Re: R_U_Local - book
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:19 amMy apologies for my absence from the forum. As someone else has pointed out, I do have a full time job and I'm also writing a second book at the moment, so my time is limited.
I tend to post predominantly on Pistonheads as I've been a member there for over 8 years now and I suppose it's my internet "home". It's certainly where the book originated from - I'd been posting little articles on the forum for a few years when someone suggested I collated all my posts together into an ebook. I prevaricated over it for several years - I couldn't be bothered, it seemed too much work and who would possibly want to buy it?
Eventually I had nothing to do over a wet weekend and I thought I'd give it a go. The first ebook edition was released via Amazon in January this year. I thought it was ok, but it didn't feel very "joined up", so over a few weeks I wrote 10 additional chapters, changed some pictures & produced a better cover.
If I'm being honest, I had no preconceptions about sales or whether anyone would be interested in the book at all. I simply did it for the sake of doing it! The sense of achievement in producing a book was fantastic - I left school at 16 and I'm probably the last person you'd ever think would be capable of writing a book!
After a few weeks, sales started to pick up and hit an unexpected milestone in March when, for the first time, the ebook went to number 1 in the Amazon sales chart for ebooks in the "Automotive" section. I was outselling Clarkson, May, the old Stig and even Roadcraft!
In the meantime, I'd had quite a few requests for a paperback version, but I'd assumed that producing an actual, physical book would require an agreement with a publisher etc. Then I received an email from Amazon notifying me about their Createspace service, which allows authors to self-publish paperback books which are then made available via Amazon on a print-to-order basis. I thought I'd give it a go - after all, the book was already written - it would only be a case of copying and pasting wouldn't it?
No, it wouldn't. Editing the paperback was probably the biggest ball-ache of the whole process! For an ebook, you don't need to worry abot font size or page layout or page numbers or contents pages or picture placement - because the reader sets their own font size on an ebook, all this stuff is irrelevant. Not so for the paperback, and the edit took, literally, weeks, and I'm still not 100% happy with it if I'm being honest.
Anyway, since release, the paperback has also sold in reasonable numbers, and I can't begin to describe the sense of satisfaction in holding a finished, printed book in your hand that you've actually written yourself!
I sent a copy to the editorial team at Pistonheads and Dan Trent wrote a very nice article which increased sales dramatically. I'll not be taking any Caribbean holidays on the takings, but the sales will certainly kick-start another little project I'm planning - more on this shortly.
I've now decided to write a second book. The original idea was to write a guide for new drivers, but that's now changed. The working title of the new book is "How Not to Crash" and the idea is that I'm taking a detailed look at the most common contributory factors for accidents in the UK and writing about how to avoid them.
It's aimed at ordinary, rather than advanced drivers, but there should be something in there for everyone. The plan is to have it finished and on sale in time for Christmas.
And the next project? A Youtube channel.
I've just bought my first GoPro and a mounting kit, so once I've got the time, I'll look to produce some straightforward instructional videos. Probably two types - some for ordinary drivers looking to improve, and some for advanced drivers.
Thanks for all the kind comments about the book - they're much appreciated and keep me motivated when I can't really be arsed sitting down to write the next chapter of the new book!
I tend to post predominantly on Pistonheads as I've been a member there for over 8 years now and I suppose it's my internet "home". It's certainly where the book originated from - I'd been posting little articles on the forum for a few years when someone suggested I collated all my posts together into an ebook. I prevaricated over it for several years - I couldn't be bothered, it seemed too much work and who would possibly want to buy it?
Eventually I had nothing to do over a wet weekend and I thought I'd give it a go. The first ebook edition was released via Amazon in January this year. I thought it was ok, but it didn't feel very "joined up", so over a few weeks I wrote 10 additional chapters, changed some pictures & produced a better cover.
If I'm being honest, I had no preconceptions about sales or whether anyone would be interested in the book at all. I simply did it for the sake of doing it! The sense of achievement in producing a book was fantastic - I left school at 16 and I'm probably the last person you'd ever think would be capable of writing a book!
After a few weeks, sales started to pick up and hit an unexpected milestone in March when, for the first time, the ebook went to number 1 in the Amazon sales chart for ebooks in the "Automotive" section. I was outselling Clarkson, May, the old Stig and even Roadcraft!
In the meantime, I'd had quite a few requests for a paperback version, but I'd assumed that producing an actual, physical book would require an agreement with a publisher etc. Then I received an email from Amazon notifying me about their Createspace service, which allows authors to self-publish paperback books which are then made available via Amazon on a print-to-order basis. I thought I'd give it a go - after all, the book was already written - it would only be a case of copying and pasting wouldn't it?
No, it wouldn't. Editing the paperback was probably the biggest ball-ache of the whole process! For an ebook, you don't need to worry abot font size or page layout or page numbers or contents pages or picture placement - because the reader sets their own font size on an ebook, all this stuff is irrelevant. Not so for the paperback, and the edit took, literally, weeks, and I'm still not 100% happy with it if I'm being honest.
Anyway, since release, the paperback has also sold in reasonable numbers, and I can't begin to describe the sense of satisfaction in holding a finished, printed book in your hand that you've actually written yourself!
I sent a copy to the editorial team at Pistonheads and Dan Trent wrote a very nice article which increased sales dramatically. I'll not be taking any Caribbean holidays on the takings, but the sales will certainly kick-start another little project I'm planning - more on this shortly.
I've now decided to write a second book. The original idea was to write a guide for new drivers, but that's now changed. The working title of the new book is "How Not to Crash" and the idea is that I'm taking a detailed look at the most common contributory factors for accidents in the UK and writing about how to avoid them.
It's aimed at ordinary, rather than advanced drivers, but there should be something in there for everyone. The plan is to have it finished and on sale in time for Christmas.
And the next project? A Youtube channel.
I've just bought my first GoPro and a mounting kit, so once I've got the time, I'll look to produce some straightforward instructional videos. Probably two types - some for ordinary drivers looking to improve, and some for advanced drivers.
Thanks for all the kind comments about the book - they're much appreciated and keep me motivated when I can't really be arsed sitting down to write the next chapter of the new book!
