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Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:29 pm
by Aitrus
At the urging of some fellow Forum members (evilanne and sonofnthing are the guilty parties), I'm writing a book about the Seasonal Methods I regularly post about. Now that the rough draft is done and undergoing revision, I'm going to start looking for a publisher soon.

To help me narrow down the search a little, I'm conducting a little poll to learn some things. Things like how many people would actually buy the darn thing, whether hardcopy vs e-book is a better option, etc. Everybody can pick up to three answers in the poll: To buy or not, form the book takes, etc. The book will be about 20,000 words, while an average novel is 50,000 in length.

Also, if any of you have some insider know-how, some contacts or the like that you'd be willing to share, or some experience from going through this yourself, I'm all ears. I'm learning this process as I go.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:19 pm
by Tomanyiron
I like the idea in every way except one. After the book is out and I ask questions like I did today I’m afraid you will say “Go Buy the Book!!” No more free information. :?

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:37 pm
by Aitrus
Have no fear, stalwart chart-slinger! I intend to keep posting monthly updates, answer questions, etc. I might have to do an updated 2nd edition after 5 years at 10, etc.

I have no plans to stop what I'm doing here. What I do here sharpens my understanding, refines my thinking, and reinforces my data set and confidence in the system. Questions like yours today force me to look deep at the program, check my assumptions, and really think things through from various angles I hadn't considered before. No way I'm giving up that kind of whetstone environment!

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 12:49 am
by evilanne
There is all kind of info out there on internet about Self Publishing...it would be good if someone here had some experience with it.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:35 am
by cswift01
Aitrus wrote:At the urging of some fellow Forum members (evilanne and sonofnthing are the guilty parties), I'm writing a book about the Seasonal Methods I regularly post about. Now that the rough draft is done and undergoing revision, I'm going to start looking for a publisher soon.

To help me narrow down the search a little, I'm conducting a little poll to learn some things. Things like how many people would actually buy the darn thing, whether hardcopy vs e-book is a better option, etc. Everybody can pick up to three answers in the poll: To buy or not, form the book takes, etc. The book will be about 20,000 words, while an average novel is 50,000 in length.

Also, if any of you have some insider know-how, some contacts or the like that you'd be willing to share, or some experience from going through this yourself, I'm all ears. I'm learning this process as I go.


One thing I would suggest is that you try to find a formula of the book that is different than the present books. I know that's said much easier than its done, but this would make your book stand out. On the other hand, I think there are very little books that focus mainly on the TSP with seasonal investing so that already might be your in to the market.

-One question, in this book do you include a significant analysis on the S fund? The only reason I ask is because many researchers are primarily interested in the C Fund (a.k.a. S&P 500) and they forget the value of the small/medium caps.

I wish I had a suggestion in terms of self publishing from experience. I do have a former acquaintance that has been self-publishing via Amazon. She choose Amazon because they gave her greater latitude in format and publishing type. Also in your situation, I would suggest to prioritize the electronic version because people that will purchase your book will most likely be technical (of course this also depends on how you've wrote it).

I look forward to your acclaim that will come with the experience.

Good luck,

Me

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:31 am
by OkieTSPer
Looking forward to your publication.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:56 am
by Cpayne09
Keep in mind that the amount of people in this thread willing to buy is probably not realistic... I know i've gotten over 50 people to follow your method and at least 10 of them would purchase a book written about it. Keep up the good work!

PS: I'm only 26 and I have 33k in my TSP.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:52 am
by Aitrus
Wow, Cpayne, thank you very much! I have no real idea of how many people read the thread. I know there's lurkers out there, I just don't have any real idea what my readership levels are.

evilanne / cswift, I have been considering the self-publishing route. One thing I have learned is that all money should flow one way - to the author. The author shouldn't pay anything to get work published. Vanity publishers, aka publishers who want you to pay them up front to provide "services" such as editing, cover design, etc. are mostly shysters who make their money off the author, not on book sales. So I'm staying away from those.

Self-publishing gets the book to market quicker, but marketing is all on me. Traditional publishing takes longer but usually results in a more professional-looking product and gets better advertisement (assuming I can find a publishing house willing to take my work).

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:55 am
by Aitrus
cswift01 wrote:One thing I would suggest is that you try to find a formula of the book that is different than the present books. I know that's said much easier than its done, but this would make your book stand out. On the other hand, I think there are very little books that focus mainly on the TSP with seasonal investing so that already might be your in to the market.


The book reads very much like the thread. I've expanded a bit on each area, with the goal of educating somebody who doesn't have a lot of experience in investing to at least a basic level of understanding the TSP.

-One question, in this book do you include a significant analysis on the S fund? The only reason I ask is because many researchers are primarily interested in the C Fund (a.k.a. S&P 500) and they forget the value of the small/medium caps.


Yes, there's significant analysis on all the Funds, including the L Funds.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:34 am
by RGEN
Yay!
Sy Harding would be proud.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 1:46 pm
by DSS
Look at Amazon's marketplace for Kindle Singles. They are shorter format essays, which I think would fit your purpose admirably and average in price around 99 cents. I think a digital format would serve better as well given that the data you are analyzing is in flux and it would be easier to keep a digital edition up to date and relevant.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:16 am
by koala98g
First dibs on the book signing in Spokane.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:09 pm
by evilanne
Where are the 113 naysayers lurking?

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:42 pm
by idplakm
I see some great advice directing you toward self-publishing, with an emphasis on digital for some very valid reasons. You might want to check for information about e-book updates vs 1st, 2nd, 3rd editions and so forth. Here is some guidance for you on that matter:
https://www.isbn-international.org/cont ... nt-e-books
Here are some informative comments that may help you in the future:
https://kdp.amazon.com/community/messag ... eID=936453

An additional thing to consider would be to create a 'newsletter' type of subscription service. It might be a better option if you're planning to make regular updates and such. The newsletter could direct new subscribers to your book for good background information that will help them understand and take advantage of the newsletter. Conversely, your book could direct new buyers to your newsletter for ongoing updates. Build your sales, subscriber base and email list all at the same time.

Be sure to check for possible copyright infringement and how to obtain necessary permissions when sourcing and using charts in your book(s) and possible newsletter.

For the book, Smashwords and Amazon are the way to go. BUT...according to this person, you should AVOID Kindle Unlimited/KDP Select, which only pays the author for the individual pages the reader has open on their screen for at least a predetermined minimum amount of time:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-coke ... 15224.html

Uploading files to Amazon's CreateSpace will print a physical copy on demand for those who want it. Each version of your book will need its own identifying number and you can look into the different options for assignment of identifiers. I would buy a pack of ISBNs since you never know what will happen and the same ISBN of your individual versions of the book can be used on both Smashwords and Amazon. You may not be able to add an ISBN to your sales page after the fact.

It's easy to get your own ISBN numbers from BOWKER (you might want to buy a multi-pack since you will need individual numbers for the e-book, softcover, possible hardcover, audio book, and future 2nd-3rd-4th editions etc). ALWAYS buy your own ISBN numbers!

Don't forget to check out the different royalty rates and how you will get paid for sales. There are also some tricks and tips on how to get the most exposure when you first list, which will increase your ranking and therefore your sales (theoretically).

COVER DESIGN/ART and KEY WORDS IN THE LISTING/TITLE ARE IMPORTANT! Also, create an Author's page that looks professional (Why not, right?).

If you care about ranking for sales, Amazon will know if it's a friend or family member buying your book or leaving a review and they won't count in the algorithms. For more credible points toward your listing, if it matters to you, have someone who is not linked to your Facebook, LinkedIn or other accounts in any way buy the book and leave a review.

You are right to avoid the pre-pay or other indie author publishing companies. I read a great expose on one of the major 'publishers' who scam their writers. Never EVER allow someone else to buy or own the ISBN for one of your books.

Lastly, you've probably realized that you have no need for a traditional publisher, providing you even found one who would agree to publish you. First, see paragraph above. Second, if you were 'lucky enough' to get one, you'll get only pennies on the dollar (of net profits, not total sales) and will have to get rich of off the merchandise or movie rights, provided the publisher hasn't already put some kind of clause in the contract to take that from you too...

If you're smart enough to discuss the markets and work the charts, you're definitely smart enough to understand and utilize self-publishing tools.

Re: Aitrus is writing a book!

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:47 pm
by Aitrus
Thanks for the advice, idplakm. Certainly a lot to think about.

idplakm wrote:An additional thing to consider would be to create a 'newsletter' type of subscription service. It might be a better option if you're planning to make regular updates and such. The newsletter could direct new subscribers to your book for good background information that will help them understand and take advantage of the newsletter. Conversely, your book could direct new buyers to your newsletter for ongoing updates. Build your sales, subscriber base and email list all at the same time.


I don't plan to do any kind of subscription service. That might be where more money is made, but I started this venture to offer advice and to receive other opinions and verification on my work and program. I started it here, I plan to keep it here. If I lose money for that decision, so be it. I didn't write the book to make a pile of money. I wrote the book because it needed to be written and people will benefit from it.

Be sure to check for possible copyright infringement and how to obtain necessary permissions when sourcing and using charts in your book(s) and possible newsletter.


Done and done. Nobody else has done anything like this to my knowledge and research results say the same.

For the book, Smashwords and Amazon are the way to go. BUT...according to this person, you should AVOID Kindle Unlimited/KDP Select, which only pays the author for the individual pages the reader has open on their screen for at least a predetermined minimum amount of time:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-coke ... 15224.html

Uploading files to Amazon's CreateSpace will print a physical copy on demand for those who want it. Each version of your book will need its own identifying number and you can look into the different options for assignment of identifiers. I would buy a pack of ISBNs since you never know what will happen and the same ISBN of your individual versions of the book can be used on both Smashwords and Amazon. You may not be able to add an ISBN to your sales page after the fact.

It's easy to get your own ISBN numbers from BOWKER (you might want to buy a multi-pack since you will need individual numbers for the e-book, softcover, possible hardcover, audio book, and future 2nd-3rd-4th editions etc). ALWAYS buy your own ISBN numbers!

Don't forget to check out the different royalty rates and how you will get paid for sales. There are also some tricks and tips on how to get the most exposure when you first list, which will increase your ranking and therefore your sales (theoretically).

COVER DESIGN/ART and KEY WORDS IN THE LISTING/TITLE ARE IMPORTANT! Also, create an Author's page that looks professional (Why not, right?).

If you care about ranking for sales, Amazon will know if it's a friend or family member buying your book or leaving a review and they won't count in the algorithms. For more credible points toward your listing, if it matters to you, have someone who is not linked to your Facebook, LinkedIn or other accounts in any way buy the book and leave a review.


Lots of good info here and stuff I didn't know I needed to research. Thanks for letting me know about these tidbits.

You are right to avoid the pre-pay or other indie author publishing companies. I read a great expose on one of the major 'publishers' who scam their writers. Never EVER allow someone else to buy or own the ISBN for one of your books.

Lastly, you've probably realized that you have no need for a traditional publisher, providing you even found one who would agree to publish you. First, see paragraph above. Second, if you were 'lucky enough' to get one, you'll get only pennies on the dollar (of net profits, not total sales) and will have to get rich of off the merchandise or movie rights, provided the publisher hasn't already put some kind of clause in the contract to take that from you too...

If you're smart enough to discuss the markets and work the charts, you're definitely smart enough to understand and utilize self-publishing tools.


Good food for thought here. I lean toward traditional publishing, but that's because I'm mostly a fiction writer, and fiction never does well when self-published (aside from the rare author who manages to self-publish a Cinderella story now and again). But this is non-fiction, and that's a whole other ball of wax.

My goal is not to make a ton of money with this book. My main goal is to get the information out there as widely as possible. If I get some kickback for the time I've invested in the research and work, that's all well and good, but I originally created this program for me. I just happened to post it on here for some others to review and looked for feedback, and it just snowballed from there.

If I'm going to get widespread readership, I don't know that I could do it well enough to succeed if I self-publish or e-publish. I'm not really a social media person - I don't even have Facebook or Twitter accounts. It's simply not my forte. The biggest benefit a traditional publisher would bring is credibility to the work and more widespread readership than I could otherwise do on my own.

That's just my sense of things. I could be wrong.