Hey You! Focus! Written by Reid Rosenthal on February 16, 2013 · Have a comment? That’s what I have been telling myself in the mirror these past few weeks. There’s no question this cowboy has been slower than anticipated getting books out! Between the fiction books, the non-fiction books, the ranches, life and the morons in Washington DC – and I include all of them, both parties, left or right, time is a premium commodity. When I finally do sit down to write, particularly these nonfiction books, I can write like the wind – two to four thousand words a day, and sometimes more. Land for Love and Money, Vol 2 is more than sixty percent written—and edited! I held up finishing to see who would win the election. Obviously, will affect real estate. My sage editors have convinced me I have been shooting at the flock rather than the ducks, running around helter-skelter with grandiose plans of getting too many books out too quickly. They have banged into my thick cowboy skull that a set schedule, taking into account the incredible myriad of steps that are mandatory to getting a high quality book in your hands, will actually result in more books of the highest possible quality. Upon reflection, and after wrestling with my “I can do this” mentality (what, me stubborn?) I must say I agree. It wasn’t until we sat down and really mapped out the schedules to some of the smallest details (though even then not to the nth degree) that I realized how right they were. There are few people who understand exactly how many steps and complex processes there are between story concept and the book in your hands. It’s very much like real estate—just different nomenclature and tasks! Just to give you a taste, in rough order: • preliminary cover • cover artwork • book chapter chart – outline • synopsis • research • chapters and or sections of book written • multiple edits by author: 3 to 11 every chapter • reading and incorporating comments and review of my copy by experts in various facets of the work (banking, finance, appraisal, etc.) • to literary editor • back to author • back to editor • back to author • back to editor • to proofreader • back to author and editor • to the publisher’s book production department • interior layout and graphics • finalize cover – which itself has six elements (inside flaps, outside covers, art, titles, etc.) • printers proof PDF • final comments on printers proof PDF • final revisions on printers proof PDF • off to printer • Begin transferring text into various formats for differing eBook reading machines • 4 to 5 weeks to print • two weeks after printing to get to various distributors, dot-coms etc. • two more weeks to get on retail store shelves from distributors Believe or not I’ve simplified the above process by scores of steps, simply omitting for brevity here such matters as the folks who are typing the manuscripts, research, marketing materials, dot com pages, social media, excerpts, title pages, copyright pages, dedication pages, preface, and on, and on, and on. Looking over this short-list, I’ve tipped my cowboy hat back on my forehead and I’m scratching vigorously. “What the hell was I thinking?” So in summary, taking a step back now means ten steps forward in the future. The schedule is as follows: • Land for Love and Money, Vol 2 – Summer 2013 • Land for Love and Money, Vol 3 – Summer 2014 Workbooks (which after this epiphany we are reorganizing into the facets of real estate): • Workbook 1 – Purchasing and Finance – Summer 2013 • Workbook 2 – Ownership and Management – Winter 2013/2014 • Workbook 3 – Selling – Summer 2014 • Workbook 4 – Conservation and Tax – Fall 2014 Yes, I write because I love to write. I pen because I have a story to tell. I immerse myself in the tale because there are multiple messages on many levels that I want to send. But above all, I write because you like to read, and in the case of Land for Love and Money and the workbooks I hope my knowledge and mistakes can save many people from critical errors and help all better savor the spirit, and take pleasure in profits of land and real estate. Thoughts, comments, or what have you are welcome.