Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Book publishers, who needs 'em?

[Diane Margolis (diane]

As another published author (two books, many articles) I want to ditto
Whitney's advice.  I'm also an editor and I rewrite my work so often that
editors pretty much leave it alone and I find the process more helpful than
painful.  If they're not trying to make you say things you don't think are
true, you'd be better off following their advice.
Diane Margolis
Cambridge Cohousing
----- Original Message -----
From: "whitney beers" <whitneybeers [at] earthlink.net>
To: "Developing cohousing - collaborative housing communities"
<cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 10:32 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Book publishers, who needs 'em?


> My longer message was lost in the too-fast click of the mouse.  The gist
was: reconsider their offer.  I write, I am edited, I am always offended by
the edits, but the newspapers keeps selling.  They know how to do it and so
I let them make as few changes as possible, but they always insist on some
(sometimes many).  In the bigger scheme of things, it seldom makes much
differnce in the story, and the reader doesn't know it was a rewrite, so
much of my pain as an author being "improved" goes unnoticed... It's a funny
thing having our literal brainchildren tweaked.  It's a harrowing process
for every writer that I know.
>
> The publishing company will be able to market this book so much
effectively than you will, and it won't cost you a dime.  The result will be
some compromise, yes, but you will reach more people and next time will have
more of a say in what stays in publication of your next manuscript.  I know,
I know - it's an offensive process.  I hate it as well.  Please reconsider
their offer and really, really evaluate the overall effect of the final
changes.
>
> Whitney.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Graham Meltzer <graham [at] grahammeltzer.com>
> Sent: Oct 1, 2004 9:22 AM
> To: cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org
> Subject: [C-L]_ Book publishers, who needs 'em?
>
> Hi all
>
> This is a rather sad tale, so I'll spare you much of the detail.  But I'd
> really appreciate any feedback anyone can offer.
>
> Some of you will know me as that Australian researcher who comes by every
> now and again asking pesky questions and taking pics. I have been
> researching cohousing for 10+ years now... originally spent time in
Denmark
> and since 1996 have visited the US and Canada 3 or 4 times to research
> cohousing communities, mostly in the West.  Initially I worked on a PhD
> which was completed in 2000, and subsequently on a book which is an
updating
> of the PhD, adapted for a general readership.  I've worked on the book in
my
> spare time over the last 4 years, spending perhaps 6 - 9 full time months
on
> it and a grant of US$10K on the travel. It comprises roughly one third
> theory, one third case studies and one third analysis.  The case studies
are
> all Pacific Rim - Canada, US, NZ, Australia and Japan. I've had numerous
> people read drafts and the feedback has been very favourable.  The
cohousing
> communities included as case studies have all seen the mini chapter I
wrote
> about them and the feedback in every case was very positive.  And they all
> loved the pics (I do commercial photography as a day job).
>
> I finished the manuscript about a year ago and set about finding a
> publisher.  I've been negotiating with two, then one over the last year.
> Yes folks, it's taken 12 months of negotiation to get to a point where,
this
> evening, I get and email from this firm (a UK publisher of sustainability
> related books) suggesting that they would be happy to send me a contract
IF
> I'm prepared to make the following changes .... and the letter goes on for
> two pages more. This is after several similar demands over the last 6
months
> which I've gone along with.  But this one, I'm afraid, has broken the
> camel's back.  I've basically lost trust in them and the process and have
> decided to go no further with them.
>
> I don't have the heart or the stamina to start the same process over again
> with another conventional publisher.  So now I'm getting to the point.
Does
> anyone have any ideas or experience or suggestions to offer that might
help
> me decide what to do next.  The choices are numerous.  I could self
publish
> ... expensive.  I could turn it into PDF files and put it on my web site
and
> ask people who download to maybe donate something.  Of I could do that
more
> seriously ... ie make it downloadable for a price using PayPal.  In either
> case the number of takers is probably going to be limited.  Or I could
> forget the whole thing and get on with my life.  Or there might be other
> options people could suggest.
>
> Sorry to have taken up so much space, but I really think it would be a
great
> shame and loss for the cohousing movement if this just dies at this point.
>
> Best wishes
> Graham Meltzer
> www.grahammeltzer.com
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
>
>
>