When Galvez, author of Reversal: When A Therapist Becomes A Patient, wrote to me asking if I would add his blook to my list, I wrote back with lots of questions. I've posted his initial response, but had even more questions! Here's the outcome:
Blooking Central: I'd like you to explain a few expressions and terms that you used, like "Multiple perspectives". How was that accomplished if the text for print was your blog?
Galvez: I asked people closest to me to write essays about their experience having someone close to them undergo serious medical issues. Included are the perspectives of my family, friends, and therapits/ former co-workers/ friends
Blooking Central: What does "real time format" mean in terms of print?
Galvez: "Real time format" refers to the blog/journal entries of my portion of the blook.
Blooking Central: Book soundtrack -- explain why there is a soundtrack -- what's the point? Should readers download this to listen to while reading your blook? If your blog is still available, can I read and listen at the same time? Who created it? Where can I find it? [I should mention that this is not the first soundtrack for a blook that I've encountered]
Galvez: The book soundtrack is a collection of chapter/essay titles used in the blook. Most of chapter/and essay titles are titles of popular songs. The collection of songs is available as an iMix on iTunes. The book soundtrack does not need to be played while reading the book although the songs do elicit emotions associated with each chapter/essay.
Blooking Central: How big a role does ethnicity play in the book?
Galvez: The conflict of being a 1st generation Filipino American vs my Filipino parents contributes a large portion to my conflict of being an independent young adult vs tradtional overprotective by-the book immigrant parents. They wanted me take things slow, while I wanted to push the limits. I'm not sure this is ethnicity specific, but I have no other point of reference.
Blooking Central: Tell me about your selection of iUniverse.
Galvez: I choose iUniverse because of their print on demand format. I thought it would be easier to distribute the book that way.
Blooking Central: Lastly, you still haven't told me how you actually got the text into the book.
Galvez: The book is divided into 4 sections: My Story (my blog), Perspectives (essay contributions), Random Things, and the Appendix. The book was not formally edited so it is still "rough around the edges". I will be shopping the manuscript to a larger publisher. I submited the manuscript to iUniverse in word format. I didn't purchase copy editing. In a few weeks they sent me link to a PDF proof of the book. I filled out a form to edit the proof. After I subbmitted the proof edits a few weeks later the book was ready!
Here is a preview of the book from iUniverse.
I appreciate Galvez's willingness to share with us! Were you impressed with the phrase "real-time format" to describe a blog in print? I was. I'm still not sure about this soundtrack thingy, but it is a clever ploy to distinguish your blook. Wonder if that will make a difference when Galvez submits his blook to the upcoming Blooker competition?
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