Introduction
It has been suggested to me by multiple people that I should write a book about the astronomy of 2012 and why nothing’s going to happen – at least not based on any of the proposed physical mechanisms by 2012ers. Both of those people like my blog and think that it’s a niche missing out there amidst the mountains of 2012 apocalypse books. Hence the poll.
Responding
Please vote in the poll. I have never done a poll on WordPress before, and after reading that it was made through PollDaddy and that their free account limits it to 100 votes per month … if you can’t seem to vote, then please put your vote in the comments.
Commenting
If you have any comments that go beyond the simple poll, please feel free to make them. To give you an idea of what I am planning, it would be relatively short, having a first chapter going through a brief intro of the phenomenon, and then right in chapter 2 getting to planet x. Then pole shifts, galactic alignments, and solar storms. All of these topics I have written about on my blog before except for the solar one, though I have lectured about it in public talks.
Advice
I have never written a book before. If you think I should write one on this topic and you have experience doing so, please consider sending me relevant advice or put it in the comments. Especially if you have experience in the modern era of eBooks.
Additionally, in many of my posts, I talk about specific people’s claims, including quoting them. If you have legal experience that may be relevant, please e-mail me (as in, I don’t want to get sued if I put in print what Brent Miller said about the galactic “dark rift” on Coast to Coast).
Pricing
Finally, if you have suggestions on price, let me know. Besides ease of not going through a publishing company, I was thinking eBook because I could set the price low. Like $2.99 or something. I’m not really out here to make money on this (unlike many of the doomsdayers), but I do think that something nominal to cover time should be there.
Contacts
Again, if you happen to have gotten stuff similar to this published before, advice (comments here or e-mail) would be much appreciated. If you happen to be an editor or otherwise affiliated with a publishing company that you think would be interested in this, of course please e-mail me.
Final Thoughts
As always, I do actually read all comments posted, even if I don’t necessarily respond to every single one.
Thanks for the input!
Exposing PseudoAstronomy 
Are you planning on self publishing, or actually looking for a publisher? The former is easier, but the latter will probably get you better exposure unless you’re really gung ho to do a lot of your own marketing…
Comment by Rachael — November 20, 2010 @ 12:33 am |
Depends on what format, first. Self-publishing a physical book, to my understanding, is much more difficult than an eBook. And going through a publishing company for an eBook seems to be a bit over-kill. But I’m definitely open to advice depending upon what people think.
Comment by Stuart Robbins — November 20, 2010 @ 12:36 am |
It depends on your intended audience. 2012ers who already believe in Nibiru, UFOs, polar shifts, etc. will probably not read it anyway. People of a scientific education will probably not bother reading it. The targeting audience should therefore be people somewhere in-between (the majority of the population). The main question is how interested they are in an event that will pass in two years. The book has a “best before” date so it needs to be finished up fairly quick.
Comment by Johan Normark — November 22, 2010 @ 1:51 pm |
Yes…but make it short and well-indexed and put it put free with a call for donation. Offer it as a PDF and get it distributed through science and skeptic blogs and websites. I’d love to have something to email people who have questions. I’m thinking of something like the evolution PDF that NCSE puts out.
This would be a nice way to get your name out among people who might support your next books. I wouldn’t put tooling time and energy onto something that will be essentially obsolete when the world does not end. (the nice thing is that if you’re wrong there will be no one around to tease you).
Comment by Dan — November 24, 2010 @ 8:49 pm |
That should read “too much time and energy”…darn iPhone.
Comment by Dan — November 24, 2010 @ 8:51 pm |
Never write a book with an experation data. In the unlikley event you actually have something to say make it timeless.
Comment by Splnggl — November 24, 2010 @ 11:34 pm |
you could write a book about quantum mechanics, the quantum logical fallacy, and quantum woo woos. The post after this one is niice, that way you can put some 2012 stuff in but it would be more generalized and timeless as the other guy suggested. i think a book from this perspective just about 2012 wouldn’t have much of an audience because i think for a skeptical person it is hard to really stay interested in the 2012 conspiracy for too long.
Comment by walter walkie — November 30, 2010 @ 4:55 pm |
Hi
Why not write a book. Share what you know. If you don’t do it your story will never be told and that would be a shame really. I’m not sure how you’d go about this but if you do a search on the net there will be a ton of information out there.
Here’s to your sucess
Allan
Comment by Allan — March 16, 2011 @ 3:06 am |