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Post by SeaRat on Dec 19, 2022 18:21:25 GMT -8
Well, I've been working on finalizing my book, Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an USAF Pararescueman, putting the finishing touches on it before converting to a PDF, and sending it out to my sons as a Christmas gift. I started it out when I took all the letters my Mom, Maurine C. Ratliff, had save from my Air Force days. I was hurting in two different ways. First, I had lost my job as a safety and health consultant for 18+ years, being fired because of my beliefs and a few disputes with my managers. I also had been doing some really hard garden work, rototilling and mowing, which involved a lot of arm motion, and was coming down with symptoms of carple tunnel syndrome. So I started learning a new keyboard for my typing, the Dvorak keyboard, which meant reprogramming my head for a different touch keyboard:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_keyboard_layoutTo do that, I needed a project, and my letters was that project. I typed out each of those letters from years ago. That started the book, in 1996. I had a bunch of photos too, and so I could tell the story of my Air Force Days both through all those letters, and through my photos.  Parascuba-BAW image001 by John Ratliff, on Flickr A pararscuba jump off Okinawa in 1968.  Apollo SimEx & HU-16001 by John Ratliff, on Flickr One of the photos of an Apollo Sim-Ex (Simulated Exercise), which I talk about in BAW. Other development happend, as I received a Saturday morning phone call from Texas, which was really interesting. It was from the son of one of the pilots we rescued out of North Vietnam, Troy Cubberly. He had called in 1996 to ask whether I was the pararescueman (PJ) who had rescued his Dad. I was. Over the years, we have stayed in communitication, and through him I got video of the rescue of Farcon 81. Now, the book is just about complete. I have found a few duplications (it happens when a long book gets written over decades of time). I hope to publish it through Apple Books very soon too. I picked up a number of thumb drives to send to my two sons, Brian and Nathan, and to my brothers, Don Jr., Bill and Ken. They are in the book, and in my letters home. So they deserve a copy of the book. John PS, I'm still using the Dvorak keyboard every day, as it is on all our computer systems. If you want to really mess up a computer geek, go into his computer and switch the keyboard to Dvorak witout his or her knowledge, and sit back to watch what happens. I did that to a IT person checking my computer at work one time. When he went to enter some code into my computer, it came out all messed up. Watching his face when he couldn't enter anything legible was priceless. |
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Post by artc on Dec 19, 2022 21:47:32 GMT -8
Congratulations John. I will be looking to purchase a copy of your book when it becomes available. I’m looking forward to a great read.
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Post by scubalawyer on Dec 20, 2022 8:17:21 GMT -8
John, For publishing you might try contacting the Naval Institute Press. www.usni.org/press/aboutThe NIP published two books my late dive buddy Lt. Col. D.K. Tooker wrote about his and others adventures flying both combat and rescue missions in WWII, Korea and Vietnam -"The Second Luckiest Pilot" and "Stand Well Clear." He told me they are always on the lookout for military authorship. Good luck. Mark |
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Post by nikeajax on Dec 20, 2022 9:05:13 GMT -8
Congratulations John: I know it was a whole lot of work  JB |
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Post by vance on Dec 20, 2022 9:58:58 GMT -8
Congratulations! I know how much work it is to complete a book.
I used to teach adult students with severe learning challenges, and struggled to find age appropriate material for adults who read at under a third grade level. There are some books available, but my students found them unappealing due to subject matter, generally poor plots, characters, and language they found juvenile and/or irrelevant to their own lives.
So, I wrote several short novels that they'd (hopefully) like. It is very difficult to be descriptive and expressive while limiting the vocabulary and structures to beginning reading levels!
Fortunately, I had a captive group of readers willing to "critique" them. I use the word critique loosely. For example, I had to interpret what went wrong when someone threw the book across the room, scribbled all over a page, or tore it up.
I used MOST of their suggestions to refine the books, which helped make them enjoyable to people who struggle with written words. I couldn't use all of them, since it was a school setting!
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Post by SeaRat on Dec 20, 2022 10:31:05 GMT -8
John, For publishing you might try contacting the Naval Institute Press. www.usni.org/press/aboutThe NIP published two books my late dive buddy Lt. Col. D.K. Tooker wrote about his and others adventures flying both combat and rescue missions in WWII, Korea and Vietnam -"The Second Luckiest Pilot" and "Stand Well Clear." He told me they are always on the lookout for military authorship. Good luck. Mark Thanks, I'll look into it. Right now, I'm simply trying to get the presents done for my sons and brothers. But I have looked at the USNI Press page, and it seems interesting. 'Hope there is no problem between me being USAF, and the press being about the U.S. Navy. John |
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Post by SeaRat on Dec 20, 2022 10:57:30 GMT -8
Congratulations! I know how much work it is to complete a book. I used to teach adult students with severe learning challenges, and struggled to find age appropriate material for adults who read at under a third grade level. There are some books available, but my students found them unappealing due to subject matter, generally poor plots, characters, and language they found juvenile and/or irrelevant to their own lives. So, I wrote several short novels that they'd (hopefully) like. It is very difficult to be descriptive and expressive while limiting the vocabulary and structures to beginning reading levels! Fortunately, I had a captive group of readers willing to "critique" them. I use the word critique loosely. For example, I had to interpret what went wrong when someone threw the book across the room, scribbled all over a page, or tore it up. I used MOST of their suggestions to refine the books, which helped make them enjoyable to people who struggle with written words. I couldn't use all of them, since it was a school setting! Phil, I had some input from Jaybird on this book a few years back. That helped. But for the rest of it, I've simply been putting together essays that helped my letters and my diary entries. I had written both descriptive letters back home, and also diary entries about my experiences. I was still writing this week, as I found out new information on the unmanned Apollo 1 mission by USAF pararescue just very recently. John  Apollo 11 in water by John Ratliff, on Flickr Apollo 11 recovery. |
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Post by broxton coalition on Dec 21, 2022 15:20:48 GMT -8
I also say -CONGRADULATIONS JOHN- on finishing and getting your book published! i am looking forward to reading the journal of a very interesting military service record. When does the world wide book signing tour begin? |
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Post by SeaRat on Dec 23, 2022 14:09:22 GMT -8
Well, I got my PDF of my book, Between Air and Water, the Memoir of an USAF Pararescueman off to my sons and one of my three brothers. But the other two will have to award it after Christmas, as “the weather outside is frightful…”. Anyway, it’s a relief to have the writing done. Now, to get it published…
John
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Post by diverdon on Dec 29, 2022 15:32:29 GMT -8
Congratulations, John! I too am looking forward to the read.
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 20, 2024 16:40:34 GMT -8
Okay, I’m going to resurrect this thread as I’m actively looking to publish my book. I got a response from one publisher, but they wanted $12,400 to publish my book. Today, I became a member of the Hillsboro unit of Willamette Writers, and participated in on on-line discussion titled “Saturday Coffee at Your Kitchen Table,” and discussed this with several writers, some of whom have published works. They agreed that this was not a good idea, and gave me a lot of things to think about (2 pages of notes). Anyway, things are progressing.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 20, 2024 17:19:31 GMT -8
John, that's a ridiculous amount of money! If you really want to publish this, and you should because your story is unique, find a writer's group, but more importantly, get a professional editor! Don't cheap out here. Look for a "book doctor", your work needs it, no offense, just being honest: the worst thing someone can do while publishing a work is to be "nice": the road to hell is paved by good intentions. I'm currently working with a book doctor, but you need someone who specializes in militaria, so I can't suggest anyone--sorry! They will tell you what works and what doesn't in your story. I'm about 4/5 finished with my novel, and I can't wait for the feedback: I know for certain my book would seriously offend 98% of the people on the forum, you included, so when it's published, I'll never mention it here--just sayin'! Good luck my friend  JB |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 20, 2024 17:48:00 GMT -8
Jaybird,
I'm rather hard to offend, no offence intended. We talked about getting an editor in todays Willamette Writer's group. So you're the second person to tell me that today.
John
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 20, 2024 17:53:22 GMT -8
Naval Institute Press.
They published two books by a friend of mine who was a Marine Corp. pilot in WWII, Korean Conflict, and Vietnam.
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 20, 2024 19:16:43 GMT -8
Good, I'm, glad you have a group--WHEW! Please be sure that you have a professional read over your book, not just beta readers, which are very important too. Check out Mark's recommendation, for sure.
I don't use the word unique very often, but yours is from a perspective that that isn't often seen, if at all. As I told you before, your book might inspire someone with the right qualifications, who wouldn't otherwise see what they have: books about "fly boys" and the like, are a dime a dozen.
JB
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