The difficult second book....

[Andy Hamilton]

As we are coming to the end of writing our first book we are shortly going to be starting to write our second book. Although there is a working title of 101 ways to be self sufficient this is not really set in stone and even if we did go with that title 101 tips is a fair few.

What I am getting at really is that we have the strange position of being commissioned for a book that is almost a blank slate. It is to be a paperback of 25 000 words selling for about £9 due for publication at some time between November next year and 2009. We have a meeting in the next few weeks to talk about it and come up with some ideas. So I ask really is what would you like to see us write? Or do we approach it in a different way and all write as a few threads? If the idea is good enough and more to the point, fairly unique then the publishers should run with it. So any ideas?

[ina]

There are already a lot of 101 ways of.... out there - you'd have to really find something quite different to be interesting enough, I think.

What about a collection of "case histories" - different people telling their story , how they changed their lives to be more -ish (or didn't change it, because they've always been) - and what they find most important/challenging/satisfying about it? They could be very short stories - there could be 101 of them...

[Cheezy]

Hi Andy,


Congrats on the next book!.

I've had a thought. Since a lot of things ssish are related to the actual month of the year, what about seasonal tips per month.
I'm always forgetting to do things at the "right " time. If there we're tips each month on when to sow, brew,plant,cook,store,make things ready for the next month etc.

It might be a bit different

[Annpan]

Congratulations - sounds like a proper job now.

I like Ina's idea, gives more of an insight into how different selfsufficientish people can be, and maybe inspire others who might not have thought they would fit the mould.

Its difficult to make a judgement having not read your first book. I know what it is called but how did you lay it out? How different do you want your next book to be?

[Andy Hamilton]

Well the first book is 150 000 words long so that is the biggest difference, it is far more comprehensive than the 2nd will be. I think the first book is bigger than John Seymores classic book. Think of the John Seymore book as in the stuff it covers but aimed more at the urban market. In fact the publicity bods came up with some blurb that sums it up better than I can.

Introducing Andy and Dave Hamilton: the Self-Sufficientish Twins. Their to save the planet (and a fair amount of beer money) through their down-to-earth, hands-on approach to living a greener, more ethical urban life.

If you’re a fan of growing your own, making do and mending, but have limited time, money and outdoor space, you’ll love the practical nature of The Self Sufficientish Bible. Andy and Dave don’t waste time wringing their hands about the state of the world. Instead they go and get their hands dirty, making a wormery, giving their workplace a green makeover and foraging for hangover cures. As an invaluable guide, a call to arms and a timely kick up the backside, The Self Sufficientish Bible should grace every 21st Century bookshelf in the land.

From the easily accomplishable to the wildly overambitious, Dave and Andy offer a huge range of advice on how to overhaul every aspect of your life from child-rearing to funeral arrangements. These include:

* Recipes for seasonal dishes, elderflower champagne and placenta lasagne

* Step-by-step guides for making a quilt out of old trousers and an oven out of a pizza box

* Anecdotes about adventurous flight-free travel and the joys of allotments

* Beauty tips on how to grow your own face-masks and avoid ever washing your hair

* Balanced, commonsense advice on loft-insulation, ethical banking and alternative energy sources

Alongside the retro joys and experimental home-brewing is a lot of serious, well-researched information. All the tips and recipes are tried and tested, either by the twins themselves or by other members of their cult online community: www.selfsufficientish.com.

If you only buy one green book (and Andy and Dave would advise you to think twice before you do so) The Self Sufficientish Bible has to be the most comprehensive, up-to-date and thoroughly enjoyable guide around.

[/quote]

[Annpan]

Well in that case... I still like Ina's idea the best. I like cheezy's too but cant help thinking there must be a book like that out there already, isn't there

... or by other members of their cult ...

Oh dear, are we a cult? If so, are we your cult? I ain't joining in with none of those wierd sacrifice thingys or shaving my head or nowt

[Millymollymandy]

Had to smile at that - and also at the fact that the publicity bods can't spell.

I'm also looking forward to the placenta lasagne recipe. Not!

I like Ina's idea too, but maybe with something else as well. Just case histories might not be interesting enough in itself. The trouble is, you seem to have covered just about everything with the first book!

Congrats anyway!

[Cheezy]

I also like Ina's idea, and I agree to call it a "101" following the over "101isation" of absolutly anything could be a put off. What about combining the two idea's. Each month you could have your monthly tips. You could also have a few monthly projects like in autumn build your own solar drier for your harvest surplus etc. (these could come straight out of the first book, most authours do this any way )

Then each month you could also have a short article on different people who have gone SSish, and perhaps a monthly tip from them!. bingo a best seller.
Call it a ssish monthly almanac or calinder or summut

I'll collect my 20% later Andy


Oh, now I'm not the best in spelling/grammer but:

Introducing Andy and Dave Hamilton: the Self-Sufficientish Twins. Their to save the planet

Does this read right or is it me , should it be they're??.

[Annpan]

I thought it was 'There to save the planet...' but maybe that would be 'Here to save the planet..'

As for your new proposal cheezy, 2 birds with one stone, eh. Good one

You could go one step further and write about what each person is doing in their dedicated month... including photos, A real snapshot of their lives... of course it would probably mean a visit to at least 12 people through the year.

[Millymollymandy]

Or it could be divided into seasons, then you can do a big bit on the Self Sufficientish Christmas!

[Shirley]

I think seasons rather than month by month... purely because while it's freezing cold in the UK in November/December it will be summer over in Oz.... and surely the book will be for all zones.

Must admit that I don't really like the 101 bit - why not choose a different number just to be awkward. 101 (+ a few more) -

I thought it was Their to save the planet - but that they'd missed something out - perhaps Their Aim is to save the planet...... ??. It sounds like the beginning of a superman twins movie. LOL. Sorry.

[Merry]

"Cult" online community?
Oh wow! Are we a cult? cool!

[wulf]

How about seeing if you can do 12 months of tips with a northern hemisphere feel for the first half of the book... and then, upside down and starting from the back (or not, depending on your perspective), the same again from a southern hemisphere perspective.

A lot of it will be the same but relatively global celebrations like Christmas that happen in opposite different seasons as well as more local ones and lots of stories and legends (plenty of countries to pick from in both halves) should give plenty of scope (and each section could include a helpful link back to translate to the other part of the globe).

You might even wangle a trip down under out of it, although that might take some time if done in a way to minimise eco impact (probably another book in itself!).

Wulf

[Shirley]

How about seeing if you can do 12 months of tips with a northern hemisphere feel for the first half of the book... and then, upside down and starting from the back (or not, depending on your perspective), the same again from a southern hemisphere perspective.

A lot of it will be the same but relatively global celebrations like Christmas that happen in opposite different seasons as well as more local ones and lots of stories and legends (plenty of countries to pick from in both halves) should give plenty of scope (and each section could include a helpful link back to translate to the other part of the globe).

You might even wangle a trip down under out of it, although that might take some time if done in a way to minimise eco impact (probably another book in itself!).

Wulf

That's a really good idea Wulf!!!

[the.fee.fairy]

I like the right way up/upside down book idea too!

Congratulations on the second book.
And...that sentence is wrong - it should either be:

There to save the planet
Here to save the planet
They're going to save the planet
or Their aim is to save the planet.

its the wrong their!

Cult Member Fee....