Go ahead, twist my arm. Suggest that I write a book. Like writing isn’t something I have to do, just to keep myself from spontaneously combusting.
You know who you are, you seemingly innocent blog friends. You’re the people who keep dropping little hints about putting the story of my life into print. One suggestion here, another idea there, and before you know it—I’m actually writing a book. About my life!
The book will be a memoir, and I’ve asked a friend to handle the design. She designed my last book and did a beautiful job. As on the last go-round, I’ve decided to go the self-publishing route. I briefly considered the idea of sending my little masterpiece-to-be to a publisher, but I’ve decided against it. I don’t like the idea of some neuro-typical editor-stranger messing one iota with the product of my feverish autistic mind.
Yes, I like control. And independence. Haven’t you noticed?
Anyway, thanks everyone. 
© 2009 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg
I’ve been writing a book for about six years now, always editing and changing and adding. I doubt I’ll ever publish it, but you never know.
And uh…
*with innocent look on face*
…you writing the book is a great idea
Good idea, Rachel! I trust we will see its publication announcement here.
You also perfectly describe the kind of thinking I’ve done about my books-in-progress in terms of publishing. I don’t want anyone else to touch my writing, because it’s just the way I want it. Moreover, I’m excellent in English (it’s my job to be; in fact, I know the Chicago Manual of Style nearly by heart), so I don’t need someone to find my spelling errors or grammatical mistakes (I like to think I don’t make the latter
— at least not on second and third rereadings).
I ultimately decided to put two of my WIPs on the Internet, after I read a (pretty darn good) fiction work from a man who did the same, saying, “I just want people to read my books.” Sure, money is great, but ultimately, I just want people to read my books. I already earn money other ways….and the traditional route to getting published is so fraught with rejection, I really have no stomach for it.
I’m a big fan of reading on paper in bed, though, so I think I will eventually self-publish my finished books so people can have a real, live copy to put on a bookshelf.
In my translation work I’ve had occasion to cross paths with a copyeditor, and these have ranged from less than uberproficient in the English language (which I consider a must for an editor; honestly!) to very good, but in every case, they wanted to change things the author didn’t. They thought things were “unclear” that neither the author nor I felt were. So I think you’re making a wise decision to publish your book yourself.
What was your first book, by the way?
Oh wow that is wonderful news!!!
I am so happy for you. I would love to read it SO MUCH.
Can you have a PDF/ebook version available? I cant read traditional books and don’t want to miss out on what will I am sure be the best book I have ever read in my life
Go for it!!
Kate
innocent? moi?!
This is marvellous news! I will certainly be looking for a copy. Pen and ink for me, please (I love the physical holding and SNIFFING of a new book….), but I encourage other formats too, for accessibility reasons
Stat Mama: You should finish your book. Then, you, Saja, and I can throw a book party and invite all our blog friends! Of course, this assumes that one of our books is successful enough to pay for all the airfares.
Saja: Thanks for the kudos. The main reason to self-publish a book about autism is that, by definition, pretty much anything I say will be unclear to non-autistic people, at least in the beginning. So struggling with an editor over things being unclear would be an exercise in frustration. And a bit crazy-making.
Kate: A pdf version? Or course. Anything for a fan.
Misfit: I’m a new-book sniffer from WAY back. Glad to meet ya!
About my first book…It was called “A Sense of Place: The Story of the Williams Family Farm.”
It came out in 2007. Here’s a link to an article about the book in one of the local papers. The article features a pretty bad photo of me, but it provides good information about the book itself:
http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=4558533
And here’s some information on the book from my book designer’s website:
http://www.robinbrooksdesign.com/sense_of_place.htm
Right! Now I remember reading about your friendship with Mr. Williams in one of your earlier blog posts.
What does Tiferet mean, by the way?
Re: Tiferet…I posted the following on Stat Mama’s blog last week, under her post on “Caring for Others”:
In Kabbalah, we have a kind of chakra system, in which each part of the body is identified with a way of being. At one level of this system are two opposites: chesed (lovingkindness) and gevurah (restraint). If all you ever have is chesed, you will get run over by a car as you try to save stray kittens and squirrels who can’t make a decision about which way to go. If you only have gevurah, all you will ever do is to say “No” to everyone and everything. If you balance the two, you get tiferet, the beauty of the heart. And then you are home.
Count me in as a pre-order for this book, whenever it gets done!!
On the book sniffing, new book smells are lovely, but NOTHING smells more like heaven than an old book, except maybe a used book store.
But really, if there are two identical copies of a book sitting together, I base my decision which to buy on both which smells better and which feels softer.