Thinking Outside the Book (An Invitation)
I’ve been told that in the writing of every book there comes a time (or times) when the author begins to wonder whether all the effort he or she is putting into the project is worth it. For me it usually comes when I am about a third of the way into the writing, when I have submitted book proposals to a half-dozen publishers, and have received an equal number of rejection letters. I start asking myself, “Is there any publisher out there who’s going to take the bait? And if they do, is anyone going to read it.
Well, I’m at that point with FaithX…that point where those thoughts and feelings typically start bubbling up for me. I am four chapters into a 12-chapter book and six-for-six on book proposals and rejection letters. And while a few of those familiar thoughts and feelings are popping up intermittently, this time my thinking has entered new territory.
In effect, I’ve begun thinking outside the book — in two areas: self publishing and serial publishing.
Self publishing means thinking outside the traditional publishing model. On the front end, it means selecting (and paying) your own copy editor, book cover designer, website designer, etc., on a contract basis, or working with a group that helps you line them up. Then, when production time comes, you partner with a self-publishing company, such as CreateSpace (Amazon.com) or XLibris. The benefit of self-publishing means you have a lot more control over the creation and marketing of your book (though some might say this is also a downside). I’ve been exploring this approach with my colleague Joseph Duggan over at Borderless Press.
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Serial Publishing would mean thinking outside the traditional authorship model. I would be developing the book using an open access approach, similar to the open-source, rapid review process I employed in developing the research paper on which FaithX is based. Much like the old-timey serial approach through which Charles Dickens and others published their work, I would release a single chapter free every 3–4 weeks, complete with suggested discussion questions, practical application ideas, and helpful worksheets, and my audience of practitioners to engage me in feedback and discussion.
And so I’d like all of you reading this what you think, especially about the open access, serial publishing approach that I am considering. I have two questions for you:
- Would receiving a free chapter of FaithX every few weeks be of use to you?
- Would you be willing to engage me with questions and feedback after reading each chapter?
Please write me at ken@faithx.net and let me know what you think.
The author apologizes for his absence from the blogosphere for more than a week.
He was under the weather.
