Day 2...
Here we are, November 2nd, day 2 of NaBloPoMo. I love that word. Last night, when I was lying awake in the dark, I kept saying it over and over in my head, coming up with different accentuations. NAblopomo. NAbloPOmo. NaBLOpomo. NabloPOmo. Yeah, you get the picture.
Speaking of pictures, I was all ready to upload the Halloween pictures to post today but I can't find the USB cord for my camera. If you could see my house, you'd know why. I'm afraid it's just going to be words today.
This morning Owen and I went to the Friday morning playgroup at Abundant Yarn. Heather, the lovely new owner, has a daughter who's just a little younger than Owen and on Friday mornings opens up the shop to harried moms and tiny terrors. I also met up with Larissa and her small fry, who is around Owen's age as well. Once Owen got over his fear that the other kids were going to take his airplanes away forever, he had a great time. Heather even took all the kids to see the store rabbit, allowing Larissa and I some time to chat about book publishing and TNNA. Larissa's book is coming out in the spring, and I've got a couple book ideas kicking around that I eventually want to do something with, so we had a good chat about it.
I am really conflicted about the whole book thing. On the one hand, who doesn't want a glossy, beautiful knitting book with their name on the front cover? It seems like the ultimate goal for a designer, which is why I think I continue to feel so compelled to do it. It feels like a book is respected in a way that pattern leaflets and individual designs in compilations aren't. Maybe it's just me. On the flip side, a book is a lot of work. It involves the labyrinth of publishing contracts and agents and negotiating a fair deal for yourself while navigating the fine line between not letting yourself get screwed and not being so bullheaded that you tick off your agent and publisher and they decide they never want to work with you. It frightens me.
On the other hand, I'll be going to Cat Bordhi's Visionary Retreat for self-publishing authors in February (my 2nd time in attendance). While I think that self-publishing could ultimately be the best way to go, it frightens me as well. I almost feel like I need someone to lead me through the book-writing process the first time, or it just won't ever get done. It's too easy to get distracted with other projects, like designing one-offs for my pattern line or submitting to the various and sundry books and mags that are always soliciting designs. I just can't decide what I want to do, and so I do nothing.
I did write up a proposal a few months ago for a sock book and sent it off to a publisher. An editor contacted me and said that they liked my book idea but it wasn't marketable because too many other sock books have come out lately. She asked if I had any other ideas, and I sent her a few that were also shot down as "unmarketable". I think this kind of gave me cold feet about working up another proposal. They're a lot of work, and it's hard to commit to putting in all that time when I'm not sure that it's going to pan out. I think what I'll ultimately do is write up the proposal for the book I have in my head right now (there are actually two, and I love them both) and shop it around. If it doesn't get any takers, I'll self-publish. I really need to love the idea enough to keep it going no matter what happens, and I think I finally have that. Now, if only I could find a way to keep all these other little projects from encroaching on my book-proposal-polishing time...
Well, I'm two for two - only 28 more posts to go! Can you stand it?
Speaking of pictures, I was all ready to upload the Halloween pictures to post today but I can't find the USB cord for my camera. If you could see my house, you'd know why. I'm afraid it's just going to be words today.
This morning Owen and I went to the Friday morning playgroup at Abundant Yarn. Heather, the lovely new owner, has a daughter who's just a little younger than Owen and on Friday mornings opens up the shop to harried moms and tiny terrors. I also met up with Larissa and her small fry, who is around Owen's age as well. Once Owen got over his fear that the other kids were going to take his airplanes away forever, he had a great time. Heather even took all the kids to see the store rabbit, allowing Larissa and I some time to chat about book publishing and TNNA. Larissa's book is coming out in the spring, and I've got a couple book ideas kicking around that I eventually want to do something with, so we had a good chat about it.
I am really conflicted about the whole book thing. On the one hand, who doesn't want a glossy, beautiful knitting book with their name on the front cover? It seems like the ultimate goal for a designer, which is why I think I continue to feel so compelled to do it. It feels like a book is respected in a way that pattern leaflets and individual designs in compilations aren't. Maybe it's just me. On the flip side, a book is a lot of work. It involves the labyrinth of publishing contracts and agents and negotiating a fair deal for yourself while navigating the fine line between not letting yourself get screwed and not being so bullheaded that you tick off your agent and publisher and they decide they never want to work with you. It frightens me.
On the other hand, I'll be going to Cat Bordhi's Visionary Retreat for self-publishing authors in February (my 2nd time in attendance). While I think that self-publishing could ultimately be the best way to go, it frightens me as well. I almost feel like I need someone to lead me through the book-writing process the first time, or it just won't ever get done. It's too easy to get distracted with other projects, like designing one-offs for my pattern line or submitting to the various and sundry books and mags that are always soliciting designs. I just can't decide what I want to do, and so I do nothing.
I did write up a proposal a few months ago for a sock book and sent it off to a publisher. An editor contacted me and said that they liked my book idea but it wasn't marketable because too many other sock books have come out lately. She asked if I had any other ideas, and I sent her a few that were also shot down as "unmarketable". I think this kind of gave me cold feet about working up another proposal. They're a lot of work, and it's hard to commit to putting in all that time when I'm not sure that it's going to pan out. I think what I'll ultimately do is write up the proposal for the book I have in my head right now (there are actually two, and I love them both) and shop it around. If it doesn't get any takers, I'll self-publish. I really need to love the idea enough to keep it going no matter what happens, and I think I finally have that. Now, if only I could find a way to keep all these other little projects from encroaching on my book-proposal-polishing time...
Well, I'm two for two - only 28 more posts to go! Can you stand it?
posted by knittinmom at 1:18 PM
4 Comments:
Seriously, I love how editors think that another sock book isn't marketable because there are so many out now. Hello? I don't know any groups out there who collect books more than knitters!
I have to agree with Lori. I mean, really, how many sock books do we each have? LOTS! :) And are we willing to buy more? OF COURSE!!
Stick with it, gal, there's room (and an audience) for you out there!
Hi there,
It was really fun to meet at playgroup. One upside of publishing a book that I forgot to mention is that you control what yarn you use. You get to decide the perfect yarn and color for each project, and that was REALLY fun for me. I could edit your book for you, if you decide to self-publish - or someone else you trust who has any book experience.
See you again soon!
What would an editor know about what is marketable in knitting unless he/she is knitting, going to knitting stores, on the internet looking at knitting, and visiting knitting blogs. Keep looking! I love books too! Maybe I am cheap (thrifty?) but find so much more value in a book than in a leaflet.
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