publish an e-book

I have, however, during this year gotten much more consistent with daily writing. (The can’t write without a cigarette junkie thing is now conquered!!!) And that’s on top of Morning Pages! About that I’m very happy. About the fact that I still haven’t made a big dent in writing the book I’m, intending for my first eBook – not so much!

Fleshing out (writing content, software learning curve, workshop development … ) my website has taken most of the time there is. On top of all that – this year has been full of business travel and all the purging and reconfiguring everything to manifest a different lifestyle.

But, it’s not just all that! I’m still conflicted about which one of the eBook ideas to focus on. Have a planned ‘romantic get-a-way / rest and be human / writing sabbatical’ planned for mid DE – mid 2009 – JA 2010. I’ll for sure figure it out then.

I am at the 80% done mark on an ebook/Lulu book I have been working on for … months. And it’s been at that spot for a long time. I need to just suck it up and finish it. All that is left is formatting the checklists and adding illustrations. It really shouldn’t be that challenging.

Somebody give me a kick in the virtual pants to get me going, OK?

… on my previous post of this eBook ‘block’ (unfortunately, it is an officially block) is that I have successfully written, published and made ‘a living’ at writing articles, periodicals and books in the past. (Okay, it hasn’t been the recent past. I’ve gotten caught up [10 years] in other work … – blah, blah … long story). And, my (successful) writing career was prior to my smoking quit. That’s probably part of it. In the (about) 4 years following the quit (DE 2002) I couldn’t write at all!!! Could hardly even manage memos and emails at times.

So, my issue (from previous post) is trying to figure out what the big deal is about writing and eBook as opposed to a paperBook?

I went away and DID MY MORNING PAGES. What came up is that I’m having difficulty with the formatting. I like my books in a certain size (5.5 X 8.5 or 5.5 X 7). eBooks seem to, generally, be 8.5 X 11. I need to figure out how to instruct people how to print out the eBook (should they so choose) in a way that gets it set up for duplex printing – which can then be saddle-stitched, cerlox-bound or spiral-bound at their local office supply outlet. Maybe I’ll make the 1st eBook in two formats – my preferred (smaller) size and the classic 8.5 X 11.

Guess I ought to write one of the books first, huh? True. Thing is: I like to layout before and while I’m writing. Hmm-ph. What to do??

I’m having a tough time with this! (What the heck?) And I don’t understand why. (Need to figure it out!)

What’s the big deal? Why do I keep getting part way down the path with each title and then … something throws me off track, I get caught up in a bunch of other work (too often – circular puttering and paper-shuffling … time-wasting.) and then I start on something new – just when I have other pressing commitments.

I want to do this (publish an eBook) – this year. In fact, I actually want to do more than one – this year. So many ideas – each one more appealing than the last. Well, maybe that’s not quite true. Maybe, I’m restless and the projects are only exciting … until the real work starts. Hmmmm. (Interesting.) Like right now. This is funner than settling down to Morning Pages. “GO DO THEM!!!” (That was for me.)

Focus ‘grasshopper’, you must focus.

I am part way through (about 2/3) writing an e-book now. I have to finish the text then write the appendices (not hard as they will be mostly checklists) then add photos and format the thing!

This will also count toward my “Co-author a Book With My Husband” goal as we are writing it together. Yay!