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News on my CP Book

Hey Folks,

So, I thought I've give you some updates on what's going on with my book. I'm not doing this as a plug, rather I think that few of us have had the opportunity to write a book on CP, so I thought I'd tell you what the experience has been like.

Here is the current status. The book is INDEED going to be published. About 10 days ago I was shipped the first draft of the completed layout for the book in two massive chunks. The kind folks at the publishing house asked me to return to them the entire set of revisions in about 5 days. Eeesh! After months of sitting around waiting, I had to jump into hyperdrive. This is what the publication process has been like: classic "hurry and wait, hurry and wait."

Well, I looked over the first version and saw they had done a fabulous job with the layout. They did not have any problem with a couple of things I was concerned about, i.e.

1)The use of Latin names.
2)The clear acceptance of evolution in the text (crazy this is even an issue)
3)The acceptance of the occasional sly joke

Interestingly, they removed all citations within the text. This means that not only scientific references, such as (Clarke, 2003) would get killed, but if I said something like, "Coco peat is unreliable, as D'Amato points out in his book", they'd change it to "Coco peat is unreliable."

This isn't too toxic, as I'll just create a detailed citation guide and put this up on my web site to aid the reader.

Meanwhile, my wife Beth is quite happy with it, and points out that they didn't dumb down my occasionally complicated sentence structure.

Anyway, they asked for my corrections, so I sat down and started writing corrections. When I was finished, a couple of days later, I had written a document FORTY-TWO pages long!!!Yikes!!!

That's not to say that the draft they did was bad. It's just that publishing a book is a complicated procedure!

One thing I regret about the book is that, I suppose in accordance with modern aesthetics in publication layout, they put a reasonably large amount of "white space" in the book to make it easier to read. My taste would be to fill such white space with figures or text, but it's all about making the book prettier.

They've done a great job with the images, too. Nearly all the images are mine. However, I've had a couple of line drawing made to illustrate some hard things. Also, I've gotten some really cool images by some of our intrepid CP explorers to round out genera I haven't had field experience with. So the book looks nice.

I'll post more here as things unfold, ok? It's a pretty cool process, involving boredom, excitement, laughs, and tears!

Barry
 
Yay Barry! Good to hear things are coming along. It's strange that they cut your citations - I guess the publisher isn't looking to pitch this book at the technical crowd. Keep us updated.
~Joe
 
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sounds like youre definetaly expeireinceing publishing a book!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (seedjar @ June 12 2006,12:58)]Yay Barry! Good to hear things are coming along. It's strange that they cut your citations - I guess the publisher isn't looking to pitch this book at the technical crowd. Keep us updated.
~Joe
Hey Joe,

Yeah, they wanted to make sure the book doesn't come across as too technical and tedious. But cutting these was a big source in corrections on my part. For example, consider the change in tone of the following sentence:

The horticulturist named Joe (aka Seedjar) is sometimes a real dork who can't even dress himself (Ozzy 2004; Bugweed 2006).

vs.

The horticulturist named Joe (aka Seedjar) is sometimes a real dork who can't even dress himself.

Without the citations, it makes it look like I'm coming up with the comments about your dressing style. A BIG change in the tone!

The only thing I regret is that I feel this book is built heavily upon the contributions of many other people, so its a pity they won't be acknowledged the way that I'd like. But I managed to get in my thanks whenever possible. You'll see how when the book is published!
 
wow! im deffinatly getting a copy as soon as it comes out!
Congradulations Barry!
alex
 
That's funny...I almost went to Amazon and ordered my copy today before reading your post.
smile.gif
Then I decided I'd better wait til my next pay day.

Congratulations! Really looking forward to it!
smile.gif
 
Who's doing the cover? Does the publisher decide?
 
Funny you ask about the cover. Up until recently, Amazon.com has been using a dummy cover they rigged up, using someone else's VFT photo. They've been telling me that this photo will not be on the front cover, and I've been waiting for news of a new cover. I've given them several suggestions, based on my favorite images. I'm waiting to see what their art department decides.

Now, just moments ago, I see they've replaced the VFT version with a new version, this time with a Cephalotus photo that *is* mine. So that's quite a relief. We'll see what happens next.

I've just sent them a note asking if they can change my name on the front cover from "Dr. Barry A. Rice" to just "Barry A. Rice," the former seeming a bit pretentious to me!

I'm not entirely certain the same cover will be used by all the publishing houses. So the US/UK version may look a little different from the Australian one, or the South African one.



Barry
 
I always wanted to do a book cover, but I think the publishing company people want control over that. On a bookstore shelf a book's cover is advertising for itself... not something they take lightly I imagine.
 
  • #10
Woww Barry, I really want to have that book in my hands soon!!!
 
  • #11
When I went to Amazon yesterday, I noticed the book had a ceph on the cover. Its a great shot.
 
  • #12
What fun! You are getting closer and closer! I am really looking forward to having a copy.

You will truly be an all media nerd, er I mean, plant guru.

After all, I just saw your wonderful appearance in the soon-to-be-classic DVD "Snap Tentacles and Run-way Lights" !!!!!!
 
  • #14
When you remove citations, then the guy you called a bad dresser and a dork doesn't know who to be mad at!!! A POX upon thee, Barry!!!! Put'em up, Seedjar AKA Joe! PUT'EM UP!!!!! LOL!!!!

--------------
Bugweed!!!! Shame on you! You know the rules about bypassing the filter. tsktsktsk. Might have to put you in the moderator corner for a while.
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  • #15
[b said:
Quote[/b] (UtricSeb @ June 13 2006,1:14)]Woww Barry, I really want to have that book in my hands soon!!!
Man, you aren't the only one! I'm itching to see it bound and on my desk.

I just sent Timber press a couple of "publicity photos" of me. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I don't have a whole lot of photos of me. And frankly, after I've spent a day mucking around in a bog, I look nasty enough so that NOBODY wants to see me. But Beth has a few of me that I was able to send off. We'll see if they are deemed adequate...
 
  • #16
I have to say that I know first hand that seedjar can't dress himself. Bugweed and myself have had to dress him on more than one occasion.

I can't wait to read your book, or as I'm sure somebody here will point out, look at the pictures.
 
  • #17
[b said:
Quote[/b] (0zzy @ June 13 2006,7:22)]I can't wait to read your book, or as I'm sure somebody here will point out, look at the pictures.
honestly Ozzy i wouldnt have said anything
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  • #18
Hey Folks,

Just finished another round of edits on my book. But now another set of corrections have to be made because of some overly-independent editorial fiddlings...

So instead of a 42 page set of corrections, the editors have a 7 page set of re-corrections from me.

Ah, the world of publishing....
 
  • #19
Last weekend Barry showed me the page proofs of his book. It is going to be a stunner! Although, I would hate to be in the shoes of the hapless apprentice editor that had the temerity to change genus names to lower case.
 
  • #20
Hahaha, too rich...no citations and all the binomials reduced to bogusity. The editor in Dr. Rice must be howling at the moon.

I look forward to reading it provided the MD's leave me with a few Hamiltons.

SO, what's it all about? Jon's sex life, forbidden experiments on human beings, the speed and spice of the academic life?
Inquiring minds want to know!

WIll you autograph a copy for me? It would sit well next to my inscribed copy of Don's book that PAK got for me!

Congratulations Barry, and I hope they spare you on the Listserve.
 
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