My book is due in just over a month. This is a fact that is causing me a fair amount of anxiety. I know I’ll get it done in time, but will it be good? I don’t know. Roy Tennant, trying to be nice and give me advice a while back, told me that I need to do a really good job because what I write will reflect on me for many years to come. Gulp! I know I have a pretty good blog writing style, but I don’t know if I’m a “book writer” by virtue of the fact that I’ve never written a book. I don’t know how to write like the author of a book, or at least I’m not sure if I can. I spent the weekend writing the introduction to the book which was funny because I had no idea how an intro should look since I usually skip over them when I read! Needless to say, I was scouring the intros of all of the library-related books I had at home (and I promise I’ll never skip one again!!!). I also have a book chapter due two weeks after my book. So, I’m going to be pretty darn busy until mid-July.
This is why you’re not going to hear much from me until then. I may blog a bit just because I find it therapeutic, but don’t be surprised if you hear at most a peep or two out of me this coming month. And I must apologize in advance if I don’t get back to your e-mails for a good long while (unless they’re about pressing issues and I know you personally). I get a lot of e-mails from new librarians and folks in library school as well as aspiring wiki creators. Normally, I get back to people really quickly, but that will not be the case until mid-July. I just can’t focus on anything else.
Later this summer I’ll offer more details on what I (and the people I’ve asked to organize this with me) are thinking of in terms of online education. I will definitely be asking for volunteers from all over the library blogosphere to volunteer for various pieces of the endeavor. But from the comments on my last post, it sounds like a lot of people have some great ideas for online education and conferences. I think the more different models we all try for providing education in the online medium, the better we will know in the future how to design an ideal program on a dime. YAY!
Oh yeah, and go read Dorothea’s terrific post on conference economics, different types of speakers, and online conferences (and not just because she calls me a “hardcore altruist” in it). Dorothea has the distinct misfortune of listening to me wax poetically (over IM) about my idealistic visions of free online education almost daily. She’s a pretty altruistic person herself, even if part of her just wants to “show ALA how it’s done.” Hey, can’t say I feel any differently about it. 😉
Your book will be terrific. Your priorities are correct; it’s hard to balance extended blogging and book-writin’ (though blogs can be a great place to goof off when you need a break–hey, look at me now!). I even unplug the phone when I’m deep into writing REM because even a brief conversation can throw me off for half an hour.
If you think it would help, find friends who can read sections of the manuscript. I’d offer, but realistically, I’m barely able to juggle MPOW by day and my major project (a 200-page essay collection) by whatever time is left over. Good luck!
Thanks Karen! Yeah, I almost bit my husband’s head off numerous times today because he’d walk by and ask me about the bird he saw outside or ask me if I wanted tea and I was like “DO YOU NOT SEE THAT I’M WRITING?!?!?” I feel much more sorry for him than I do for myself, because he has to live with me!
And good luck with your MFA project. I can imagine how relieved you and I will both be when our behemouth writing projects are done!
I can beta-read. It’s another thing I’ve been paid for that I’m quite willing to do for free. 🙂
I used to train graduate students about the “imposter syndrome” — basically that feeling that somehow you don’t deserve to be where you are and maybe you are just a phony with all this fancy-smanshy writing stuff.
Well, they call it a syndrome because it has nothing to do with reality. The book will be great for a number of reasons: a) you are working hard to make sure it’s not a flop, b) you know what you are talking about and c) if your publisher is genuine to any degree, they will be committed to making you a success.
And in the unlikely event that your success is lukewarm, it will not reflect that badly on you. The things that reflect badly on your are things like lack of integrity or being a liar. Not being the next Ranganathan is not the end of the world and I’m sure that even he had his lukewarm book-writing successes too.
God, I’d like to re-write my last comment (I have a two-year-old in my background)!
Let me re-state — thing that reflect badly are things like lack of integrity and being a liar — traits that cannot be immediately attributable to you, Meredith. And being the next Ranganathan is certainly in your grasp — don’t let fear of failure or any temporary set-backs get in your way.
What Ryan said. It could be this is the most amazing debut title in the history of Bibliopublishing! An astonishing work! And with your writing skills, this is entirely possible. But if this work doesn’t quite make it to the bibliobestseller lists, trust me, you have many great works ahead of you–not all book-length. After all, you do call yourself a writer on the banner of this blog. I think what Ryan was getting at was don’t let any shortcomings of your first book (which we nonetheless predict will be wonderful) prevent you from writing more books in the future–it’s a “first book,” after all!
Good luck, Meredith! May the words flow.. errm .. like a pleasant.. river..
Mine obviously aren’t :[
😀
Well, here I am, once again trying to be nice — but hopefully with better effect this time :-). You said “I don’t know how to write like the author of a book, or at least I’m not sure if I can.” Don’t sweat it. There isn’t any hidden secret. Expository writing like what you’re doing and is what most of us do in libraryland is mostly about being clear. You’re “pretty good blog writing style” is actually pretty good book writing style, just longer. Sure, maybe you can’t be quite as personal and informal in a book as in a blog, but you can be pretty close. You have a particular writing voice, as we all do. Be true to it, get your facts right, and you’ll be great.
I’m coming to this late, but, what everyone else said. And, I sucked you into this in the first place because I have faith that you can do it — you can write!
What Roy sez. (Well, maybe with understanding “your” vs. “you’re” since copy editors aren’t always that great–but hey, Roy, I know blog writing is prone to problems.)
You’re clearly an effective, clear writer. Based on my limited experience (only 14 books so far), I question the existence of a separate “book style”: Clear prose is clear prose. There’s Stuffy Academic Prose, but no sane library book publisher wants that… I’m betting you’ll do fine.
As I’m sure your publisher has told you or will tell you, “best seller” means something very different within the library world. 1,200 copies is good. 2,000 is great (“best seller” in my book). 5,000+ is Big Time Bestseller…and not very common.
For some topics, 500 copies is just fine…
Thanks Walt, Roy, Karen, Dorothea, CW, Rachel and Ryan! I’m feeling a bit more confident as I’m editing and reading through the book and realizing that it’s not as bad as I’d expected. In fact, there are some chapters I’m pretty happy with.
Ryan, you are so right about this imposter syndrome. I vacilate between feeling very lucky for the amazing year I’ve had and very guilty because I don’t know why I deserve it over other people. Then again, I really didn’t spend the year laying around and twiddling my thumbs. I’m trying to get over the idea that one day y’all are going to find out I’m really nothing special.
I think the book might sell ok by virtue of the fact that people are REALLY interested in social software and nothing thus far has come out that is geared solely for libraries or that covers as much ground as mine will. Or maybe lots of people will buy my book because I mention so many bloggers and libraries in it. 😉 I didn’t go into this expecting to make a dime, though I certainly wouldn’t mind if I did. I just wanted to know that I could write a book. And it’s amazing for me to look at this giant pile of papers and words sitting on my coffee table and realize that I did it.