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138 sats \ 1 reply \ @SwearyDoctor 21 Feb \ on: This will be my 1st 100k sats post on SN meta
So, I've edited and published some books before. A few things:
How much work it is depends, as you're not writing it, you're collecting; collecting is more managerial work (getting everypone to hand in promised chapters is a PAIN, especially because academics never keep deadlines, while they make students fails for being a minute late...)
The challenge is finding a publisher. Three options: finding a publisher who will do it for the promise of return (only works with authors/editors they know and have delivered returns before, usually, or a really cool idea); finding a publisher who will take payment up front and then ALSO pocket the book profits (on the argument that only a minority of books makes money; this is no longer true, as nowadays, they don't have to print 1000 copies and wait, they just make a pdf and print on demand). Or self-publishing, which in academia is discouraged because of the reputational gain of having a publisher (BS really, but not the subject here).
Then, you have to make sure you get them all on time and do QC: that is, largely, spell-checking, seeing to it that the authors keep the format rules, and sometimes give some suggestions on streamlining arguments etc.
Finally, you have to organize and arrange then chapters in a way that makes sense. Good editors will cross-relate them sometimes by adding cross-references, but this is rare.
Then, you write an introduction that sets the frame of the book, outlines the book "thesis" that uhnites it all, and summarizes the chapters.
Off to the publisher it then goes.
Thank you for treating my idea with such respect and giving of your time and energy to share your experiences!
I feel quite bad. Flushed by my excitement, I didn’t explicitly state the most important aspect of my idea: Publish an e-book.
After all, even kids these days can publish their e-book on the Book Creator website: https://bookcreator.com/. Why not us?
Messari publishes its Crypto Theses as an e-book every year. (https://messari.io/crypto-theses-for-2024)
Initially, I thought we could just use the Search button and surface 15-30 testimonials that Stackers had already left on this site. This will surely cut down on the work of managing authors. But I guess I was too naive. If I push on with this idea, I will ruffle feathers in regards to who gets included n who else gets excluded in the book. Haha
In my 20s, I used to patronise this poetry forum (https://piptalk.com/) a lot. The founder wanted to compile a list of the best poems from us members. So he initiated a submission period in which members could submit their best poets for consideration by other users. Iirc, members had a partial say in deciding which poems made it to the book. He would make the final call as the editor of the book.
Again, this will eliminate the work involved in managing deadlines. Though managing the submission period is gonna be a pain.
I guess it depends on whether enough Stackers believe that there is value in my idea. I do still have my (physical!) copy of the Piptalk book around
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