Make this Blog Into a Book?

The writings in this blog (most of them) were intended to comprise a book.

But I lack the discipline or money to write a book. So I settled for a blog instead.

Anyway, this is why many of the posts refer to the alleged book they were supposed to appear in.

Dreamer that I am, I made plans to finish the book and get it published. To this end, I made a proposal document intended to lure investors on sites like GoFundMe. Here is that document:

BOOK PROJECT PROPOSAL BY LUKE TURNER

POSSIBLE BOOK TITLE

Taking Suffering Seriously: Provocative challenges to our assumptions about how to relieve widespread, persistent suffering by means of ideology

Or, maybe a shorter subtitle: An outsider’s critiques of conventional suffering relieving ideologies

DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK

The book presents my challenges to the assumptions I see associated with how best to relieve widespread, persistent suffering by means of ideology. (“Widespread, persistent suffering” will hereafter be abbreviated “W-S suffering”.)

Two of the assumptions I challenge are philosophical, namely:

In metaphysics/epistemology, I challenge the assumption that anti-realism (radical cultural relativism, postmodernism, extreme leftism) is the singular foundation of a stronger and more inclusive compassion.

In metaethics, I challenge the assumption that morality helps more people than it harms. (And also challenge the validity of morality itself, defending non-cognitivism.)

But the third assumption is more psychological, wherein I challenge the assumption that bodily physical beauty is irrelevant to the relief of W-S suffering.

VALUE OF THE BOOK

Although my challenges are merely the provocative speculations of a concerned novice instead of the well-researched hypotheses of a professional intellectual, I remain convinced of their value to the project of relieving W-S suffering.

Whether or not the challenges are valid, I imagine they will improve our knowledge of how to relieve W-S suffering. If they are valid, they will overturn invalid knowledge. If they’re invalid, they will strengthen the validity of the established knowledge as it successfully defends itself. At a minimum, the book implores us to investigate the challenges further, and see how much validity they really have.

Additionally, the book itself adds value to the challenges it presents by consolidating them into a single volume and unyieldingly framing them in the context of relieving suffering, thus inspiring readers to remain focused on the project of relieving suffering when considering them.

PUBLICATION PLAN

1. Query ghostwriters, editors, and cover designers on the fees they’d charge to convert the prototype I have already written into a much more marketable book able to fulfill the value I have here proposed.
[Front matter for the prototype available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Lxs-OcgsA9yE-YHtL1AIoE5n1NYtkmtWNPKXxurH-Y/edit?usp=sharing ]
2. Investigate whether it is wise to create an LLC before proceeding to direct large sums of money.
3. Find investors and obtain the funding to hire a ghostwriter, editor, and cover designer according to the information gleaned from step 1.
4. Find and hire the ghostwriter.
5. Collaborate with the ghostwriter to complete the first draft.
6. Find and hire a copyright lawyer to flag any potential infringements.
7. Find and hire the editor.
8. Supply the editor with the flagged infringements found in step 6.
9. Collaborate with the editor to complete the manuscript.
10. Format the book in Affinity Publisher ($50) and create an index.
11. Format for both e-readers and hard copy.
12. Buy ISBN’s
13. Find and hire a cover designer.
14. Collaborate with the cover designer to complete the cover.
15. Register book with copyright agencies.
16. Select the hard copy printer and submit the hard copy formatted book to them.
17. Order a proof copy and correct found errors.
18. Learn more about book release strategy. Get that “Rocket” keyword thing.
19. Select release date according to the learned strategy.
20. On the selected date, release the book on KDP (or its replacement) and in hard copy.

GHOSTWRITER’S JOB

The ghostwriter’s primary job is to convert my prototype of the book (now called “Futile Compassion Theater”) into a much better book that has a chance of selling well. [Front matter for the prototype available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Lxs-OcgsA9yE-YHtL1AIoE5n1NYtkmtWNPKXxurH-Y/edit?usp=sharing ]

 

The prototype "Futile Compassion Theater" as I envisioned it.

The first phase of this will be to collaborate with me on constructing an outline that best presents those valuable challenging ideas. The ghostwriter will lead the collaboration with suggestions. And here we will also decide which content to keep versus which to omit. The criterion for this decision is whether the content helps or hinders the marketability of the book. I estimate the need to eliminate about 25% of the ideas and sub-narratives currently in the prototype, wherein this 25% idea content comprises about 60% of the word bulk. Much of this detrimental content is just clever (and sometimes insulting) fluff that caters to my self-absorption and that nobody cares about.

When it comes time to write the text, I have a peculiar rule the ghostwriter must follow. Do not use the words “good”, “bad”, “virtuous”, “evil” or any close synonyms unless these words specifically appear in the prototype source text. These words convey morality, and I don’t believe in morality. I would be a hypocrite using words that imply what I do not believe. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.

The prototype sometimes uses poems, personal reflections, and fictional dialog. If these forms are inefficient and/or way difficult to integrate into the new outline, feel free to convert to prose.

PRESENCE OF THE GHOSTWRITER IN THE BOOK

I do plan on crediting the ghostwriter, if the ghostwriter would permit.

If the book becomes more effective/trustworthy by disclosing the process of its own creation, I am all for disclosing such, including the fact that it was written by a ghostwriter, and how that shaped the book into what it is. If this becomes real, I’d like the ghostwriter to express their thoughts on the book’s creation in their own “voice”.

POTENTIAL SEQUEL PROJECT

The proposed marketable book may ironically make the prototype I wrote marketable as well, as a kind of “behind the scenes” artistic compliment to the more “sober” book that came first.

The prototype often has a surrealistic dada feel to it that might appeal to readers aware of the sober book, but who have artistic sensibilities able to appreciate the prototype.

[Front matter for the prototype available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Lxs-OcgsA9yE-YHtL1AIoE5n1NYtkmtWNPKXxurH-Y/edit?usp=sharing ]