Publishing Iaido Book

[chidokan]

I'm writing an iaido book....whats the chance of getting it published?

Tim Hamilton

[Alex]

I'm writing an iaido book....whats the chance of getting it published?

Tim Hamilton


Bloody good mate!

let us know the details and let's see what we can do at KW Publications.

Alex :cheeky:

[chidokan]

Alex,
do you have Neil Kemp's email address? He was after getting in touch with you about this. PM me and I'll pass it to you.

[chidokan]

Alex,
do you have Neil Kemp's email address? He was after getting in touch with you about this. PM me and I'll pass it to you.
We are writing a book on MJER together. Its actually turning out to be quite useful as we are asking ourselves questions we hadn't thought about before. Not sure how long its going to take, Iwata sensei has told us we will rewrite it about 5 times before we are finally happy with it, but hopefully less than a year. As we have only changed the direction of the book twice, we still have a way to go yet!
A friend of mine is a pro photographer and already has a few books out, so I've conned him into doing the final photos we want! Think we've got the format and presentation sorted though, its coming down to keyboard bashing for the waza descriptions now.

Tim Hamilton

back to keyboard bashing....

[Alex]

Alex,
do you have Neil Kemp's email address? He was after getting in touch with you about this. PM me and I'll pass it to you.


hi there,

please send it to me at editor@kendo-world.com

cheers mate,

Alex

[roar]

I'm writing an iaido book....whats the chance of getting it published?

Tim Hamilton

Theres some books made by peter west in bka, that you perhaps would find some interest in. They are on mjer, at least the solo-kata shoden/chuden/okuden. Maybe you find some ideas on layout and editorial issues, or whatever.. i think you can find them at nine circles.

[chidokan]

Neil and I are trying to make the book a little more interesting from the historical and anecdotal point of view, as well as giving a detailed description of the waza. It has been interesting to see it develop from a waza list and descriptions to what we now have. We have noticed that there is so much material that it even may split into several volumes, with a broad spectrum of student levels covered, along with training and teaching aids. One thing I have noticed is the amount of questions it is generating for our teacher, so Neil is taking a big list over to Japan in November, along with a rough draft.
I intend to read it out to a new student I have to see if what we've wrote makes him do what we want! :laugh: should be interesting....
As iaido is more than just doing waza parrot fashion, there are essays, various poems, and notes from various leading authorities on MJER.
Hardest part will be getting the descriptions/photos right, my teacher, Iwata sensei, will be reviewing the book, so God help us if we get it wrong! :nervous:

Tim Hamilton

[PhilMcLaughlin]

Blimey - A Geordie / Scottish handbook on iai !

Any chance of getting it translated into English as well / :-))

[chidokan]

I might do you a geography handbook as well... I'm as close to Newcastle as you are to London. Cockneys, you're all alike!!! :p

[PhilMcLaughlin]

Errr Tim - I dont live in Stoke anymore

SO Im about 60 miles from London (and you may not be a Geordie but you still talk funny :)

cheers

[chidokan]

definitely a Cockney then! You'll be changing your road maps to show the end of the world at Watford Gap then? :D
just realised I'd better shut up... I'm 60 miles from Newcastle, that makes me a geordie by my previous logic....DOH!!! :redface:

if you'd like a signed copy when its out, that'll be only £650 to you (for the cheek..) I'll take it as a contribution for research for the next book! :laugh: (the price of a plane ticket)

[Hyaku]

Theres some books made by peter west in bka, that you perhaps would find some interest in. They are on mjer, at least the solo-kata shoden/chuden/okuden. Maybe you find some ideas on layout and editorial issues, or whatever.. i think you can find them at nine circles.

Does Peter West do Jikiden down there in Cornwall? He didnt do any when he helped at my dojo. Thought he did seitei kata.

[roar]

Does Peter West do Jikiden down there in Cornwall? He didnt do any when he helped at my dojo. Thought he did seitei kata.

You have to check with british people for a update on his iai-resume and whereabouts. I think he is rokudan znkr/ekf, and does both seitei and jikiden. he made a nice handbook some years ago, with a nice overview on seitei, and also a brief comparison of the curriculas of msr and mjer. the last books are of a more "semi-instructional" character, with more illustrations and explanations on the technical side, focusing on mjer.

[chidokan]

I think the format is developing nicely, and its just me getting sick of typing at the moment! Just laying down what photos are required. I'm going to take some quick snaps using my digital camera and discuss with Neil which ones we really want to keep. When that has been decided I have a pro photographer friend who publishes books on Napoleonic warfare using reenactors to replicate them using proper cameras and lighting.
Neil is off to Japan soon and will be taking what we have done so far to see the reaction of Iwata sensei to it. He has been encouraging us to do one as it makes us ask all sorts of questions about things we dont usually think about. Even if we dont get published it has been a very worthwhile exercise!

[Hyaku]

You have to check with british people for a update on his iai-resume and whereabouts. I think he is rokudan znkr/ekf, and does both seitei and jikiden. he made a nice handbook some years ago, with a nice overview on seitei, and also a brief comparison of the curriculas of msr and mjer. the last books are of a more "semi-instructional" character, with more illustrations and explanations on the technical side, focusing on mjer.

I don't need to. As I said he is in Cornwall. He used to help out at my dojo until I handed it over to him. From what you said I thought you meant he had been getting some special instruction.

Its rather difficult to get this. Iwata Sensei himself never got a chance to practice real MJER until fifty seven years ago as it was never taught outside Kochi.

I am very much looking forward to what would be the first English publication of his valued teaching apart from what I have translated on the web.

Hyaku

[chidokan]

I think I see what Colin is getting at...MJER with Iwata sensei is an entirely shocking experience for those who have not seen him before. After half an hour on my first encounter with him I had enough information to keep me going for a year...and the seminar went on for a week....from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m....he never stopped and we were reeling with the sheer volume of information. Even when we managed to persuade him out of the dojo for meals he never stopped talking! It was totally different to anything I had experienced previously with other Japanese teachers, he insists you ask questions and God help you if you cant ask one!
I actually thought he was about sixty years old with the energy of a forty year old...it turned out he was 84 at the time! Hope I'm that fit when I reach that age!
One thing I did realise is that with the sheer volume of things I had to learn, I definitely did not have time to learn other styles, like seitei iai, so this is why Roshukai in England do not do seitei. My kendo time has also dropped because of this. Roshukai Japan do it, however it takes a backseat and they only do it for grades in the ZNKR. I did ask why they bothered and like all Japanese things its 'because you do'... never a straight answer!
Colin, I'll send a book when its done... hope you'll enjoy it...

[Charlie]

Tim, e-mail me and we can talk more.

charliekondek@yahoo.com

I know a bit from trying to publish fiction. For non-fiction, you have to approach a publishing company with a proposal, outline, and sample chapters, and hopefully go from there (as opposed to fiction whic usually stars with a query or a cold submission and usually involves an agent). These fine folks at Kendo World may have other connections, though, so stay in touch with them. Anywho, like I said, drop me a line and I'll help in any way I can.

[PhilMcLaughlin]

Tim,

Joking aside Ill buy a copy when you guys get it done

cheers

[chidokan]

Thanks for the offer Charlie I'll get in touch.

Phil...you can't possibly buy a book from a ROSHUKAI member, the BKA secret police will find you out and you will be banished to being in an awful position like.... treasurer... or something worse... security guard for BKA events! :p
That's tantamount to wearing a loud shirt in a public place, looking at me in a funny manner, walking on the cracks in the pavement, or not doing MJER in a seitei way!! :silly:
We'll autograph you a copy. Would you like some to sell on the next BKA seminar? :cheeky:

I'm going to take a bet here...
everyone will rubbish it before they read it.
everyone will (secretly) buy a copy.
everyone will pretend what they read in the book they knew all along.
everyone will start turning up with their favourite bits well practised and claim they've been doing it like this for years.

So...... any takers (read suckers!) for a large cash bet on the above? :D

[lucian]

Hey Tim,
I will be buying one too, I am really looking forward to it; since it is nigh on impossible for me to get to your dojo every week :( (or even the first time)
Next time I attempt to find my way there I was going to ask if you would not mind if I brought one of my digi cams and filmed some sets to work on at home but a book is even better :)

[chidokan]

no problem, bring it down... note I have changed to a friday night 6pm start til 9 at Eastbourne sports complex, in the school drama rooms instead of tuesdays at gladstone street. Mon and wed still at hurworth 6:15 til 8:15
We are having a 2 day bash at Nottingham, weekend of 30th November for Brian and Neil coming back from Japan. Interested? I'm going anyway so if you want a lift from Darlington.....

[Richie224]

Thanks for the offer Charlie I'll get in touch.

Phil...you can't possibly buy a book from a ROSHUKAI member, the BKA secret police will find you out and you will be banished to being in an awful position like.... treasurer... or something worse... security guard for BKA events! :p
That's tantamount to wearing a loud shirt in a public place, looking at me in a funny manner, walking on the cracks in the pavement, or not doing MJER in a seitei way!! :silly:
We'll autograph you a copy. Would you like some to sell on the next BKA seminar? :cheeky:

I'm going to take a bet here...
everyone will rubbish it before they read it.
everyone will (secretly) buy a copy.
everyone will pretend what they read in the book they knew all along.
everyone will start turning up with their favourite bits well practised and claim they've been doing it like this for years.

So...... any takers (read suckers!) for a large cash bet on the above? :D

Tim

When you are published, if you give me a box I'll sell them for you at the next seminar :p .

[chidokan]

Alex,
the first draft is getting near to finishing. Now I'm starting to wonder about the format regarding the layout of photos, kanji etc. Also which software to use. I have access to Microsoft Publisher at work, as well as Word, which Neil and I are using as a base for the text. The question is also around the size of the book as well, A4, A5? I've seen the kata book you published, quite nice layout in that, but obviously not what we want as our explanation does not need another explanation! Is there a limit on pages or photo numbers as well. I guess colour would be expensive?

[Khabbi]

Tim , I would be deaply hurt if i wasent in the "thank you " section

\'o)

[chidokan]

there is no way I am going to write 'Khabbi' in the thanks section....unless of course you want to contribute a chapter?? :smiley:

[Khabbi]

well , my knowledge about iaido is very limited . Afew lessons isent enuff to start writing chapters , :smiley: , at best i could come up with some ideas or somthing and buy the book when it comes out :smiley:

[chidokan]

I'd wait until its reviewed before wasting your money.... :rolleyes:

[Khabbi]

Im sure its fine man , maybe u should get terry pratchett to ghost write it :smiley:

why are you reading this instead of writing your book ???? Excuses not accepted.... :smiley:

[chidokan]

no, I want it written properly :smiley: