Avatar photoSteven Savage

Book Update 1/12/2010

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Awhile ago I complained about no updates to the Warhammer 40K MMO.  Time to make sure I post updates on the Fan To Pro book.

I've been working on this since the summer – it got delayed as, when 80% complete, I decided my design didn't work.  So I sat down and rewrote the whole thing.  Frankly it's much better.

So here's the update, and I'll have new ones every now and then until publication.

  • The contents of the book are mostly done.  I want to add a bit more, especially a few more resource sections for "best resources."  I have best books and best online resources, but I want to think over if I need more.
  • The intro needs to be rewritten.  Oddly, its the part I'm least happy with.
  • The book is edited otherwise.  All the additions are new sections.  I fansourced the book editing out.
  • There will be an intro from my co-blogger, Bonnie, who has been through all of this with me.
  • 'm debating if the book needs an index.  The chapters are very clearly organized and differentiated, and I don't know if the book needs an index.
  • The cover is proving to be a pain to come up with.  Since I expect most sales to be online, that actually changes the kind of cover one wants to use.
  • I realized I need to develop a better plan to make people aware of the book, and have been researching that.

Here's what I've learned:

  • The archetypal book you think of doesn't exist in reality.  Books vary based on many factors.  I, loving indexes, find it odd that I'm thinking of leaving one out.
  • It's actually easy to write a book if you come up with a detailed outline first then write that to flesh it out.  It's a lot like good fiction.
  • There's quite a few self-publishing options.  Lulu.com managed to be a best-of-breed type.  Their success, however, also acted as a beacon to others to figure out how to make their self-publishing work.
  • Covers are a pain.  There's really no formula or plan to them.

The current publication date will be somewhere late March/early April 2010.  The unsurety comes from how fast I can get my proof.  I am using Lulu.com – so expect a review out of that.

So that's where I am.  A few more months and we're there.

– Steven Savage

Weekly Challenge – Mirror, Mirror

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Here's your weekly challenge.  We're going to get a bit psychological.

I want you to ask yourself, what your complete opposite is like. What's the "you" from the Mirror Universe, Bizarro World, whatever fictional opposite-land you prefer as a metaphor.  Who is this other you? what motivates them? What do they do – and what don't they do? What is their daily life like?

Once you have a good image of this UnYou, ask yourself a few questions:

  • What is it that they do that you wish you did or should?
  • What is it that you do they don't that you're proud of?
  • Is this alternate you happier or sadder than you?  Why?
  • What do they do for a living, and does it work?
  • What do they do for fun, and why?  Does it make them happy?
  • What can you learn from them and what can they learn from you?

This week, take a look in the mirror and find out what you learn.

(Though I won't go into much detail on my experience with this exercise, I realized I was much happier than my opposite.)

– Steven Savage

Convention Idea – Presentations on Certifications

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

So what certifications are the pro-fans at your con interested in?

People who want careers based around their interests and obsessions have many steps to follow – education, employment, portfolio building, etc.  Missing from this list in all too many cases are professional certifications, except, perhaps in the IT field (and even then they can get overlooked).  Even though certifications can make a difference in a job search (as I have seen firsthand), they do get forgotten all too easily.

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