I\'ll Be Going Now

[OldMan]

I don\'t mean this as some sort of drama. I simply want to explain why i\'m doing it.

Most of you know i\'m writing a book on still hunting. At least i\'m trying to. My plan is to give all profit to the RMEF as a way of giving them back something for all they do for the elk. Elk, and elk hunting has been a huge part of my life.

The problem is I get a lot of questions on still hunting on this forum. It\'s not that I don\'t want to answer them, and I have been avoiding giving too many specifics. I can tell it\'s not the answers you want. I want you to learn, but I want you to learn by reading the book. That helps me help the RMEF. This is a public forum that can be read without being a member. If I continue to answer questions on still hunting that everybody can read. Nobody will buy the book who has an interest in still hunting. I could just say stop asking me questions, but that\'s pretty rude, and new members who along will still ask.

So, i\'ve decide it\'s better if I just stop posting here. Maybe that\'s not the right thing to do, but it\'s a decision i\'ve made. You guys will get along without me just fine. Lots of great elk hunters here to answer the questions.

Later.

 

[bnsafe]

pete im gonna have to respect your decision but disagree with you. forums like this are free advertising for you. for me to buy a book i wanna know the guy writing it has a clue what hes talking about, and reading answers on forums like these give me an indication of that.
to put my money where my mouth is, i bought swedes book, read it cover to cover, and still have it. i bought it several months after talking with him and reading his answers. i bought it cause i wanted all the info in one spot to look at whenever i wanted it.
there are lots of examples like that.

 

[elky McElkerson]

a book on still hunting? seriously?

okay..good luck with it. i\'ll keep an eye out. take care Still.

 

[Swede]

If there is anything in the tree stand book that I have not posted on this or another forum, I don\'t know what it is. If someone wants to print off all my posts on tree stand hunting, for their own use, go ahead. I don\'t think it has adversely impacted book sales to share information online.
Pete, good luck on your book sales. I hope you have a lot of profit to give RMEF. I have not done an assessment lately of where I am at, but suspect I may be into positive territory within another year or two. I offer the book for sale, but don\'t do much to promote it. If you are writing to make money, be sure to have a good business plan.

 

[F M]

Pete glad to here you got your book going but don\'t stop checking in on us around here. We need somebody to keep a few of us in check.

 

[AndyJ]

Pete, I would have to agree with a lot of the other guys here. If you didn\'t post on this site, I would have had no idea that you are writing a book, which I will certainly be buying. Dropping tips here and there in posts is no substitute for a comprehensive, all in one place, book. I\'m sure I\'m not alone when I tell you I\'m not writing tips down or archiving them. I try to remember all the tips I get, but I rarely even use the search feature. Not to mention, staying active on the forums builds your credibility and makes you more of an authority. I had no idea who you were until I joined this forum. Now having read all your posts, I know to pay extra attention to anything you\'ve written because I know, you know what you\'re talking about. Think of these forums as the cheapest, easiest advertising and reputation building you have ever had. Being the completely obsessed elk hunter that I am, I think I understand other completely obsessed elk hunters. You could make a post titled, \"Everything I know about still hunting, by Pete\"; write everything that you are going to write in the book, and I would still buy the book.

 

[cnelk]

Pete
Lets make a deal

You write your book and continue to post here.
Once your book is in print, we will sponsor it here for sale - Free

 

[OldMan]

You guys are making it hard on me. Usually, forums are glad to see me go. I can be a bit ornery at times. :agg:

 

[Jaquomo]

+1 Andy.

Pete, best of luck and looking forward to the finished product. I\'m holding off on completing my advanced bowhunting for elk book because everyone I know who has written and self-published a hunting book in recent years is still in the red or barely breaking even. Getting a publishing house to invest in, and market, a book written by a relative unknown is virtually impossible. You can make a lot more real money by writing articles for hunting magazines. For a per-hour writing fee basis, there\'s no comparison.

Be very interested to learn if you\'ve found a \"magic formula\" for self-publishing a book and making a profit! Some of us would pay for that information. From what I can see, promoting it to folks on online forums is about as good as it gets, then directing them to your website and accompanying blog site.

Good luck and check in now and then to keep us posted.

 

[AndyJ]

Think of it like this Pete, the more people know who you are and that you are writing a book, the more people are likely to buy your book and the more you will be able to help the RMEF.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Not ornery....maybe passionate....or misunderstood!

Other forums have a tendancy to develop into a general click and eventually develop in a groupie forum. Our goal at BTO is to let everyone be heard as long as you don\'t personally attack or target someone. And we want many different opinions! Aren\'t we all hunters?

+1 on Brad, Jaquomo, AndyJ

 

[OldMan]

I hope so John. Sometimes guys forget, and just want to be shooters. Hunting is the fun part. The harder, the better for me.

 

[Jaquomo]

Good on you for offering to donate your profits to RMEF, too. Worthy goal for a worthy organization. I\'ve donated my Bugle writing fees back to RMEF and felt really good about doing it.

+++++ to you, and best of luck with your effort!

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Swede, let\'s glue Pete\'s fingers to his keyboard! Only problem is he could only type words with the letters a,s,d,f,j,k,l,;. (home row)

 

[Swede]

John, I learned a lot from writing that first book. I have no plans to start another anytime soon, but it would be easier now to write one. #! For Pete\'s sake, pun intended, do yourself a favor and start with a good outline. The better the outline, the easier it will be to organize your thoughts and write the book. I thought I had a good outline, until I realized I was starting to overlook things, and to place things in areas where they did not fit logically. That required a lot of rewriting and hours or rereading. Before I was done, I got to hate the book. I have never read it since it was put into final print.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

John, I learned a lot from writing that first book. I have no plans to start another anytime soon, but it would be easier now to write one. #! For Pete\'s sake, pun intended, do yourself a favor and start with a good outline. The better the outline, the easier it will be to organize your thoughts and write the book. I thought I had a good outline, until I realized I was starting to overlook things, and to place things in areas where they did not fit logically. That required a lot of rewriting and hours or rereading. Before I was done, I got to hate the book. I have never read it since it was put into final print.

Well I was hoping that by gluing Pete\'s fingers to the keyboard he couldn\'t leave BTO. But this could backfire because he\'ll be using his computer to type his book! DANG IT!

On a serious note, good luck Pete. You are a great asset and would hate to see you go!

 

[Jaquomo]

++ Swede.

Pete, I won\'t presume to know about your previous writing or publishing experience or education, but if this is your first book-length manuscript, there are some great books available at Barnes and Noble or Amazon that break down the construction process. It will save you a ton of time and rewrite/editing effort.

Good luck and go for it!

 

[ABQ_Chica]

We\'ll be sorry to see you go, Still Hunter, but I\'m glad you\'re at least letting us know why.

I also agree with most of the posts so far. For what it\'s worth, I\'ve made most of my hunting/archery book-buying decisions based on forums like this one, where a post or two (or three hundred) by the author has snagged my interest and made me want to learn more (i.e. buy the book).

When it\'s published, let us know? Hopefully we can be your first customers! Hang in there and keep chugging away. People assume writing is the easy part, but many of us know firsthand that it\'s not. It sure can be rewarding, though. Best of luck to you!

 

[Deertick]

Seems to me the best way to market said book would be on forums like this one.

 

[bowhunter]

I hate to see ya leave Pete. I hope you will stay around and make some posts. You don\'t have to tell us all your secrets that will be in the book. Make sure you let us know when the book is done. I want to pre order one now.I wish you the best of luck.