Book Update 1/18/2010

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And the latest update on the Fan To Pro Book from Last week.

Updates:

  • I'm still adding extra content.  Frankly its hard to know where to stop – and when I risk diluting the book.  I'm sure this is going to be updated every year or two.  Most of it is done, and the final question is if I include some extra resources.
  • I got an offer to have a pro-drawn cover by another small press enthusiast I know.  I'm debating that – I'm still torn between a more abstract cover versus something more colorful that they offer.  I've gotten a lot of conflicting advice on what to do cover-wise.
  • The book looks like it'll be 6" by 9" and around 100-120 pages.
  • I am not decided on an index.  I'm leaning towards no, or a very small one.  I have determined a comprehensive index is useless and a waste of space.
  • I'm going with Arial type.  I'm debating if 10pt or 12pt is best.  I want it very readable but not bulked up.

Lessons Learned:

  • I like double-spaces between paragraphs for technical and educational books like this one, but not fiction.  Not sure that helps, but it is interesting.
  • Non-fiction books can be hard to really measure.  In this case I've looked at the book so much it seems a bit stale and incomplete no matter how much I include.
  • Doing a book and a blog at the same time requires you know where one ends and the other begins.
  • Someone needs to write a book on cover design.  Or I haven't found it yet.
  • I really like Arial.

Still on target for late March/early April.

– Steven Savage

Weekly Challenge: Inspire

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Ready for your weekly Geek Career Challenge?  Well it's here anyway.

It's hard at times for even the most imaginative of us to find new ideas.  It can be for a story, a database structure, or a marketing plan – we're just tapped out.  We all know too well those moments where inspiration leaves us, even in mundane tasks.

I find that inspiration works best when shared.  We know the power of sharing ideas and brainstorming together as we've experienced it many times in our lives – even when we may forget it.  Sharing ideas brings about new ones.

We can forget the importance of sharing ideas and inspiring each other when we, ourselves, are out of ideas.  Being out of ideas, we crave inspiration or even a good suggestion that might lead to fresh, fiery inspiration. Wanting this, we can get selfish and forget others have the same issues – and miss our chance to inspire them, and thus be inspired in turn.

So your goal for this week is to help someone who needs inspiration.

Look for someone who needs ideas, needs to bounce something off of you, has their imagination paralyzed by exhaustion or confusion or just plain no ideas.  When you find this person (or people), go out of their way to help inspire them by listening, or brainstorming with them or just making a suggestion.  As you make your efforts, go out of your way to do what you can to help get their minds moving.

When you inspire others, you can get inspired in turn, and encourage them to inspire even more people.  Make your contribution to keep brainstorming going in the world.

– Steven Savage

Fandom Shifts and Professionalism

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Being the old geek that I am, I've seen fandom change over the decades (yes, decades).  I remember the 'zine days leading to the internet revolution.  I remember when Doctor Who was obscure as opposed to a sex symbol.  I remember the comics revolution – and the comics bust.

Yes, I've seen a lot.  And I'm old – in fact having seen all of this probably makes me feel even older.

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