This cold has really knocked the stuffing out of me. Normally I will weave for 45 minutes before taking a break - not because I'm tired but because I know it is good for my body.
The past few days I have been weaving on the AVL - just one towel at a time - then taking a break. This morning I wove one towel on the smaller Leclerc and after one towel I was tired. Normally I weave 2 and a half towels before taking a break, but not today. I can't believe how weak I am although truth be told, it has been nearly a month since I have done any 'serious' weaving. Don't use it? Lose it!
On the other hand, I have had plenty of time to think. One of the things I have been thinking about, of course, is The Book. The one I intend to (keep) writing.
Several things have happened over the course of the past few weeks which have called me to really think about and clarify what I am trying to do and why I am trying to do it.
With so many beginning type books already available, I feel that rather than simply add more to the heap of knowledge on that pile, I want to try to go beyond 'beginning'. My goal has always been to try and explain the 'why' of weaving (as best I am able), not just the what.
I already know that an ebook isn't going to garner the type of sales a 'real' book will. Weaving shops won't carry it, it won't get wide distribution, I don't have a big advertising budget. So sales will be low anyway. My expectation of sales? Not very high.
This will be more of a specialist presentation, not of interest to many, just a few.
Then I read an article about 'best selling' books. The definition was 1 million sales.
Do I aspire to be a 'best' seller? No. Not at all.
The weaving community is tiny in comparison to the general population. The percentage of people who weave who will be interested in what I have to say will be a tiny slice of that tiny population.
So what are my aspirations? Do I want to sell the book? Yes, of course. Weaving is my career. I earn money by teaching and writing about weaving - of course I want to make sales.
My aspirations boil down to this: I hope that by sharing my experiences and whatever I know about weaving to assist others in their explorations.
I do not pretend to know all the answers. I don't even know all the questions. Because weaving - the creation of textiles using a loom with warp and weft - is huge. Gigantic. Mix in all the different fibres, the different types of equipment, the different qualities of cloth and the exploration of even a tiny part of the craft can take a lifetime. It has certainly taken mine. I was 25 when I decided to become a weaver. I have been a weaver for 40, going on 41 years.
And I still learn. I still make mistakes. I still find weaving endlessly fascinating. Right now I seem to be in a bit of a holding pattern in terms of learning. I've been sticking to the tried and true - for the most part. And that's ok, too.
Life goes through rough patches, smooth patches, detours and scenic routes. And it is all good. It is all life.
You are right, weaving shops only sell real books but how many weaving shops are there in your country.
ReplyDeleteHere in Germany and even in Sweden where I live half of the year there are only a few and usually far away from home. I love e-books, it´s fantastic that I haven´t to wait days and sometimes weeks until the postman delivers the desired book, I can download it in a very short time and start reading. With a tablet it´s almost the same as reading a real book, you needn´t to sit at a desk but can lie on the sofa :-)and if there´s a draft I want to weave I print it out on paper.
I´m really looking forward to your new book!
Have a nice weekend
maliz