[fibrefarmer]

I've embarked on the journey of creating my first book. I finished writing it last spring, and have spent the last few months working towards getting it published. We are very nearly there and it should be out this winter.

It's been interesting, this idea of writing for a living. I'm not there yet, but this seems like a good first step.

Anyone here supplement their income with writing? Or maybe you are a writer, and ink on paper (text on screen) is your main source of livelihood?

 

[po boy]

Good for you. Let us know when it is printed.

 

[fibrefarmer]

I've got to get funding to print it.

It's difficult because I could go print on demand which requires no capital, but looking at the environmental impact, it's actually not good. A lot of waist and greenwashing.

So I am going to try to get it printed locally on responsible paper, using as little waste as possible.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Is it about fiber?

 

[crehberg]

I wish I was! Too chicken, though...

Have you considered e-publishing...or are you like me...and just love the feel of a real book?

 

[fibrefarmer]

It is about textiles. Good guess .

I'm starting with a paper book for a few reasons. I see my target market as being crafters and homesteaders, and a combination of the two. So the plan is to get the book into craft and homesteading stores which require a physical book. I like the idea of supporting shops that help people live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

E-readers are black and white/grey. So we have to be more careful with colour photos or they won't show up well on an e-reader. Electronics have a lot more environmental damage than a paper book. And a paper book can be re-sold or gifted when the owner is finished with it. Fewer profits for me but better for the world and for people who can't afford to buy new books.

Being in Canada, I have access to a lot of resources for self-publishing that would normally cost money in other countries. Little things like free ISBN numbers (usually $100+ in the US) and national book catalogue listings (most bookstores require this if they want to carry the book) require physical books.

I think I'll make an ebook version next year. If I focus too broadly this year, I worry I will make lots of mediocre quality items. Or I could make one excellent quality item this year, and then another one next year.

Also, physical books feel great!

 

[fibrefarmer]

I wish I was! Too chicken, though...

I was chicken for over a decade. I kept waiting for someone else to write this book so I could read it. While I waited I experimented and gathered information. One day this winter, someone asked me to write a little something on the topic, so I sat down at the typewriter and started writing. 5 weeks later, I had written enough for a book. I don't really know what's happened between here and then but it's been interesting.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Your muse is working!!

The writers I know do not make a living at it. It is supplemental income.

 

[fibrefarmer]

It looks like a good supplemental income. I have 9 more books to write and if I can create one a year then I'll be very happy. Although this next book looks to be a doozy.

At the end of the 10 books, I'm going to take the books and all the things I've learnt since I wrote them and make one huge book.

I see this as a supplementary income for my retirement. It may not be big, but every little bit adds up.

 

[GTX63]

Seems to work for a few folks I know of who sell their books via their own blog/web page/you tube and FaceBook.
Self published, low overhead and it gets the roots in the ground so to speak.

 

[weaselfire]

I is uh wryter!

Traditional publishing mostly, agent, publisher, etc. You can make a good living at it, but it's as much work as any other job.

Jeff

 

[CajunSunshine]

For many writers, Amazon.com is a great platform and distribution channel. They also provide an extremely affordable POD (print on demand) arrangement. No need to house dozens (or hundreds) of unsold books in your inventory, tying up cash...

More info on how to publish digitally and in print: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/

 

[PRC]

If you're a good writer, and want to do it for a living, take a look at content writing for web designers. As a general rule web designers don't write the content for websites. They farm it out to content writers. Then once the website is live, there is a constant need to add additional content. If you can find designers to work with, you can make a decent living at it.

There are some other details that you'd need to know about content writing, keywords, etc. But nothing terribly difficult. Just general rules that content writers need to know.

 

[RideBarefoot]

Not a writer, but I dabble a bit in proofreading as a sideline. As you mentioned, those small income streams add up.

 

[anniew]

Before retiring, I made a living writing for newspapers...covered local meetings, had a garden column for awhile, did special articles on agriculture, quarrying, logging mostly for regional publications. I also edited a horticultural regional (northeast) publication for awhile. In this line, the way to make a living is to write about things that you can use more than once. for instance, an article on a local farm in a local (county) paper, can then be used in a regional agricultural paper (several states). Sometimes, I could get an article in three different publications, all with their knowledge that it was being done, and with their consent since their readership wasn't overlapping very much.
I hustled, kept track of publications that would announce (either an article or an ad) upcoming seminars, meetings on specific subjects, or that would be promoted through local clubs/associations dealing with their specialty.
It was an interesting 25 years where I got to meet people, mainly those who were in the fields that were of personal interest to me. I also got to do some traveling to cover national conventions for one outlet meeting nationally knowledgeable people in my favored topic.
Prior to the 25 years, I worked other jobs also...nothing to do with writing, just things to make money until I got established with the publications that I wrote for consistently.
I haven't tried fiction, but have considered it. Not very seriously, however. I do proofread for a friend who does e-books. Just for the pleasure of reading her works...not any money involved.

 

[FreeRange]

I haven't tried fiction, but have considered it. Not very seriously, however. I do proofread for a friend who does e-books. Just for the pleasure of reading her works...not any money involved.

Annie, I don't know much about ebooks except that they can be downloaded. I thought it would be fun to write some stories for my grands, telling them about the family since we probably won't see them more than twice a year. Do you know of any tutorials that would teach me how to do that?

 

[mnn2501]

Annie, I don't know much about ebooks except that they can be downloaded. I thought it would be fun to write some stories for my grands, telling them about the family since we probably won't see them more than twice a year. Do you know of any tutorials that would teach me how to do that?

Basically - Just start writing, telling the stories you know.

 

[FreeRange]

Basically - Just start writing, telling the stories you know.

The writing isn't the hard part, except what program to write it in. I only have Word on my computer now. Maybe Powerpoint, I'd have to check. I don't know how I would get it into the right format so they could read it on a kindle, or how or where I would upload so they could download it to the kindle. I've never seen an ebook with pictures and would like to include pictures so they would recognize us the next time we visit, but I don't know if pictures are allowed. That's the sort of thing I'd like to know.

 

[mnn2501]

Write it in Word - always.
Amazon can convert Word Documents into their format. You can have pictures in an ebook.
Get it written then worry about how to publish.
You might think more about a blog than an ebook - but still start writing first (in Word)

For those who do not know:
Blog: A blog (a truncation of the expression "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts).

There are a number of companies that publish blogs, many for free but some you have to pay for.

 

[anniew]

Free Range. I don't know how to publish e-books. From what my friend has told me there is a bunch of formatting that is needed for it to be accepted, although as another poster said, maybe the publisher can do it for you (for a cost surely).
But, I am not sure why you need it published. You could just print it off and include photos...kinda self-publish.
It is a nice idea to give to the kiddos...wish my parents had written stuff down, but too late now!
Good luck with your project.