I’ve been contemplating writing a book about my doubts and questions regarding religion. My wife and son are afraid that would put us in danger for me to come out as an athiest. I’ve been getting comments like, “It’s better not to write anything. It would make some people very angry.” The book would be called “I’m Still Searching” or something like that. It’s sad that I could put myself in physical danger just by writing my honest thoughts in a book. I guess Dawkins, Hitchens and Dennett have received some threats, but would I receive the same kinds of threats?
Humans being what they (we) are, it’s quite natural to expect being persecute for holding unpopular beliefs - many an original thinker, from Copernicus to Spinoza, has received such treatment. Where I come from, for example (Nigeria), one could easily get himself lynched for openly doubting God’s existence. But that should be no reason why one shouldn’t stick to the truth - truth can be ugly, you know;and it’s precious cargo, you have to be strong to lift it.
I have often worried that if I one day became a Hollywood star (or the next CEO of Microsoft), the Paparazzi wouldn’t leave me alone. Write the book first, questionsaboutfaith, and then worry about the rest.
Yeah, lots of questions first: will you finish it? Will you find an agent and a publisher willing to take it on? Will it sell? Etc. These are increasingly high hurdles. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but more likely nothing will happen, unless you go around promoting it a heck of a lot and you say some very incendiary things. Dawkins, Hitchens and Dennett were very high profile authors before writing anything about atheism: three of the highest profile authors in the English language, actually.
Doug, he can always self-publish. One doesn’t necessarily need an agent, although it is great if a person can get one.
Sure, but then his chances of selling more than a handful become astronomical, unless, again, he’s willing to do all his own marketing and promotion (and unless he’s very good at doing his own marketing and promotion ...)
It also depends where you are located. In a highly religious, fundamentalist area you could get more hassle that you would if you were located in a more religiously tolerant and diverse area such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, London, etc.
Doug, he can always self-publish. One doesn’t necessarily need an agent, although it is great if a person can get one.
Sure, but then his chances of selling more than a handful become astronomical, unless, again, he’s willing to do all his own marketing and promotion (and unless he’s very good at doing his own marketing and promotion ...)
I personally would not discourage him, but that’s me and I’m doing self-publishing for my book through Lulu. Then again, I’m willing to take the risk.
I wouldn’t have any trouble publishing a book if I were to write one, since it would be no more than 4 pages and could be printed at the local stationery super-store.
I wouldn’t have any trouble publishing a book if I were to write one, since it would be no more than 4 pages and could be printed at the local stationery super-store.
Write the book first, questionsaboutfaith, and then worry about the rest.
