Publishing

[Jhanon]

Hey Jhananda,

I used to work for amazon where I supported kindle customers--both reader and writer. Firstly, one can download the kindle reader for free onto almost any digital device. Secondly, one can send files like .pdf and .doc via email to an assigned kindle email address. When the device next connects to Internet, the file will become available to read through the kindle app. This has nothing to do with purchasing or making the file available on the kindle store--but it allows one to read their material on the kindle program before releasing it for sale.

Kindle books can be updated as often as necessary. So you could put one up in the kindle store *cough* fragrance of enlightenment *cough* and update it in accordance with your wishes.

In terms of price, I would charge what most other good selling books with a similar amount of pages in your genre are charging. I have purchased many meditation books, and a 250-350 page book by someone like Ajahn Brahm is about 10 bucks.

Lastly, Kindle is where I would concentrate efforts. People read on digital devices these days, and kindle is the easiest to do. It also comes with Amazons stellar customer device. They also have the best and most populated ratings system. Also, according to my last knowledge, the kindle store has the most customers and books out of any e-book retailer. There are many other reasons.

i personally search on google for a free PDF copy of whatever book I want to read. If it is available, I simply open it in my kindle reader. If it is not, then I purchase it on amazon.

I hope you find this useful. I believe amazon still has support for kindle publishers.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, Jhanon, but we are a year ahead of you. My book of contemplative and mystical poetry, A Stone Worn to Sand,

Has been available for purchase for almost a year via: Smash Words; Amazon; and, Barnes & Noble; however, only one copy has sold, so I see no reason to continue with the effort to publish books.  Instead continuing to give my research into meditation states away via this forum and the GWV website is further justified.

[Jhanon]

I understand, but I have to say again that I wouldn't expect very many people to purchase mystical poetry. How many modern books of mystical poetry have sold well? I am not saying it isn't good. It's just not something common to the average human experience. I really feel strongly that a meditation guidance book would sell far better.

I think an individual like me would be your target market. I have purchased many, many meditation guidance books, and zero mystical poetry books. Some of the meditation guidance books I read are just terrible, and they are written by otherwise unknown authors like Yogani. BUT i STILL bought them, because I really wanted to figure meditation out, and was willing to try anything even with a title that seemed to promise what i was looking for. When I hear "mystical poetry" I think of two target audiences; educated poets, and those who've already found their way onto the path.

For what it's worth, at least. I respect your decisions.

UPDATE: You addressed most of this in another thread. I understand your position, and a response isn't needed.

[Jhanananda]

Yes, how-to books are very popular. unfortunately, as you found, most of them are useless. 

I have been running a forum for discussion of attainment for at least 10 years. If this forum had more that just a hand full of people participating in it, then I would be encouraged to go through the effort to complete the first of a series of books on this subject, and it would be the "Fruit of the Contemplative Life."  It would be followed later by the "Fragrance of Enlightenment."

It looks like those "books" will be embodied by my students long after my death.

[Jhanananda]

On our Skype site, Bodhimind gave me a few ideas for publishing: CreateSpace

CreateSpace posted omre suggests for Hard cover printing websites

- IngramSpark (highly recommended)
- Lulu
- Blurb
- Shop My Book

[bodhimind]

Just to add on to the previous points, the problem with many people out there, even dharma seekers, is that they are looking for what they want. If a contemplative poem is not inside their mental wishlist or attention-seeking conditioning, then it is nearly impossible for them to zoom in on the book and buy it. The principle of publishing is to invite them into buying the book through appealing to what they want, then showing them what they need inside the book.

I do think that if you would truly post a book, it would have to have a message match to the target audience. As Jhanon suggested, a how-to book is instructive and the reason why people pick those sort of books up is because they want step-by-step guidance, an "easy-way-out" of things. Instead, what I think would fit better would be a biography of how you progressed up the Jhanas, etc. I myself would be very interested in that. In fact, non-fiction biographies popularize quite well. This would certainly share value with the dharma seekers.

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, bodhimind, for posting your comments.  Yes, marketing, and market value, of books helps sell them, and poetry has a low market value.

I agree that self-help and non-fiction biographies have a larger market.  So, I encourage others to write their story first.

[Jhanon]

Excellent insight, Bodhimind.

And Jhananda, want to know something hilarious? There is already a successful book called "Beyond the Power of Now." So......?

[Jhanananda]

Well, I guess you should purchase a copy, read it, and tell us how far beyond the individual got.

[Jhanon]

Well, I guess you should purchase a copy, read it, and tell us how far beyond the individual got.

Oh, goodness. That's quite an idea. I got so tired of being absolute let down by books that I stopped reading them about 8 months ago. I suppose I could check it out, but I'm afraid it's going to be an intellectual re-hash. Hopefully not.

[Jhanananda]

Yes, I too read little any more, unless I find the individual is a genuine mystic.  On the other hand, it sounds like reading the book will be valuable market research.

[Michel]

And Jhananda, want to know something hilarious? There is already a successful book called "Beyond the Power of Now." So......?

Eckhart Tolle is perhaps the most popular spiritual guru in the world. His books have topped the New York Times Bestseller List, and his core teaching-achievement of liberation via the power of Now-has become the "guiding light" of the New Age movement.

But according to L. Ron Gardner, author of Beyond the Power of Now, there is a problem-a big problem-with Tolle''s core teaching: Tolle never explains what, exactly, the power of Now is. Is it the same thing as Hindu Shakti or the Buddhist Sambhogakaya or the Christian Holy Spirit? Tolle doesn''t say. He continually refers to the Bible and Jesus in his book, but, shockingly, never once mentions the Holy Spirit and how it relates to the Power of Now. L. Ron makes it clear that the true Power of Now is the Holy Spirit, which is the same divine Light-energy as Hindu Shakti and the Buddhist Sambhogakaya. He explains and extolls the true power of Now and castigates Tolle for failing to identify and describe it.

To some, Eckhart Tolle is a New Age visionary, describing a "new earth" that can materialize if mankind, en masse, awakens to the power of Now. But according to L. Ron Gardner, he is simply a histrionic ranter full of empty rhetoric. Throughout this book, L. Ron continually points out, from different angles, the folly of Tolle''s New (or Now) Age chimera and describes the social system that represents mankind''s sociopolitical salvation.

Beyond Tolle''s teaching about the power of Now and rhetoric about a "new earth," L. Ron takes the renowned guru to task on virtually every subject he addresses. Most significantly, he rebuts his arguments that: 1) emotions can be trusted more than thought; 2) time is a mind-created illusion; 3) psychological time is insanity; 4) the present moment is the Now; 5) the "inner" body is the direct link to the Now; 6) your cells stop aging when you live in the Now; 7) women are spiritually more evolved than men; and 8] animals such as ducks and cats are Zen masters. Eckhart Tolle''s teachings are replete with erroneous ideas, and L. Ron Gardner exposes the major flaws in his principal arguments while providing readers with integral solutions.

[Jhanananda]

Eckhart Tolle is perhaps the most popular spiritual guru in the world. His books have topped the New York Times Bestseller List, and his core teaching-achievement of liberation via the power of Now-has become the "guiding light" of the New Age movement.

But according to L. Ron Gardner, author of Beyond the Power of Now, there is a problem-a big problem-with Tolle''s core teaching: Tolle never explains what, exactly, the power of Now is. Is it the same thing as Hindu Shakti or the Buddhist Sambhogakaya or the Christian Holy Spirit? Tolle doesn''t say. He continually refers to the Bible and Jesus in his book, but, shockingly, never once mentions the Holy Spirit and how it relates to the Power of Now. L. Ron makes it clear that the true Power of Now is the Holy Spirit, which is the same divine Light-energy as Hindu Shakti and the Buddhist Sambhogakaya. He explains and extolls the true power of Now and castigates Tolle for failing to identify and describe it.

To some, Eckhart Tolle is a New Age visionary, describing a "new earth" that can materialize if mankind, en masse, awakens to the power of Now. But according to L. Ron Gardner, he is simply a histrionic ranter full of empty rhetoric. Throughout this book, L. Ron continually points out, from different angles, the folly of Tolle''s New (or Now) Age chimera and describes the social system that represents mankind''s sociopolitical salvation.

Beyond Tolle''s teaching about the power of Now and rhetoric about a "new earth," L. Ron takes the renowned guru to task on virtually every subject he addresses. Most significantly, he rebuts his arguments that: 1) emotions can be trusted more than thought; 2) time is a mind-created illusion; 3) psychological time is insanity; 4) the present moment is the Now; 5) the "inner" body is the direct link to the Now; 6) your cells stop aging when you live in the Now; 7) women are spiritually more evolved than men; and 8] animals such as ducks and cats are Zen masters. Eckhart Tolle''s teachings are replete with erroneous ideas, and L. Ron Gardner exposes the major flaws in his principal arguments while providing readers with integral solutions.

I agree with much of this criticism; and I especially agree that the experience of leading a fruitful contemplative life was called the "holy spirit" in the bible and gospels.

Please note:
I have moved this topic to Right Livelihood, because it seems to be more appropriate there.