In the thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15071, a number of people have encouraged me to write a book about the construction of my workshop.
I have done a fair amount of technical writing and editing (and even won awards for same) in the past and I have several friends who are authors, so I know how much work is entailed. I also know that it is very very difficult to make any money.
Nevertheless, the aspect of producing a book is enticing. The easiest and cheapest way that I could do this would be to establish a web site, show fragments of the book on that site, and sell the book in soft copy as a CD that I would mail out. I also think that this would be the best way to reach a wide audience.
I envision the "book" as containing:
• A diary of day to day (well not every day) progress, setbacks, thoughts, fears, and plans. This would include embedded pictures. This part would be somewhere between 180 and 220 "pages" long, including pictures.I would wait until the shop is finally populated with machinery before I actually "published" the book and the reasons for purchasing what I finally decide upon would form part of the diary. I think that I could have everything in place to start selling the book by the end of March or April 2005.
• Workshop layout and site plans (including evolution of same)
• Electrical plans (including evolution of same)
• Dust control plans (including evolution of same)
• Material list and costs (including alternatives considered and rejected).
• About 100 additional photos, including among other things a few series of progressive site photos taken from the same spot over time
I think that the price (including shipping) would be about $15 (either US or Canadian) a copy.
Another thought is that I might submit an very short version of this to various magazines and see if any of them would be willing to publish it as an article.
I would also like your opinion about whether or not I should offer a "hard copy" option (probably for about $25 to $30).
Please answer that attached poll.
I would also like any advice and suggestions about these (very) tentative plans.