Time to Ponder

 

smoke at sunset, Aug. 16, 2023

Heading into day two of 'back in spasm'.  Yesterday I felt a bit better than today (so far) but thankfully I have a massage appointment already booked so I'm hoping massage therapist can get the spasms to let go.  But I won't be 'fixed', yet.  After being in severe spasm for days, the muscles will tend to spasm again at the slightest provocation (ask me how I know) so it will be several days of feeling 'fragile' and waiting until my muscles seem to be amenable to weaving.  Or much of anything else.  This is not my first ro-day-o when it comes to muscle spasms.

I had intentions of beginning to edit the weaving drafts for the Mug Rugs and More workshop in October, and I got as far as lifting the rather large binder of drafts and samples up onto my desk and stalled.

I may feel up to tackling that after massage.  Or not.

This episode has completely derailed me and I am left with my own thoughts.  (Never a Good Thing.)

So I have been pondering.  

Do people actually *want* me to keep writing and publishing?  Or nah.  OTOH, I have a ms currently being seen by a professional editor, and a couple of alpha readers who want me to publish.  

While my focus was on creating textiles by weaving, the principles hold regardless of fibre process being used.  Plus my teaching/writing - which was pretty much geared towards being published in some sort of media, right from the beginning.  If nothing else, as workshop handouts.  (Circling back to the workshop in October in 3, 2, 1...)

The Mug Rugs and More workshop (scroll down) will be the last in-person workshop I will teach.  I'm 73 years old.  I *almost* made the 'teach until I'm 75' goal.  I didn't count on a crumbling body, as a friend expressed it the other day.  

But none of us do.

And here I am.  

So far I have not sold enough copies of Stories to pay for the editing.  I *have* sent some copies to people in hopes of more reviews, so fingers crossed.  When attempting to write for a small slice of an already niche market, I actually make *more* per copy this way than through the traditional publishing route.  But it is on my shoulders to market the book.  Every free copy sent out for reviewing or beta reading, is directly out of my profits.  Because I am also the 'publisher'.  Blurb is the printer and shipper if someone purchases directly from them.  What *they* are is an on demand printer of documents, which they will also turn into books, either soft or hard cover.  Plus I can upload a pdf to Blurb and people can purchase that and get the information immediately.

The next book will likely sell only a few copies, maybe not even in the hundreds.  Will that cover the cost of the editing?  Not likely.  So my dilemma is - do I offer it in print or *just* the pdf.  OTOH, offering something in actual print doesn't cost me much so perhaps both, like I've done with the other three?

And round I go again.

School of Sweet Georgia has three (so far) workshops with me, the fourth to go live in November.  Will there be more?  Doubtful.  But those four topics cover much of what I really want to be seen by others.  One was a direct request from SOS (sectional warping) and as with everything about weaving, what I show is simply how *I* do it.  Others will have other opinions because they will be using different yarns, perhaps different equipment.  

I am happy to be part of the SOS community and answer questions there should they arise.  Head's up about an increase in fees for SOS beginning Oct. 1.  If you join before then, you get the current price.  Use the link I've provided (above) and they know you come because of me.

Long Thread Media (Handwoven) also has two workshops with me, taped in 2014.  While I may have changed a few details, both are still pertinent.  I see they now offer a 'Coles Notes' version of the wet finishing information.  (Don't know the US equivalent, Cliff's Notes?)

I also hang out on the Handweaving Academy website.  I'm not teaching classes for them, but am happy to chime in when I feel I can add to a conversation.

And of course this blog.

Have I come to any conclusions?  Nope.

But sometimes the first step is to define the question...

Do I continue to write in order to publish or nah?