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Thread: There won't be a book (at least, not now)

  1. #1
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    There won't be a book (at least, not now)

    In the thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15154, I examined the possibility of writing a book about the construction of my shop. I have decided not to go ahead with the book, at least not at this time.

    First, here is my analysis of the poll:

    • The responses to the poll have just about petered out. I had hoped for about 200 votes but only received about one third that number.

    • On the surface the percentage that would or might buy the book is encouraging but then again, 631 folks read the thread but only one tenth of them voted.

    • My guess is that of the approximately 570 people who did not vote about 1/3 are not members of Saw Mill Creek. That leaves about 380 people who could have voted but chose not to do so.

    • I must assume that, if a person did not vote, then that person would not be interested in the proposed book.

    • So, I am adding 380 to the last choice, and this results in the numbers:

    would buy the book_______________________________9_______2.2%

    about a 50% chance that I would buy the book________9________2.2%

    about a 25% chance that I would buy the book________4________0.9%

    none of the above, but I might buy if recommended_____7________1.5%

    doubt very much that I would buy the book__________412_______93.4%
    • These are not good numbers, particularly when I would think that the folks at Saw Mill Creek are a representative demographic of the most likely audience for the book.


    Other Considerations:

    • I think that Christian's observation: "But my favorite topic is basically the inner structure of a shop - shelves, dust collection, well-thought storage, machinery ..." applies to a lot of folks (including me). So any book that I write now would be considered incomplete by a lot of folks.

    • Some number of people told me that they would prefer hard copy to a CD. Providing such a thing is a whole other dimension and one that I am not willing to finance (at least, not right now).

    • Margaret (my wife) has a lot of projects that she wants me to work on that were put on hold in 2004. It would be best for domestic tranquility not to undertake a book writing and promotion task right now.


    What will I do:

    • I will continue to make notes and take pictures as I populate the shop with machinery, cabinets, etc in order to have more complete material should a book eventually happen.

    • I will work on many of Margaret's projects.

    • Later in the year I will pursue the possibility of a magazine article (if anyone has any contacts and would be willing to send them to me, I would appreciate it).

    • If the article happens, then I will consider a book possibility as well.

    I thank everyone who responded to the thread, everyone who voted, and everyone who sent me private mail on the subject. I am neither disappointed nor discouraged.
    Last edited by Frank Pellow; 01-03-2005 at 6:47 AM.

  2. #2
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    I think you are premature "jumped the gun" with this thread but you have done it so all further responses will be tainted now. The survey was to last until Feb. 5, 2005, you didn't give it a chance in my opinion. Connect with this that it was stated by Chris IIRC, that once you voted you could no longer see how/what others had voted. This later point was enough to keep my vote out of the mix until the end 2/5/05. Gee, do you think I was all alone with this line of deduction? I'm sure, we won't know for sure now.

    There won't be a book (at least, not now)


    I have been very interested in your progress and looked forward to the updates even if I thought of your project as a sort of - design by committee - you were the guy doing the work. Having designed and built my own shop, I can appreciate the efforts of others that build their own shops. It's not for everybody. I have been working for some time at putting my shop design and execution on CD but I'm not sure it will be completed and if it was, who might be interested.
    Work safe, have fun, enjoy the sport.
    Remember that a guy never has to come down out of the clouds if he keeps filling the valleys with peaks. Steve

  3. #3
    Frank,

    I would neither be dissapointed nor discouraged. I see that your thread on the construction of your workshop has almost 20,000 views and 320 repsonses. I'd bet that was one of the most popular, longest running threads on SMC !

    Bob
    bob m

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Stube
    I think you are premature "jumped the gun" with this thread but you have done it so all further responses will be tainted now. The survey was to last until Feb. 5, 2005, you didn't give it a chance in my opinion. Connect with this that it was stated by Chris IIRC, that once you voted you could no longer see how/what others had voted. This later point was enough to keep my vote out of the mix until the end 2/5/05. Gee, do you think I was all alone with this line of deduction? I'm sure, we won't know for sure now.
    I never intended that the poll run more than a few days. I noticed the closing date and tried to change it, but was unable to figure out how to do so.


    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Stube
    I have been very interested in your progress and looked forward to the updates even if I thought of your project as a sort of - design by committee - you were the guy doing the work. .
    Thanks Steve, I am glad that you enjoyed the thread.


    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Stube
    Having designed and built my own shop, I can appreciate the efforts of others that build their own shops. It's not for everybody. I have been working for some time at putting my shop design and execution on CD but I'm not sure it will be completed and if it was, who might be interested.
    I hope that you do finished the CD and I would be interested in seeing it if you do.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by BOB MARINO
    Frank,

    I would neither be dissapointed nor discouraged. I see that your thread on the construction of your workshop has almost 20,000 views and 320 repsonses. I'd bet that was one of the most popular, longest running threads on SMC !

    Bob
    Thanks Bob. It would appear that I know how to keep an intersting thread going (but that does not necessarily mean that the thread can be translated into a book with sufficient interest ).

  6. #6
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    Frank,

    Don't take this the wrong way, but if you wrote a book, I would assume your audience is bigger than the folks asm SMC. So if you wrote a book on the techniques / tips for building your own shop, well I don't think that's off base. I think it would sell. Do I think it would be a best seller like if Maloof wrote one on "How I build my beautiful rockers?" but I think it would have an audience.


    Keith

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Christopher
    Frank,

    Don't take this the wrong way, but if you wrote a book, I would assume your audience is bigger than the folks asm SMC. So if you wrote a book on the techniques / tips for building your own shop, well I don't think that's off base. I think it would sell. Do I think it would be a best seller like if Maloof wrote one on "How I build my beautiful rockers?" but I think it would have an audience.


    Keith
    I would hope that the audience for such a book is bigger, but I really do think that the members of Saw Mill Creek are representative of that audience.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pellow
    I would hope that the audience for such a book is bigger, but I really do think that the members of Saw Mill Creek are representative of that audience.
    I respectfully disagree Frank, most folks at SMC already have shops set up, be it a formal place like yours, a garage or a basement. If I were in a bookstore looking at WW books, and saw one on how to build a shop, and another on joinery, wood types, or furniture design; the how to build a shop wouldn't have much of a chance. I already have a shop!

    My father always told me to 'Go with your gut feeling' ....... If you still have the desire to write the book GO FOR IT !

    My $0.02 for free, worth exactly what you paid for it!

    PS: Have a Wonderful, Happy and Healthy New Year Frank, and keep on posting, I always enjoy your posts.
    Last edited by Tony Falotico; 01-01-2005 at 7:27 PM.
    Tony

  9. #9
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    Keep in mind that the number of views isn't necessarily representative of the acutal number of unique viewers. Aaron can better explain but I understood that after a certain amount of time and/or certain situations, one could check a thread already viewed and the counter would count it as a first-time view a tick upwards.
    Wood: a fickle medium....

    Did you know SMC is user supported? Please help.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Padilla
    Keep in mind that the number of views isn't necessarily representative of the acutal number of unique viewers. Aaron can better explain but I understood that after a certain amount of time and/or certain situations, one could check a thread already viewed and the counter would count it as a first-time view a tick upwards.
    I didn't know that Chris. Aaron, I am interested in the algorithm that is used. What is it?

    Whatever the algorithm, the number of votes was only about one third of what I had hoped for and my decision stands.

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