Bill Sego, From Logan, Ohio, 28 Fans, 26 Hubs, Joined 8 months ago
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Christy Kirwan Interviews Bill Sego
Hubber Bill Sego Publishes His First Book
Could you tell me a bit about your book?
“Universal Logic: A Quest for the Ultimate Meaning of Life” is the tentative title of the book. It takes a pluralistic, happy medium approach to the mysteries of life and the cosmos. The book purports that many scientific, metaphysical, and religious concepts can work together to form an interpretation of existence that fits nicely with just about any belief system or lack thereof. The best category for the book would be science/philosophy.
The book attempts to answer such questions as “How did we get here?” “What happens to my consciousness after I die?” “What factor determines individuality, or why I am me and not you?” “Is the Universe alive?” “Does life exist elsewhere in the cosmos?” “Does time as we measure it really exist?” “What is to be the ultimate fate of the Universe?” and many more.
It tackles many different concepts, to include such topics as cosmology, quantum physics, religion, the mind & consciousness, a natural version of the soul, artificial intelligence, the sixth sense, future technologies, alternate dimensions, ghosts, parallel universes, time travel, aliens & UFOs, and much more. It is designed to help promote interest with the average person regarding such topics and goes out of its way to advocate science, but also offers broad interpretations that allow for just about any type of religious or paranormal belief system. It is written in a comprehensive and detailed format that makes such concepts easy to grasp, yet also remains intriguing and thought provoking.
Is this your first book?
Yes, I have been working on the book in my spare time for the past 10 years and finally finished it in April 2013. I then published it as an e-book on Amazon Books. After taking a relatively short break from it, I finally decided to start soliciting publishers in November and received a response to publish with Native Ink Press 2 months later. The contract has been signed by both parties and they tell me the tentative publication date will be sometime in August. I plan to start writing my second book in January of 2015, which will be titled “Universal Logic: Conservatism vs Liberalism.”
Why did you decide to share your Hubs with publishers, and how did it help you?
During my hiatus from the book from May through November of last year, I started writing articles on HubPages that were tailored to the different sections throughout the finished work. I had to edit and compile them in a way that meshed with the various categories, but most of them were already complete and ready to transfer as a featured Hub. One of my Hubs is actually a detailed synopsis of each chapter and section of the book. My intentions were to use HubPages as a means of advocating it and getting the word out. One of the questions in the submission letter to the publisher asked how I had advertised for the work thus far. They liked how I formatted my Hubs and how they drew attention to the book and even stated that my initiative to do all that on my own was one of the many reasons they decided to offer me a contract.
What did you consider the most challenging aspect of publishing?
I think getting several denials before finally receiving an acceptance letter was the most challenging aspect of the process. I started to get a little discouraged, but was glad I didn’t give up. For non-fiction books, most publishers require the author to have a college degree or professional experience related to the topic at hand. For fiction writers, they prefer that you are already published. Starting with a smaller publisher is a good way to get your foot in the door.
Any advice for your friends on HubPages who want to publish one day?
Prior to soliciting publishers, a good way to make your work immediately available to the public is to post it as an e-book with the Amazon Kindle program. All first-time authors receive a mountain of denials before finally receiving a contract. Starting with a smaller publisher is a good way to get your foot in the door since most contracts are for a finite period of time. For example, I have a 3 year contract with Native Ink so will eventually have the option of taking it to the next level. Having your work already published will certainly help with bigger publishers. Once you have read through your work for the 50th time and are starting to get sick of reading the same thing over and over, go back through it a 51st time. I haven’t touched my book in almost a year, but have started going through it once more with a fresh perspective and have already made several revisions. Whatever you do, don’t give up.
The views and opinions expressed in this interview
do not necessarily reflect those of HubPages.
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