I watch it when I catch it. Other cultures, other ways, & other foods, and he keeps it light. I thrive on things other than my day to day reality, but also have a weakness for carnival barkers. Connections. How it's done. And the man is right, life has no reservations. If you lay out the banquet of what you have, they'll come.What it is, something different, specifics, how & why, connections, and throw in some soft shoe. Voila!"What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see..." Paul Williams
Answer any & all under this name. Reason I use the other old one is for some reason I can't get into the Tavern even though I've requested it from Rez - Rez.
Ya readin' this guys!? Lemme in lemme in!!
would yall believe I is a publish author
I believe about anything anymore. It's a world of wonders.
Yes, so answer the man's question already!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Geeze I hope ya saw that.
I spent a few hours cleaning up my stanly baily, that whole thing is getting old. I've got it down to a science, rub this, polish that, rub some more, polish some more.
Then ya wake up, no one USES these anymore, and there is a reason.
But for me, seeing that Stanley imprint on the wood body, pat 1892...is orgasmic.
And the wife loves the look in my eyes, when that first shaving hits the floorSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I have the whole set 'cept for the #1. Some of them tuned and others need a lot of TLC. One's from 1848 with a flexible sole. The hands that held these hold my world, as one day hopefully I hand my world on to others.
There are a bajillion how-to books & if you're buff & a slick talker, you can be on TV & portrayed as an expert like Ty Pennington. Not to say that the guy hasn't worked hard, he's just the perfect package for TV including being "discovered".
It's gotta be something that the rest of them aren't. You have uniqueness in spades, more than most anyone, and you should capitalize on that, but you have to find what it is and reduce it to its essence like the French with their sauces.
I thought about doing a collection of cool, funny, tragic & poetic stories about the trades. Stuff that has happened. Not just my own, but others. God there has been so many good ones told right here.
Another idea was a picture-story book I would do of all the cleaning women (there was one guy a dozen years back) I have known through the years and their stories interspersed with the messes I was making for them. You really get to know them after a while. Trouble is....I can't remember them all now.
Tracy Kidder hit a nerve with the public back in the 80's with his book House. The building of a house....something everyone would be interested in. Think in terms of a wide audience.
Creatively, the world is an endless playground.
If you want to do then you should. I would not assume on making much money, at least for now.
It's the book tours and the groupies he wants!;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Then he should probably write chick-lit or romance novels. Not sure he wants contractor groupies.
I have the theme for Duanne.Seriously."I am Tree"can go back into evolutionary development with a glimpse into the borlean forests and how trees contributed to the atmosphere and makeup of the earth's surface.some of the bio-chemistry and how all those little pumps work to keep sap flowing up and down at the right times in response to sunlight and temps. all the other chemical compounds that make some bacteria fighters and some resist molds and mildews,etc. How fibres intertwine to make for structural strength...and onto things we make with wood from guitars that manipulate sound waves, to turpentine and other fluid product, amber resins that preserve antiquity, physical structures from homes to airplanes, and furniture to makes lives more pleasant....He has a broad spectrum of knowledge already for personal perspective to make all that lively reading - as long as he can refrain from using Spherespeak languages, LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
<as long as he can refrain from using Spherespeak languages>A good editor will take care of that. A little Spherespeak might be what sells it. I see myself standing in a long line to get my copy signed.
or
if he wants a chick lit romance theme, he can do, "My Love Affairs with Lignins"
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I'm hooked on books on tape
I buy them through I Tunes
Anyway, there is a certain author I like and he talked about how he got started.
He got his start by writing music and he wrote country western songs.
He did this for awhile and then started writing books and doing public speaking.
He talks about people telling him he didn't have any connections and so he would never make it as an author.
He said this is totally wrong.
He wrote something, submitted it to publishers, and he got a positive response.
He got his book published and he made some money.
He kept going and he's written a number of books.
He's making good money doing it.
Go For it!
I am.
Bet you'll be done before me and I started years ago.
SamT
A Pragmatic Classical Liberal, aka Libertarian.
I'm always right!
Except when I'm not.
I could...
"I've done so much with so little for so long...I can now do anything with nothing" and you can too....
I might have to lean on junkhound some...
then there is.. "the money you don't spend is money you don't have to earn"
again junkhound might be needed..
then.. "there is the southern Jew cookbook" if you have to ask is that a Turnip or a Matzo Ball?
then "Now you know What Hot is" all about learning from your own pain... you can tell a kid the stove is hot... but until they get burned they really never will understand... like being allowed to fail... being told something won't work is never like experiencing it and learning from it... embrace the pain
maybe in the next chapter of my life...
go for it guy... little about us lives on past a generation of our passing.. few of us have statues in the park... write a book... write a song... build something lasting... and you get a few more years
P:)
My wife is a writer. Not meaning to be discouraging but if there is one industry that has been hit harder than construction in the past several years it has to be publishing. Not only the recession but before that a rather painful adjustment to new non-print technologies.
That aside, there are new ways of getting your stuff out there like print on demand and limited run self-publishing through micro-presses. The first step is rather basic: finding something you know something about that other people might be interested in. Be careful though, we have lots of optimistic friends with attics full of their books that realistically won't be moved until their executors send in crews.
To be devil's advocate, writing is one of those professions with a lot of wrong assumptions about it. As Fingersandtoes mentioned, it's been hit hard by the recession. Something like only 1% of writers ever get anything published. And only 10% of those ever make an actual profit for publishers. Which means the publishers are extremely, fastidiously selective about what they'll print. And right now, with a bad economy, that's fastidious x10.
POD (print on demand) and vanity presses have a bad rep. If your goal is to see your work in print, go for it. If your goal is to be in print and successful, that's not the best way to do it. Typically for non-fiction, publishers and agents want to see the proposal first instead of an actual manuscript. They're also interested in what they call 'platform' (i.e., your target audience, experience and training, trade associations, references, etc.). Again, that pesky issue about profitability.
Go to your local library or book store (reference section) and get the most recent version of Writer's Market or similar. There's a good discussion board for writers called Absolute Write that might help, and an agent site called Agent Query that has the addresses and requirements of lit agents and what they handle.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
http://www.agentquery.com/about.aspx
Take this for what it's worth Sphere
should YOU write a book---and should you attempt to have Taunton publish it are 2 very different things.
I had 4 articles published through Taunton in FHB----- probably worked with at least 3 different editors
along the way- i mentioned i was working on a book-- which the editor had some interest in-------- but frankly advised me to shop it elswere-specifically JLC
his reasoning was- the book publishing division of taunton---is seperate from FHB--and the people he knew at FHB who also had books published----- had Nothing good to say about the book publishing end of it
he also mentioned that th small amount of money I might recieve-- would not be remotely proportionate with the LARGE amount of work involved
you should know---- that even with something as simple as a magazine article- the process is very slow--- some of my articles were written maybe 4 years before they ever hit the newsstand- I don't even want to THINK what the lead time on a book is.
also keep in mind-- that Taunton will use and re-use and Re-re-use anything they publish countless times and you won't see a penney of it.--- you work will appear in compilations, in video's, in DVD's-- heck one of the pictures from one oif my articles is being used on the FHB website right NOW---and it's been several years since it was published and neither I ,nor the photographer weill see a penney from it.
If you want to write--- certainley write---- but don't expect to make any money off it----and don't shop it to taunton.
just my opinion,
stephen
View Imagecopper p0rn
LMAO.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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funny, yet thought-provoking, in a scary (to me) kinda wayView Image bakersfieldremodel.com
I write a lot. Working on a novel now....."the Last Road Trip" but do I have any fantasy of ever getting it published? No, ....Unless you are writing about a governor who just got caught banging his babysitter (or some other trash) it's a sucker bet.BUT writing (fiction at least) is such a rush I could care less......E-books are probably a better bet for a builder type book. I published one once on http://www.Booklocker.com but they don't take fiction.These new readers coming out may have some positive affect.... I hope. The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
The Topics Too Hot For Taunton's Breaktime Forum Tavern
Will you at least publish it online for us?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Especially the bits about the governor and his babysitter!
yes , it will be on my website as a POD (print on demand)I, myself will purchase a couple for the kids and then I can put published author on my resume.........After that I am no longer considered just another lazy old man.:)The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
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Will you at least publish it online for us?(quote)Yep....here it is.................http://www.lulu.com/preview/paperback-book/the-way-of-survival/7656808The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
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didn't stan foster have a book published by taunton? I'm gonna go look it up!
If you wrote a book, I would hope that it would not be over-edited. I would miss the personality and character in your "voice".
Work for the greatest vital intensity - the greatest solidity and aesthetic reality. Finally, eleminate everything non-essential. Reduce to the absolute essence. ~ F.C. Trucksess
If you wrote a book, said Grier to SphereOne danger stands out very clearThat in the editing they dowe just might lose sight of youand I fear the voice of Sphere might disappear - oh dear!
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Edited 9/6/2009 11:13 am by Huck
Dude...Want it to be a best seller no matter whats inside? Call it "I GOT WOOD"!
Thats what I'd call it!!
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The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
The Topics Too Hot For Taunton's Breaktime Forum Tavern
I haven't even gotten around to a website yet, by the time I get a BOOK wrote, I won't have much for wood. LOL.
Thinking the voice to text might be a way to start off, then I can just blab it and edit later. Or not.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I bought this tiny recorder I take on estimates. It's less then twice the thickness of a BIC lighter. Might be a good idea to use sumpin' like that and just carry it around.
I plug a tiny earbud into mine when I play it back cuz the speakers in those tiny recorders kinda suck...or my ears do.View Image
The Woodshed Tavern Backroom
The Topics Too Hot For Taunton's Breaktime Forum Tavern
I use http://www.blurb.com for self-publishing print-on-demand books (portfolio, photo books). The software is free, the price per book is somewhat more than a bookstore price, but much less than the old print-on-demand used to be (and much higher quality). You just have to order one copy for them to keep it in their files, then you or anyone can order more later, no minimum. Photo books are more expensive, a book with mostly text would be significantly less.
My books
View ImageView Image bakersfieldremodel.com
Nice!.....workI'm going to save the URL to blurb. I've heard of that before.The Woodshed Tavern Backroomwow, man.....I just checked out their website and they have the "stuff" to make a blog book. . . ..and I have a blog that is real close to deletion. I'm going to make a blog! book......thank you very much.
Edited 9/8/2009 9:30 am ET by jjwalters
I was in a book store yesterday
Ninety nine percent of the books are new.
They had used books mixed in with all the rest!
Anyway, there was a section entitled "local authors"
This meant authors from the state of Kansas
Anyway, there were some cool books.
One book was written by a cop.
Just short, half page, or one page stories of his experiences arresting people over 20+ years.
Another book was entitled "Kansas Architecture" and throughout the book was black and white pictures and descriptions of the many many different types of houses, churches, commercial buildings throughout the state.
Interestingly, another book was written by an attorney who is also a basketball coach
The entire book contained biblical passages that pertain to sports and athletics.
There were books with local foods and recipes
Books describing local plants and flowers
Books describing local history
Books on local trivia. Books on "strange things" (like ripleys believe it or not - two headed cow pictures, etc)
Take a walk through a bookstore - lots to see
That had to have been an independent book store. The B&N here has some local stuff but not enough.You're right though, a book store is quite the place for a long afternoon linger, especially if there's good coffee & tables on premise.
Do you have used book stores there where you're at?I went to one a couple of days ago - it's strictly used booksI know the people that own it and they are really struggling to make itI bought used 9-10 used paperback for $2.99 each
My best friend and I have been working on The Legend Of Hurt, for Oh gosh at least 18 to 20 years now. We used to bat it back and forth a lot. Not so much lately. Probably have 200 pages wrote. It's good fun. Last time he was in town he dropped it off again. I guess it's my turn to write a chapter.
It's fiction/comedy. and Ironically enough it takes place when the economy collapses. Maybe I should get on that some more. Might be a good time to have it on the streets. LOL
Will I ever try to publish it? Nah. I might hawk it at Breaktime conventions in the future though. You know, when we all get to Internet superstar status, and promotors rent meeting rooms at the Hyatt or (Freds Motor lodge) and we get to sit at a table and charge for autographs.
Edited 9/16/2009 2:32 pm ET by Gunner
Yes tank you i would bee most happy to write a letter of introduction for your book.
Yeah, that and a chapter devoted to the BT Experiance....."Sphere, the BT Years" LOL.
Start writing, I'm thinking an autobiographical , instructional, pseudo psycho-intellectual, comedic and anecdotal book of great reading.
Toss in some Zen teachings and Aesopian fable like truisms amongst the "How to fell a tree" lessons of physics and inertia where the axe heads speed and mass ejects a chip of wood in proportion to the tree's desire to give up under repeated attack of the axman who cometh..
And of course include our old friend Murphy and how the tree will find the only truck in 30 miles to land on.
I am doing it , one way or another.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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LOL. Howsabout. "Great characters i have met on BT". And how i named my chickens after them in honorarium.
I hadda get rid of Pete, and Martin, and Dominick...they were too much trouble and never STFU..allllllllll Dayyyyyyy noise.
So a friend's daughter is keeping them for 4-H shows and ribbons and such.
So they are not cock fighting or Mc nuggets at least.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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